To collect a urine sample

I heard there is a kind of litter that does not absorb? Does anyone know if this, what it is called, do I have to get it from the vet? I am taking pansy in on Friday, and I want to avoid the needle into the bladder for Pansy and my wallet. It is hard to get a sample from Pans, since he only pees in front of me if he is having a problem, and then I can only get a few drops, because he is having a problem. If I syringe him water, he has good pees, that and many other things we are trying. It alleviates the problem, but I want to see if there is an infection.

hiya

When I needed to get a sample from Minstrel, the vet gave me the non absorbant litter and the syringe etc ... it all came in a little bag, not sure though, if it was from a company or just a kit the vet made up

The vet should carry "No-sorb" litter which doesn't absorb. While I understand your desire to skip the cystocentesis (needle in the bladder), it does produce a more reliable result--there is no risk of the sample being exposed to the air or to contaminants in the container. Since you will be checking for bacteria, the less exposure to possible sources of bacteria, the more accurate the result.

If there is any way you can get the money to have them do it you really should...it really is the most accurate way to collect a sample. The vet should have the pellets for you though and also a syringe and collector bottle for the urine. It is important that you keep it refrigerated and then cool on the way to the vet.

Hope this helps!

It is better to have the Vet do it because the Vet do it. They do not have to use a needle. They can push on the bladder to get the urine. They do that with Coco all the time.

The last vet tried to get urine with a needle, but couldn't because his bladder was empty, so he went thru that for nothing. I called the vet and they do have the no-sorb, thanks, I will not put pansy thru that again. IF his bladder is empty pushing on it will not get any urine either. I will get his very early morning pee, and take it to the vet. They said I could keep it refrigerated for 8 hours, but I will drop it off sooner than that. I will buy a new litter pan to insure cleanliness.

Pansy is such a fraidy cat, I need to protect him from as much stress as possible.

What I do is follow my boys' routine. If the cat in question normally pees when he first wakes up, I'll block off the litter box and rush him to the vet first thing. That way I know he will have enough urine in his bladder to extract, and I also get the most accurate testing. I completely understand your reluctance due to your past experience. My vet and the techs are very good about checking to see if the cat has a full enough bladder before trying to get a sample.

My Vet is good about that also.

Originally Posted by cloud_shade

What I do is follow my boys' routine. If the cat in question normally pees when he first wakes up, I'll block off the litter box and rush him to the vet first thing. That way I know he will have enough urine in his bladder to extract, and I also get the most accurate testing. I completely understand your reluctance due to your past experience. My vet and the techs are very good about checking to see if the cat has a full enough bladder before trying to get a sample.

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Boy, he checked to see if it was enlarged and possible blocked,and he confirmed it wasnot, but apparently he can't tell if there is enough for a sample. I like this guy, but he is definitely old school, and when I try to discuss
treatment, I feel like I am getting the bum's rush, I should do what he says, and be done with it. He acts like I am a moron, and I happen to know quite a lot about my cat's health. For something easy, he would be fine, but after two courses of antibiotics, with only temporary results, I am going elsewhere. The vet I am going to see is very good, I had her once, and you have to make appointments a solid week in advance. Last sat. I got an appointment for this friday at 7:30 pm. I cannot rush the cat over with a full bladder, they would laugh me out of the building. It is a pretty big operation. So I am hoping to get a sample, which I can take over earlier to be tested, and then the results will be done for our appointment.
I just hope Pansy cooperates and gives me a good pee.

In my experience with urinary tract infections and blockages, the vet can get a much more pure sample directly from the bladder (i.e., using a needle). The results of the test will come back more accurate, and that is definitely a benefit.

However, if there isn't much IN the bladder to pull out with a needle, there won't be much to push out either. *shrug*

Either way, for Pansy.

Coco is on her 5th box of Antibiotics for her Bladder Infection. Sometimes it takes two months before its gone. I hope he feels better. What tests has the Vet done before?

Originally Posted by mews2much

Coco is on her 5th box of Antibiotics for her Bladder Infection. Sometimes it takes two months before its gone. I hope he feels better. What tests has the Vet done before?

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The vet has not done any tests. When I first took him, the vet tried a needle sample but couldn't get any, gave him subcutaneous fluids to flush him out, and clavamox. 3 days after the clavamox he started frequenting the litter box again, so this time he gave me baytril, and I started pansy on cosamine, carpon twice a day, acidopholus for good bacteria, and syringed water to give him something to pee, since he was sitting in the box with little production. He was fine after the week of batril for another week or so, and then I cut down the carpon to once a day, and stopped the cosemine. I did this once, and the next day he was straining again. So now I am back to my first regime, but I am wondering if he has an infection which I am keeping at bay with my treatment. I intend to show the doc what I am doing, and I want to test him for an infection. Oh, and the few drops I collected, I did see a little bit of crystal, and before the carpon his PH was way too high.

So I think it is struvite crystals as with Fang, but I want to rule out an infection. I hope this is not going to be our daily regime. Fang is fine with one pill a day. Poor Pansy doesn't know what to do when he sees me coming. He is so afraid he is going to get a pill shoved down his throat. For fang, I just have to call him and say pill and he rolls over on his back and lets me pill him.
Pansy is easy with the syringes (I mix the cosemine with water) but he hates the pill, and makes it tens time worse by struggling. I don't think his throat is as big as Fangs. Anyhoo, we will see what happens. I got the nosorb, and will take a sample if I get one, but it can't be more than 8 hours old, so I am not sure it will work out. He pees in the wee hours, and our appointment insn't till 730 at night. I intend to isolate him with the box around 8 am and hope he will cooperate sometime during the day.

Coco has the struvite crystals also. Its always 3-4 ays when she is done with the Antibiotic that the problrm comes back. That is why my Vet is not taking another test until she uses all the Antibiotics. She was on Clavamox before but she throws it up so we had to change. Those Meds are the right treatment. We talked about Baytril before. Myl Vet did the Ultrasound and saw a thick bladder. She also does to Urine Tests. Coco has had Ecoli with her infections before. Maybe he has something like she has. Let us know how the Vet goes.