How to get a urine sample from a female dog?

Tranceypoo

Any tips? Think our Lil has a uti, tonight she pee'ed whilst lying on the sofa and was licking her bits a lot, think she might have pee'ed a bit last night as well but hard to tell as she's quite a licker so can often leave a damp patch.

Anyways, vets tomorrow, presume will need to bring a sample, any tips on best way to get it (and best receptacle that I might have at home!)

DBB

Lol! I feel your pain!
Actually, I think it's easier to get a female sample as males can see what you're trying to do too easily!
So, I get a flattish, plastic container (along the lines of the plastic Chinese takeaway containers). It needs to be clean.
I bring her out, and wait for her to actually start peeing before quietly slipping the container under her, from behind, to catch the flow... Try not to touch her with it. But once they're in full flow, it's hard for them to stop quicker than you get a big enough sample, and samples don't need to be that big.
I think ideally you should try to get the first pee of the day?

muddypaws

I use margarine or butter tubs, I tend to have some empty ones lying around to fill with treats. Good size, nice and deep, then pour into something with a lid.

Toulouse

Soup ladle! Hopefully you get the idea but if not I can explain

wexie

I can tell you from experience that what DBB said works, takes a few tries though

DBB

Toulouse wrote: »

Soup ladle! Hopefully you get the idea but if not I can explain

*note to self... Never take Toulouse up on an offer to go to her house for soup*

:-D

Tranceypoo

Toulouse wrote: »

Soup ladle! Hopefully you get the idea but if not I can explain

I think you need to explain?!

Yes I was thinking the first pee of the day would be best.

I feel so sorry for her, I had to take the covers off the sofa and put them in the wash so I brought her bed into the front room for her but she's lying on it all sad looking. When I discovered it I brought her outside and she pee'ed immediately, poor thing I hope she's not in any pain, I can't bear the sad face on her.

wexie

As an aside, I can also tell you that, while chinese food containers are good for collecting, they're not great for transporting.

maybe poor it into a different container, the vet will appreciate it. (I got a few giggles, both in the waiting room and in the surgery)

wexie

Tranceypoo wrote: »

I think you need to explain?!

Yes I was thinking the first pee of the day would be best.

I feel so sorry for her, I had to take the covers off the sofa and put them in the wash so I brought her bed into the front room for her but she's lying on it all sad looking. When I discovered it I brought her outside and she pee'ed immediately, poor thing I hope she's not in any pain, I can't bear the sad face on her.

I don't believe uti's are really painful, but they are uncomfortable.
Could be something more sinister though so get it checked quickly.
Let's hope it's just a uti though, should be solved pretty quickly.

Tranceypoo

wexie wrote: »

As an aside, I can also tell you that, while chinese food containers are good for collecting, they're not great for transporting.

maybe poor it into a different container, the vet will appreciate it. (I got a few giggles, both in the waiting room and in the surgery)

Yes I'll be in the car with it, don't want it sploshing about everywhere!

wexie

Tranceypoo wrote: »

Yes I'll be in the car with it, don't want it sploshing about everywhere!

yeah yeah yeah, you think you're so clever

DBB

wexie wrote: »

As an aside, I can also tell you that, while chinese food containers are good for collecting, they're not great for transporting.

maybe poor it into a different container, the vet will appreciate it. (I got a few giggles, both in the waiting room and in the surgery)

Oops, d'uh. I should've said to transfer the sample from the capture container to a secure, clean bottle or jar (glass or plastic).

Toulouse

Tranceypoo wrote: »

I think you need to explain?!

Heehee!

Just follow her around and slide it under when she squats, as there's a handle you won't have to bend down as far as you would with a container so she might not get spooked and no fear of her knocking the container when she gets up. The ladle will collect the pee, then just pour into a suitable container to transport to the vet. Ta Dah!!

Tranceypoo

Ah, well that makes sense, but I've only got 1 soup ladle and I kind of want to use it again!

I've got an empty yoghurt carton to catch it (that's all I can find tonight) and one of those small quarter wine bottles to transport it in, have cleaned them both well with hot water as I don't have a dishwasher to run them through, hope her pee doesn't show 'traces of alcohol'!!

anniehoo

DBB wrote: »

I think ideally you should try to get the first pee of the day?

Yep, spot on. The morning pee is the best to get as it will have the most accurate representation as it's the most concentrated.

Tranceypoo wrote: »

Ah, well that makes sense, but I've only got 1 soup ladle and I kind of want to use it again!

Mid pee is the best also. It reduces the contamination element (faecal bacteria, environmental bacteria etc).

Freeze the container the night before (or soup ladle ) to kill off residual bacteria, allow to come to room temp and then collect. You only need a few mls to do a decent urinalysis workup.

The "cleanest" sample is via cystocentesis (needle into the bladder), but help your vet by getting the best sample you can into the most sterile vessel you can.

Soup in Tranceypoos anyone??!!!

boomerang

I made an ingenious device! I got a shallow, saucer-sized plastic dish that came with a hamster home. Burned two little holes in it by heating up a small screwdriver and then punching through while the metal tip was still hot. Next, a nice straight hazel stick, and some twisty wire from my gardening tool box. And voila! I could slip it under the pee stream without standing over my dog and making her uncertain! So discreet, it worked like a charm!

In essence, it was a giant soup ladle, a la Toulouse, but it looked like a makeshift metal detector! :pac:

boomerang

anniehoo wrote: »

Freeze the container the night before (or soup ladle ) to kill off residual bacteria, allow to come to room temp and then collect.

That is SO clever, anniehoo - thanks for the tip! My vet's gonna love it.

anniehoo

boomerang wrote: »

That is SO clever, anniehoo - thanks for the tip! My vet's gonna love it.

Defrost though. Slowly.Don't let them pee on a frozen container.You're aiming for the most "sterile" you can get it,but you don't wan't to kill off the very organisms/cells you're trying to detect.

I often see urine submissions 3+ days later (bacteria overload) that have been sent "in the post". Clients get charged with a result saying "bacteria+++ visible" and then go for Microbiological culture with an added fee.Crazy.

Of course you're going to get a microbial growth after nearly a week with "non pathogenic" organisms.Nothing to do with the animal but the sampling process before hand.

Vets, if not confident with their microscope ability (most, which is fair enough), should use the quickest lab service possible.

Toulouse

boomerang wrote: »

In essence, it was a giant soup ladle, a la Toulouse, but it looked like a makeshift metal detector! :pac:

Now you're just getting fancy with your MacGyvering!

Tranceypoo

Well, I got the sample, wasn't much but t'was enough and is indeed a uti, it had traces of blood and protein in it apparently and her temp is 103 my poor little pet! So a shot and 5 days of antibiotics hopefully will clear it up, my usual vet is away so it was the older fella who owns the practice, I think he's a bit mutton so although I asked a couple of questions I didn't get them answered!

Just wondering if I should rest her or anything, we're doing 10k Mon-Fri for September and then 5k Sat & Sun so I hope I haven't made her ill. She's not off her food or anything.

Irishchick

Just ask the vet for a syringe, let her pee on the floor then suck it up with the syringe. done.

anniehoo

Irishchick wrote: »

Just ask the vet for a syringe, let her pee on the floor then suck it up with the syringe. done.

I would hate to see what kind of results you're getting with that method. Fine possibly for a dipstick, but with microscopy you're analysing the sediment. Taking it off the floor you're going to have grit,dirt and bacteria. Dont even think about it if you're sending it for microbiological culture.

Irishchick

anniehoo wrote: »

I would hate to see what kind of results you're getting with that method. Fine possibly for a dipstick, but with microscopy you're analysing the sediment. Taking it off the floor you're going to have grit,dirt and bacteria. Dont even think about it if you're sending it for microbiological culture.

It is fine for dipstick. The OP never mentioned anything about microscopy or culturing .

A dipstick test is almost always enough to diagnose a simple UTI .

anniehoo

Irishchick wrote: »

It is fine for dipstick. The OP never mentioned anything about microscopy or culturing .

A dipstick test is almost always enough to diagnose a simple UTI .

If she's getting a sample for a "urinalysis" then microscopy is an essential part of it. Dipsticks should only be used as a guideline but should always be followed up with microscope analysis. The Leukocyte tab is notoriously unreliable and you should always check for white cells under the mic to be 100% sure. Also by taking a sample off the floor you're likely to increase the Specific Gravity. The higher the SG the more solid material is in your sample, so you won't get an accurate result on that either.

Irishchick

anniehoo wrote: »

If she's getting a sample for a "urinalysis" then microscopy is an essential part of it. Dipsticks should only be used as a guideline but should always be followed up with microscope analysis. The Leukocyte tab is notoriously unreliable and you should always check for white cells under the mic to be 100% sure. Also by taking a sample off the floor you're likely to increase the Specific Gravity. The higher the SG the more solid material is in your sample, so you won't get an accurate result on that either.

The term urinalysis doesn't automatically encompass all 3. I don't know any vet that follows up every dipstick with microscopic analysis and culture and sensitivity. If you want to bleed your client dry then maybe but for a simple uti it's not necessary .

Anyway enough off topic convo. I talk enough about bodily fluid analysis in work.

I hope your dog gets well soon OP

anniehoo

Irishchick wrote: »

The term urinalysis doesn't automatically encompass all 3.

I disagree and wouldn't go to any vet who uses dipstick analysis only to diagnose a UTI.It should be a an initial guide and nothing more. It's nothing to do with "ripping clients off".The principles of a urinalysis workup is 1.Dipstick and colour/turbidity description 2. Specific gravity 3.Microscopy. Leaving out 2 of the 3 vital steps is plain ridiculous to be honest and if you're just going on the "leucocyte tab turning purple" from a sample that you've collected off the floor as a diagnosis then that's just plain bad practice.

Good link

Anyway, as yes we are going OT that's my professional opinion on it.

Irishchick

anniehoo wrote: »

I disagree and wouldn't go to any vet who uses dipstick analysis only to diagnose a UTI.It should be a an initial guide and nothing more. It's nothing to do with "ripping clients off".The principles of a urinalysis workup is 1.Dipstick and colour/turbidity description 2. Specific gravity 3.Microscopy. Leaving out 2 of the 3 vital steps is plain ridiculous to be honest and if you're just going on the "leucocyte tab turning purple" from a sample that you've collected off the floor as a diagnosis then that's just plain bad practice.

Good link

Anyway, as yes we are going OT that's my professional opinion on it.

Do you work in practice? If vets are going exactly by the book the yes they could prepare a sample for microscopy but the majority if practices I have worked in don't have a microscope.

I'm sure you know this but there is more to diagnostics than lab work. Most vets I know take a holistic approach and examine the patient as a whole. Most good vets wouldn't even need to go as far as microscopy to diagnose a UTI

Anyway let's leave it at that. As I said OP in sure with some TLC your dog will be fine

DBB

anniehoo wrote: »

I disagree and wouldn't go to any vet who uses dipstick analysis only to diagnose a UTI.

For what it's worth, neither would I, nor would I send any clients to vets that don't.
My vet routinely does all 3, and this is a vet who is well known for charging exceptionally low rates to clients.

Tranceypoo

Oh. Pretty sure the vet only did the dipstick thing. Thing is, as I said he's not my usual vet (who's on holiday) but the older lad who owns the practice. To be honest I would have preferred to go to another vet when I heard my usual vet was away but at the moment we just can't afford it (we have an ongoing farm account with this vet and all the charges come under 'the farm' if that makes sense so in essence I didn't have to pay there and then). I felt pretty bad about that anyways.

Now I can't remember what doseage he told me to give her of the tablets, can't remember if it was 1 twice a day or 1 a day in 2 half measures, sigh, if anyone might have a clue they're Clavaseptin tablets but they don't say anywhere on the packet or tablet what actual size they are, just says Amoxicillinum 200mg - Acidum clavulanicum 50mg.

I gave her a whole tablet this morning and now worried I've overdosed her.

lorebringer

After trying many, MANY methods trying to get unrine samples for a bitch who will leg it whenever something goes underneath her while she is trying to pee the best method is a clean soup ladle and a sample bottle. Get a sample bottle from the vet (or GP or where ever you can - they should be free), collect sample with soup ladle (scooch it under while she is going pee) and pour is immediately into the sample bottle - it's as uncontaminated as you can get (without a catheter) and easy to transport (fits in your pocket!). Yes, you will look a bit crazy running around after the dog with a ladle but the option is there for it to be sent off for analysis and you will get a decent volume of sample.

(just be sure to have a specific ladle for the job, nobody wants to make that mistake!)

kylith

lorebringer wrote: »

After trying many, MANY methods trying to get unrine samples for a bitch who will leg it whenever something goes underneath her while she is trying to pee the best method is a clean soup ladle and a sample bottle. Get a sample bottle from the vet (or GP or where ever you can - they should be free), collect sample with soup ladle (scooch it under while she is going pee) and pour is immediately into the sample bottle - it's as uncontaminated as you can get (without a catheter) and easy to transport (fits in your pocket!). Yes, you will look a bit crazy running around after the dog with a ladle but the option is there for it to be sent off for analysis and you will get a decent volume of sample.

(just be sure to have a specific ladle for the job, nobody wants to make that mistake!)

I did exactly that when taking Tegan to the vet last night, but I used a plastic water bottle I'd rinsed with boiling water. She didn't even notice the soup ladle being put under her.

No infection, thankfully, but very possibly neutering related bladder weakness. She's been put on incurin to see if that stops the wee dribbling.