You might think we’re crazy here at Cannington Vet Hospital but we really love all aspects of veterinary practice – this includes thinking about your pet’s wee! A small amount of wee (technically referred to as urine) can give us heaps of information about your pet’s internal health, and we can use it to rule out problems such as kidney disease and diabetes.
Infections, inflammation and urinary crystals are just a few of the other nasties we can detect with a little bit of urine.
6 signs of possible urinary tract problems in your cat or dog:
- Urinating more frequently than usual
- Urgency urinating
- Straining to urinate
- Blood in the urine
- Incontinence
- Urinating in unusual or inappropriate places
If you notice any of these symptoms please call our friendly Beckenham vets for advice.
How to collect urine from your pet at home
If we ask you to bring in a urine sample from your cat or dog, you might feel out of your depth – but our vets near Queens Park are here to help!
We recommend that you catch the urine in a clean, dry, shallow container like a meat tray, a frying pan or a small baking tray. Follow your dog or cat until they begin to wee (this might take some waiting depending on how well you know your pet’s habits!) then slowly and carefully slide the container under them to catch the urine.
You don’t need to catch much – about a tablespoon should be enough. A morning sample is usually best unless we advise otherwise, and please bring it to us as soon as possible.
What if I can’t catch my dog or cat’s urine?
If you’re not successful in collecting wee from your dog or cat, don’t worry – our experienced staff can also collect urine using a very small needle. This painless procedure is called a cystocentesis and is often used if we need to collect urine without contamination (especially if we’re looking for bacteria).
Radiographs and ultrasound are further tools we have available at our state of the art vet hospital near East Cannington, which we can use to look for abnormalities in the urinary tract. Our expert vets will advise you if these tests are necessary for your pet.
If you think your pet’s urination habits have changed it is best to phone our friendly staff for advice.