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What is a
urinalysis test?
You can learn
a great deal about your cat's physical wellbeing from a
urine sample. A urinalysis test (also known as UA) is a
series of physical & chemical tests performed on urine. A
sample is taken & is examine for it's physical properties;
specific gravity, colour & clarity, and biochemically for
pH, protein, glucose, bilirubin & ketones, and
microscopically for blood cells, crystals, casts (solid,
tubular deposits) & bacteria.
A Urinalysis
can detect diseases such as diabetes, kidney disease &
infections of the urinary tract.
Visual
examination: Turbidity (cloudiness) & colour of
the urine is visualised, normal
urine is amber/yellow coloured & clear, abnormal urine may be cloudy or contain
blood.
Specific Gravity
(SG): This test measures how well the kidneys are able
to concentrate urine & the amount of substances dissolved in
the urine. The test measures the weight of the urine
compared to the same quantity of water. The higher the
specific urine gravity, the more solid material is dissolved
in the urine.
Dipstick
analysis:
A chemical test strip looks for blood, glucose, protein,
bilirubin & ketones in the urine.
-
White blood
cells (pyuria) - Normally white blood cells are not
present in the urine. The presence of white blood cells
may indicate a urinary tract infection, kidney disease or
cancer.
-
Red blood
cells (hematuria) - As with white blood cells, normally
red blood cells are not present in the urine. Their
presence may be indicative of inflammation, disease,
injury to the ureters, bladder or urethra.
-
Protein
(proteinuria) - Protein is not normally found in urine.
The results should be viewed in conjunction with the urine
specific gravity. Protein in dilute urine has more
significance than protein in concentrated urine. Some
causes of protein in the urine include inflammation,
haemorrhage or kidney disease.
-
Glucose
(glucosuria) - Glucose is a type of sugar usually found in
the blood. There should be no glucose in the urine. A
common cause of glucose in the urine is diabetes.
-
Bilirubin (Bilirubinuria)
-
Bilirubin is an orange bile pigment made by the liver. The
presence of bilirubin in the urine may indicate liver
disease or
haemolysis
(destruction of red blood cells), renal disease, Feline
Hepatic Lipidosis & FIP.
-
Ketones -
There should be no ketones in the normal cat. These are
produced in the body when fats, rather than glucose are
used to produce energy. Large amounts of ketones in the
urine may indicate diabetic ketoacidosis or insufficient
food intake/malnutrition.
-
Urine pH -
is a measure of the acidity/alkalinity of the urine.
Normal pH is around 6 - 7. This can vary depending on
diet, medications & disease. Cats tend to have a slightly
acidic pH.
Microscopic
examination:
A sample of
urine is centrifuged and the sediment is examined under a
microscope for; crystals, red blood cells, white blood
cells, casts (solid, tubular deposits), bacteria & yeasts.
-
White blood
cells (pyouria) - Normally white blood cells are not
present in the urine. The presence of white blood cells
may indicate a urinary tract infection, kidney disease or
cancer.
-
Red blood
cells (hematuria) - As with white blood cells, normally
red blood cells are not present in the urine. Their
presence may be indicative of inflammation, disease,
injury to the ureters, bladder or urethra.
-
Casts
(cylindruria)
- These are
cylindrical
structures formed by mucoprotein congealing within renal
tubules (tiny tubes in the kidneys). These can be
made of different types of material including red blood
cells, white blood cells, fatty substances,
renal
tubular epithelial cell casts
or
protein. These casts can provide a clue about the type of
disease which your cat may have.
-
Crystals
(crystalluria) -
Several
different types of crystal may be found in urine.
The
most commonly found crystals are struvite & calcium
oxalate. The presence of these in the urine isn't a
definite diagnosis of
urolithiasis.
A few
specific types, however, can be important in certain
clinical situations.
-
Bacteria -
If a sterile sample has been taken & large amounts of
bacteria are found then this is indicative of a bladder
infection.
How is the
urine sample taken?
There are
several methods your veterinarian may use in order to obtain
a urine sample.
Catheterization - This involves inserting a tube into the
urethra. Sedation may be required.
Cystocentesis: This is the use of a syringe & needle
inserted through the abdominal wall to obtain uncontaminated
urine directly from the bladder. If a sterile sample is
required, this is the best method for obtaining a urine
sample from your cat.
Free catch:
This involves the pet's owner obtaining a sample of urine
from home. The advantages are that the sample can be
obtained without a trip to the veterinarian, unfortunately a
urine sample obtained this way won't be sterile.
Please note:
The medical
articles on this site have not been written by a
veterinarian & should not be considered a replacement for a
veterinarian visit. The articles are provided for
informative purposes only.
Always seek
immediate veterinary advice for any problems (health or
behavioral) in your pets.
While great
care has been made in the creation of these articles, we
cannot guarantee the accuracy or omissions on these pages.
If in any doubt whatsoever, seek professional medical
advice. |
