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Analysis of urine (Urinalysis)
In
certain diseases, it is sometimes necessary to examine an
animal's urine. Some people find this thought a little
disconcerting, but the information yielded is definitely
worth the trauma of having to collect the sample!
Urinalysis is composed
of several different stages. The first step is to separate a
portion of the urine into a test tube and spin it in a
centrifuge. This allows later examination of the cells
within the urine sediment.
While this sample is
being centrifuged, another portion is placed onto a urinary
biochemistry stick. The colours on each of the biochemistry
squares change according to the concentration of various
compounds in the urine. These concentrations are determined
using a calibration chart. Information about the pH of the
urine, presence and amount of protein, blood, glucose,
ketones and other compounds is gathered from this
test.
After the biochemical tests have been completed, a
refractometer is used to determine the specific gravity of
the urine. This allows us to tell if the kidneys are working
to keep the urine concentrated or not, or whether any other
disease might be causing the urine to be inappropriately
dilute.
Once this has been completed, the urine that was started
spinning in the centrifuge at the beginning of the
urinalysis process is examined under a microscope. We
examine this concentrated urine with and without stain. The
unstained sample is used to determine if any crystals are
present in the urine. There are a number of different types
of crystals that animals can develop, in both acidic and
alkaline urine. Some are displayed to the left of this text.
The stained sample of concentrated urine is used to
determine whether cells, casts or bacteria are present. This
information helps us build up a picture of exactly what is
going on in your pet's urinary tract.
Once the urinalysis has been
completed, the vets telephone the animal's owner to
inform them of the findings, and to discuss further
diagnostic steps or the proposed treatment.
Click
here for further information about collecting a pet's urine
sample.
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