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Pet Article
HEALTH AND YOUR PET
You may notice your cat or dog is not their usual self! They maybe just "under the weather".
A clue to what's going on with your cat or dogs health and well being can lay in their urine.
This smelly liquid provides a variety of clues that will help your veterinarian solve
the mystery of your pet's health.
Like us humans, pets should have urine that is yellow and has an unmistakable odor. Most
cats and dogs will develop a pattern and urinate with the same frequency each day. Changes
in frequency of urination, blood in the urine, and pain upon urination are
common signs of infection. Owners are very good at picking up on these signs and
pointing them out to their veterinarians.
The usual ways of collecting urine are: Your veterinarian may ask you to bring in a
urine sample collected by the 'free catch' method. Take your dog for a walk and when
he lifts his leg, catch the urine in a plastic container. Other methods are done at a
veterinary clinic. A urinary catheter may be placed to collect urine directly from the
bladder, or a device known as a cystocentesis, requires a veterinarian to direct a needle
through the abdominal wall into the bladder to collect a sample. Both these collection procedures
require your pets cooperation and in most cases require sedation.
It is important to remember that the urine sample must be fresh. Urine can be preserved
for a short time in the refrigerator. The first thing your veterinarian will examined is the
urines sediment, which refers to cells floating in the urine. An increased number of white
blood cells signals inflammation and helps diagnose a bladder infection. A decrease in
urine flow is the # 1 cause of bladder infections, which can allow bacterial growth.
Sometimes the bacteria may be present in the sediment.
Female dogs are more prone to urinary tract infections. This is due to the long length
of their urethras. Male cats are at risk of developing a blockage. Diabetic animals
have an increased amount of glucose in urine, which may promote bacterial growth and
result in infections. Animals can also form bladder stones if urine flow is decreased or
the bladder wall is being irritated. Stones will show up on X rays and with ultrasound.
If surgery is required to remove stones, a dietary change may be instituted to help prevent
recurring stone formation.
Examining the urine can also help diagnose renal disease, which means functional problems
with the kidney. Your veterinarian will check the specific gravity of the urine.
Specific gravity compares the weight of urine to the weight of water. It tells us how
well the animal is concentrating its urine. Urine is concentrated as blood is filtered
through the kidney. If the kidney is abnormal, the concentration of urine may be
altered. Casts and crystals can also be found in urine. Various minerals may solidify in
urine to form these crystals. The presence of calcium oxalate, for example, can be found
with ethylene glycol toxicity. Ammonium biurate crystals are red flags for liver
disease. Silica crystals can be formed in the presence of bladder stones.
The kidney is composed of a series of tubules that aid in making urine. Substances are
either absorbed or excreted in the tubes. Formation of casts then highlight problems with
the tubules in the kidney. Casts are solid clumps of protein cells or red and white
blood cells. These cells collect in the tubules and are shed sporadically. These casts
are tube like in shape and can be seen under a microscope.
Urine is so much more than a waste product. It provides many diagnostic clues that help
determine what's going on inside your pet.
Mark Woodcock
1 Flea Control
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