Week 1 & 2 Flashcards
List the tests that are unreliable on the dipstick test
SlunG
SPECIFIC , leukocytes, urobilogen, nitrites, GRAVITY
What happens to the leukocytes in a urine sample if left to sit too long at room temperature?
Leukocytes decrease
What happens to erythrocytes if urine left too long at room temperature?
Hemolyze
What happens to the protein in urine if it sits too long at room temperature?
Increases
What happens to the turbidity of urine if it is left to sit out too long at room temperature?
Increases
If a sample needs to be preserved past the 12 hours refrigerated time, what can be done?
1 drop of formalin added to 30 mLs urine will preserve
Name the 2 basic types of centrifuge rotors
swinging bucket and fixed rotor
The specific gravity is off the scale on the refractometer. What can be done to get a reading?
Dilute 1:1 with distilled water. Recheck the reading on the refractometer. Multiply the last 2 digits by 2
What is the name of the stain used for an air-dried urine smear?
Diff-quick
What PH would you expect in feline cat urine and why?
6-7
More acidic due to high protein diet.
How long should urine be centrifuged for and at what speed?
3-5 min at 1000-2000rpm
How can we tell is a dark red urine sample is due to hematuria or hemoglobinuria?
Centrifuge the sample. If supernatant is yellow and red blood cells appear as sediment in the sample = hematuria
If sample remains red throughout = hemoglobinuria
List 3 potential causes of hematuria in urine
1) Inflammation/infection of bladder
2) how sample was obtained ie; cysto or catheterization
3) Blockage due to stone
4) bleeding in urinary or repro tract
What elements cause equine urine to turn cloudy?
Presence of mucous
Presence of calcium carbonate crystals
What is anuria?
Lack of urine production/output
What element in the urine causes it to turn an abnormal dark brown colour?
Myoglobinuria
When preparing a sample to be sent to a lab, what kind of container would you put the sample in for shipment and why? How to store while waiting?
Sterile container to avoid contamination
Opaque with tight fitting lid to avoid oxydization
Store in fridge no longer than 12 hours
Is an obstruction of the bladder considered an emergency and why?
Yes.
- The bladder can rupture releasing toxins into the abdomen.
- The overfull bladder is pushing toxins back up into the kidneys
What procedure would be performed to relieve the urinary obstruction?
Catheterization to empty urine out of the bladder as well as to try and flush stone/obstruction back up into the bladder
Would a urinalysis be performed on a blocked cat?
Yes
To determine if crystals are found and determine which kind so we know how to treat…ie sx removal or diet change
Could urine be obtained by cystocentesis on a blocked cat?
No. The bladder will rupture
Catheterization only
List 3 potential causes of obstruction in a blocked cat or dog?
Mucous plug
Stones
Crystals
Why should centrifuge tubes containing urine have a lid?
So air doesn’t break down particles an give an inaccurate sample
If centrifuge tubes not available, what can be used to spin down a urine sample in the centrifuge?
Red top blood tube
Why is it important to change the diff quick stain periodically?
Bacteria can grow in it falsifying your results
What are the most important factors to keep in mind when receiving a sample to perform a urinalysis on…
Run the sample within 1 hour!
If it can’t be run within an hour, refrigerate
Bring to room temp before analysis
Label your sample!
List the chemical properties that are obtained from a dipstick analysis 10 items
PBK PLUNGES
protein PH Nitrites Specific gravity
bilirubin Leukocytes Glucose
ketones urobilogen erythrocytes
To prepare a urine sample to be sent to the lab what steps should be taken?
Check Specific gravity first!
Package in appropriate sterile, opaque container with tight fitting lid
Label with hospital name, owner and pets name, date, what sample is and what for
Package in box with cooler pack to keep cool for transport
Fill out appropriate idexx/ahl paperwork
Besides the change in elements, what can happen to a urine sample if left out at room temperature too long?
Bacteria can grow in it
Crystals start to form
What test is performed to evaluate the renal tubules ability to concentrate or dilute urine?
Specific gravity
What does the term isosthernuria mean?
The specific gravity of the urine is the same as that of plasma
Why is urine collected first thing in the morning best for urinalysis?
- more concentrated
- less likely to be affected by diet and water intake
What does the term polyuria mean?
Uncreased urine output/production
What does the blood test pad on the urine dipstick detect?
Erythrocytes/Myoglobin/Hemoglobin
If a urine sample is brown/red, what does this indicate the presence of?
Myoglobinuria
What type of protein does the protein test pad on a urine dip stick detect?
Albumin
After struggling to collect urine from a fractious cat, the urine is found to have glucosuria? Why is this and why would this appear in a healthy cat?
Cat stress= hyperglycemia causing glucose in the urine
Misreading of the dipstick - perhaps the dipstick wasn’t given an accurate amount of time before reading
Faulty dipstick - always check to make sure product not expired
Would equine urine be considered alkaline or acidic and why?
Due to the horse being an herbivore, the urine would be alkaline
Would a carnivore’s urine be alkaline or acidic?
Acidic
What is hemoglobin?
Protein found in blood cells
What is myoglobin?
Protein found in muscle cells
What does polydipsia mean?
Increased thirst/drinking
What change in specific gravity would you expect in a patient with polydipsia?
Low specific gravity from increased water intake
What change in urine specific gravity would you expect to find in an animal that is dehydrated?
Higher specific gravity
Name 2 common diseases that cause PU/PD in animals?
Diabetes mellitis
Diabetes insipidus
What does the type of crystal formation in urine depend on?
PH
Temperature
Concentration
What are 2 other names for struvite crystals?
Triple phosphate
Magnesium Ammonium phosphate
How is struvite crysalluria treated in dogs and cats?
Diet
How are calcium oxalate crystals treated in dogs and cats?
Surgical removal then diet
What is the type of crystal seen in rabbit and horse urine?
Calcium carbonate
What is the medical term for bladder stones?
Uroliths
Name 5 contaminants that may be seen in urine
Parasite eggs pollen mucus fibers crystals
What are the 4 methods for collecting urine?
Free flow/catch
cystocentesis
catheterization
Bladder expression
What is the advantage and disadvantage of cystocentesis?
Adv- good for culture and sensitivity testing, no distal urethra contamination
Dis- Blood possible in sample, animal must cooperate, invasive, increased skill level required
What is the advantage and disadvantage to free flow urine for testing?
Adv- least intrusive, owners can do it to bring in sample
Dis- risk of distal urethral contamination
What is the advantage and disadvantage of bladder expression?
Adv- less intrusive than cysto or catheter
Dis- difficult in cats, may injure bladder, reflux to the kidneys, not for obstructed animals, falsely increase rbc’s
What is the advantage and disadvantage of catheterization?
Adv- good for samples that need to be sent for c&s
Dis- falsely increased rbc’s
What are the 4 primary factors that may affect urine PH?
Diet
Fever
Starvation
Drugs/medications
In what species is urine normally coloured reddish brown?
Rabbits
What does specific gravity measure?
The density of urine compared to the density of water. Measures the solutes in the urine.
What is the pigment made by the liver from dead or dying rbc’s?
Bilirubin
What is important to remember about quality assurance with regard to urine dipsticks?
- expiry dates : expires sticks will give false readings
- follow manufacturers guidelines for when to read each pad
- do not allow urine from one pad to run through urine of another pad
Why is performing urinalysis important?
Its a inexpensive and easy preventative medicine
- detects renal and pre-renal disease
- May detect early stages of other diseases
What is the role of the urinary system (5)?
- excretion of waste
- regulates blood pressure and volume
- regulates solute concentration in circulation
- regulates extracellular fluid PH
- regulates synthesis of rbc’s
In what area of the kidney are most of the renal corpuscles and convoluted tubules found?
Renal cortex
Where in the kidney are the loops of henle of the nephrons located?
Medulla
Approx how many nephrons can be in a kidney?
up to a million per kidney
What is the physical difference between kidneys in cattle, horses and cats/dogs?
Cattle- multi-lobulated
Horses- smooth, one is heart shaped
cats/dogs - smooth and bean shaped
What do nephrons do?
- maintain water balance
- maintain acid-based balance
- maintain electrolyte balance
- remove waste
In what 4 ways is urine analyzed in clinic?
Physical evaluation
Chemical evaluation
Sediment evaluation
Specific gravity
If urine is processed later in the day, how will the specific gravity be affected? How will the PH be affected?
SG- It will be more dilute due to water intake
PH- more alkaline
If urine is processed early in the morning, how will specific gravity be affected? How will PH be affected?
SG - higher
PH- more acidic
What factors can affect the ‘volume’ of urine?
- fluid intake
- external loses (panting)
- environmental temp -hot day=fluid lose
- food type- high or low sodium food
- levels of physical activity
- size of animal
List the test pads that are found on a urine dipstick (10)
PBK PLUNGES
protein, bilirubin, ketones
pH, leukocytes, urobilogen, nitrites, glucose, erythrocytes(and wbc’s), specific gravity
What ‘stain’ do we use in class to stain a urine slide (non-dried)
Sedi-stain
What is a normal color that we see in urine while doing our physical analysis?
Light yellow to amber
The presence of a brown/green color in urine is indicative of the presence of…..
Bile
Red/brown color in urine is indicative of the presence of….
RBC’s of freefloating hemoglobin
A turbid urine same is an indication of ‘what’ in the urine?
crystals
When doing a physical examination of urine, what 5 words could be used to describe the ‘odour’ of the sample?
Urinoid (normal urine smell) Strong No odour Ammonia Fruity/sweet
Is a specific gravity done before or after centrifuging?
After…..sg done with supernatent
For accuracy of testing, what time of day will a urine sample yield the ‘best’ results?
First urine of the morning
When analyzing sediment of a urine sample, what are some things we may see that could be considered normal?
Small number of rbc's and wbc's Casts Epithelial cells Sperm small number of crystals mucus fat droplets artifacts
What volume of urine should we use for centrifuging?
3-5 mLs
After centrifuging and removing supernatent, how much sediment fluid should we have to work with in the bottom of the tube?
0.5mL
What factors could we see in the urine of a dog with diabetes mellitus?
Dilute urine due to excessive drinking
Glucose in urine
Ketones may be present in urine
May have ‘fruity/sweet’ smelling urine and breathe
…..these dogs often have chronic UTI’s and other infections due to a compromised immune system
What factor may we see in a dog with diabetes insipidus?
VERY dilute urine due to excessive drinking
What is ‘pyuria’ and what would we see in the urine to indicate this?
Pus in the urine
We would see the presence of WBC’s and bacteria
What element from the urine stick decreases with light exposure?
Bilirubin
Do formed elements in the urine increase or decrease in an
A.M sample? P.M sample?
A.M - Increase
P.M - decrease
What 2 structures make up the renal corpuscle?
Glomerulus
Bowman’s capsule
List the physical properties of urine that we record when doing a urinalysis
- Colour
- transparency/turbidity
- odour
- volume
- Specific gravity
What is a normal volume of urine produced by a dog
per kg/day
20-100mL/kg/day
What is a normal volume of urine for a cat to produce in a day?
10-20mL/kg/day
‘sthen’ as in hypersthenuria means…..
strength
hypersthenuria = Specific gravity > 1.012
What is the difference between the physical and the chemical properties of urine?
Physical properties are the observations we can make without the aid of a microscope or chemical reagents.
Chemical properties are observed by use of the aid of appropriate chemicals/reagents.
What are the 6 components of the urinary system?
Left and right kidney
Left and right ureter
Bladder
Urethra
The kidneys of what animal have a lobulated appearance?
Cow
The hilis in the urinary system is….
The indented area on the side of the kidney
The ___________ is the basic functioning unit of the kidney?
Nephron
The urinary bladder is lined with what kind of cells?
Transitional epithelium
The term that describes a decrease in the volume of voided urine over a 24hr period is….
Oliguria
The term that describes an increase in the amount of urine being produced in a 24 hr period is….
Polyuria
The preferred method of specimen collection for urine samples that need a culture and sensitivity is…….
Cystocentesis
What test should be performed before refrigerating a urine sample?
Specific gravity
The term that describes an increase in the frequency of urination over a 24hr period is…..
Pollakiuria
The term that describes the absence of urine production is….
Anuria
Urine that appears __________has a low specific gravity
Clear
Urine that appears __________has a high specific gravity
Yellowish/brown
Which test is used to confirm the presence of bilirubin when detected on a dipstick test?
Ictotest
When are ketones produced in the body?
Produced during fat metabolism
What diseases can lead to ketonuria?
Diabetes mellitus Long term anorexia Starvation Hypoglycemia ( seen in late term pregnancy with cattle) Animals nursing their young
How are ketones detected on the dipstick pad?
Nitroprusside reaction - can detect acetoacetic acid and acetone….but not beta-hydroxbutyrate ( which is 1st ketone produced in ketosis)
What happens if there is excessive ketone production in the body?
Toxicity - CNS depression and acidosis
What are ketones?
Produced during fat metabolism. Made up of acetone and acetoacidic acid and beta-hydroxybutyric acid
Why would we see glucose in a urine sample? What is occurring in the renal system?
Glucose is normally reabsorbed into the body from the renal tubules. However, if the body already has too much glucose, it won’t reabsorb and the glucose then travels to the bladder. Therefore already too much glucose in system= disease/hyperglycemia
What chemical is used in a reagent strip to test for glucose?
Glucose oxidase
What can affect the presence of glucose in the urine?
High concentrations of vitamin C in the body (ie; pet on a supplement)
If urine is cold
If dipstick is expired
What is a Bence-Jones protein?
It is a globulin protein found in urine that is indicative of certain cancers. We can not detect it in our tests.
Explain the terms
Isosthenuria
Hyposthenuria
Hypersthenuria
Isosthenuria - a specific gravity equal to that of plasma
Hyposthenuria - a low specific gravity
Hypersthenuria - a high specific gravity
Why is horse and rabbit urine not transparent?
Presence of mucous and calcium carbonate crystals
What component of horse and rabbit urine gives it its red/brown color?
Porphyrin pigments
