Last Updated: 9-27-2016
How do I do that??
There are times when we will be asking you to obtain a urine sample from your cat or dog. No, we are not asking for the impossible! You can do it.
Here are our tips:
For our Dogs: For a female dog, use a shallow Tupperware container. Best chance of success is first thing in the morning as the dog has not been out to urinate since before bed. The container can catch the urine as the dog is squatting. Some dogs are a little self conscious about this but most of the time, this is very successful.
If it is a male dog that lifts his leg, I recommend also a Tupperware container. I think a bowl shaped one might work a little easier for the male dogs to minimize spray! We have had some even catch the urine in a soda bottle!
Bring the urine sample in the clean container (avoid pill bottles, film canisters) to the office as soon as possible, ideally within 4 hours. Keep refrigerated until then.
For our felines: There is a special type of litter, No-sorb that is a plastic bead litter. Placed in a clean, dry litter pan, the cat urinates in the litter then the urine is transferred into the cup and submitted to the office.
In the office, Dr Ricketts and I may obtain a urine sample through catheterization or cystocentesis in which a needle is put directly into the bladder to remove urine. This is ideal when we are evaluating the urine for the presence of bacteria to detect bacterial infection.
The scoop on poop: For our fresh stool/fecal samples, we request that you submit at least a sugar cube size fresh stool in a secured container (bag, plastic container, pre-paid fecal cup). It should be less than 24 hours old and refrigerated until you can bring it in.