In certain diseases, it can be good and important that you can check treatment with the help of a urine sample which you then submit to your veterinarian.
How to take a urine sample?
When you are going to take urine samples from your cat, you can use your imagination! Some cats urinate if you fill the urinal with plastic balls called cat cows which can be bought from a veterinarian. Often 2 bags are required as the cat wants to be able to dig in the “sand”. Some cats need to get used to these plastic balls. Although cats are curious about nature, they can be very suspicious of new kinds of “sand”.
Sometimes you can make the cat urinate instead if you fill the box with other material that does not absorb the urine. For example, wax cloth or plastic bags that you tear apart. On some cats you can see when it is time to go on the box. You can then gently slide under a long-armed ladle or a small plastic box, to catch the urine.
What does a urine sample show in cats?
In a urine sample, your veterinarian can measure various parameters that can show, for example:
- Urinary tract infection
- Urine crystals
- Kidney disease
- Too high / low blood sugar
- Urine test for kidney disease
In kidney disease, it is only in a urine sample that an early effect can be detected. Your veterinarian can measure the protein / creatinine ratio in the urine with a urine sample. This value in the urine changes earlier in a kidney effect than the changes you can see in a blood test that occurs a little later in a kidney effect.
Urine test for Diabetes mellitus in cats
To control the treatment of diabetes mellitus, the cat owner takes urine samples at home. At the pharmacy there are urine sticks called Keto-diaburstix 5000, these only measure glucose and ketones, which is all you need when taking a urine sample to check the treatment of Diabetes Mellitus. The rule in Diabetes treatment control is that:
Ketones should never be present in the urine that is sampled at home
Glucose can be a bit positive as it is spontaneous urination but if the glucose on several occasions in a row is 0 then contact your veterinarian
Symptoms of ketoacidosis are that the cat vomits, feels unwell. Discuss with your veterinarian how, when to take the samples and then it is a good idea to keep them in a diary to give them to your veterinarian at the next visit.