Cats are susceptible to systemic failures, diseases, and pathologies. To make a diagnosis that will help the veterinarian establish the root cause, degree, stage of the disease, various diagnostic methods and tests are prescribed. For example, if a cat has difficulty urinating, the pet experiences pain when defecating, or the urine has a color that is not typical for a healthy cat, the veterinarian should conduct a urine test. Therefore, we will consider how to collect urine from a cat for analysis, in which cases a urine analysis is required.
In what cases is it necessary to submit a cat's urine for analysis?
A urine test is taken from a cat:
- if you suspect urolithiasis (urolithiasis);
- if cats have problems urinating;
- painful act of urination;
- unpleasant, specific smell of feces;
- suspicion of viral, bacterial infections;
- kidney diseases (acute, chronic);
- change in urine color;
- presence of bloody substances;
- poisoning, intoxication;
- differential diagnosis when it is difficult to make a diagnosis.
Note that the results of urine tests provide more reliable information than, for example, changes in the animal’s body based on blood tests and serological studies.
Urgent medical care
First aid in a veterinary clinic involves inserting a catheter. Only a professional should insert a catheter, after first flushing the bladder with antiseptics. This operation is painful, so it is performed under general anesthesia. After catheterization, the veterinarian performs a series of tests to find the cause of urinary retention.
Important: you should not insert a catheter often - after this procedure, swelling of the urinary tract occurs. If the doctor sewed in a catheter for several days, you need to keep the cat in a special collar during this time so that it does not injure itself and does not remove the catheter.
In the most difficult cases, surgery and the use of a catheter will be required to remove fluid from the cat's body. This procedure is quite painful, so it can only be performed by a qualified specialist. In some cases, such operations are performed using general anesthesia.
In most cases, painkillers are used and tinctures of medicinal herbs are given. Here are some of the herbs whose decoctions are recommended to be used in this case: rose hips, lavender, lingonberries, plantain, horsetail.
They often prescribe one teaspoon of strawberry juice, boiled pumpkin, and a hot bath for ten minutes (the cat is carefully lowered into the water up to the heart area).
In cases where all kinds of inflammatory processes appear, the pet needs to take medications that relieve inflammation. At the same time, it is very important to complete the full course of treatment, and not stop it at the first signs of improvement in the cat’s condition.
It is necessary to include vitamin complexes in your daily diet, and add nettles to your food in the spring months. Walks and active games have a positive effect on the cat's condition.
Most diseases of the urinary system are chronic, so it is recommended to repeat the course of treatment constantly, as well as taking herbs and decoctions based on it.
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Important: kidney collection is an excellent means for removing sand from an animal’s body. You can buy it at the pharmacy, but before doing so, consult a specialist. You can constantly give your cat water with decoctions of parsley, birch leaves, black currants and bearberry. The course of treatment in this case should last at least a month.
What does a urine test show in cats?
Urine analysis using various diagnostic techniques can determine:
- early pathologies, failures in kidney function;
- chronic problems in the genitourinary system;
- urolithiasis;
- diseases of the bladder at different stages of pathological development;
- urinary tract diseases;
- renal failure;
- metabolic disorders;
- the presence of pathogenic flora, foreign impurities in the urine;
- hormonal, endocrine disruptions (diabetes mellitus);
- malfunctions of the gallbladder and biliary tract.
Important! The composition and biochemistry of urine is most often prescribed by veterinarians as additional research when making a diagnosis. Additionally, various diagnostic techniques are used.
Urine tests make it possible to identify pathologies at any stage of development, accompanied by any disturbances or malfunctions of not only the genitourinary tract, but also the entire body in terms of urine composition. Therefore, owners should know how to collect urine from a cat for tests and diagnostics.
How to collect urine from a tray
After the cat goes to the toilet, the urine can be poured into a plastic container.
If the cat is used to relieving itself in a litter box, the owner can try collecting urine from it. For this purpose, the tray should be freed from the filler, washed with hot water and wiped dry. After the pet goes to the toilet, the biomaterial can be poured into a special plastic container or a clean, dry jar.
The problem with this method is that cats often refuse to urinate in a litter box without litter. In this case, the cat's litter box can be filled with small pieces of toilet paper or Styrofoam balls. These materials do not absorb liquid and after your pet visits the toilet, urine can be collected with a syringe or pipette.
If the cat refuses to urinate in a tray without litter
Before collecting urine from the tray, it must be washed clean.
What to do if your pet flatly refused to go to the litter box without the usual litter? Just watch for the moment when the cat wants to go to the toilet. When the animal sits down in the tray to urinate, you should place a previously prepared clean container under the stream. Some owners lift the pet by the scruff of the neck for this purpose, but this is not recommended.
The cat may get scared and stressed, and this will lead to the fact that she will be afraid to go to the toilet and will continue to leave surprises in the form of puddles throughout the apartment.
How to Collect Urine from a Toilet or Sink
Before collecting urine, the toilet bowl should not be cleaned with detergents.
Some owners teach their pets to relieve themselves in the sink or toilet. In this case, urine can be collected using the following method.
- The toilet or washbasin must be thoroughly washed with a brush or sponge, then rinsed with hot water.
- The next step is to line the recess with cling film or a plastic bag so as to completely cover the drainage area.
- All that remains is to wait until the cat goes to the toilet and collect the urine with a syringe.
Special urine collector for cats
A special means for collecting urine.
Veterinary pharmacies began selling special collections for urine from cats.
Collecting urine using a urine collector
But what about those owners whose cats roam freely and relieve their needs on the street? They can collect their pet's urine using a child's urine collection bag.
Children's urine collector.
A urine collector is a plastic container with sticky edges and a recess for collecting liquid. To use this accessory, a certain skill is required, so it is advisable to purchase several copies at once, since you may not achieve the result the first time.
How to use a urine collector for a cat
Before removing the urine collection bag from the sterile packaging, you should wash your hands with soap and water. Remove the protective adhesive tape from the item. Glue the accessory onto the pet so that the container for collecting urine is located exactly under the cat’s bladder and does not touch the anus. Wait until your furry pet urinates, carefully separate the urine bag from it and pour the urine into a prepared, clean container.
Before removing the urine container from the packaging, you should wash your hands with soap and water.
If the cat goes to the toilet on the tray
Rinse the cat litter well with laundry soap and running water. Pour boiling water over it. Do not use household chemicals, as chemical components may remain on the surface, which will lead to errors in analysis.
Place clean cellophane on the bottom of the tray tray. If the cat is afraid of rustling objects, place a plastic mesh on top.
As soon as the pet has done its business, collect the urine with a syringe or pipette into a pre-prepared container.
If a cat pees in the bathtub or sink
Wash the surface of the bathtub and sink with warm water and soap. Pour boiling water over it. Lightly wet the drain area with water, cover it with transparent polyethylene or cling film, smoothing the edges near the drain hole well. Collect the urine with a syringe and pour it into a container for analysis.
Many cats refuse to pee in the sink if the drain is closed, and with this method the pet will not notice anything. If the kitten is not litter box trained
If your little pet doesn't go potty yet, be patient. Literally, do not let the fluffy out of your sight, and as soon as the cat sits down to relieve itself, substitute a sterile container.
Diseases that cause prolonged urinary retention
If a cat cannot pee for more than two days, this may be symptoms of the following diseases:
- Cystitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the bladder. The disease occurs due to infection entering the bladder or due to mechanical damage to the mucous membrane. Animals of all breeds and ages are prone to cystitis. Due to their anatomical features, cats get sick more often than cats. The presence of the disease is indicated by the fact that the cat does not go to the toilet very well - after the cat attempts to empty the bladder, small drops of urine are released. It hurts the cat to urinate, he screams heart-rendingly, rubbing against the walls of the tray. Over time, fear of pain makes the cat completely refuse to visit the litter box. In such cases, you should not postpone a visit to the veterinarian.
- Urethritis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the urethra. The disease usually develops against the background of cystitis. Neutered cats are most often susceptible to urethritis. If a castrated cat cannot pee, and after prolonged pushing, only droplets of urine appear in the tray, in which blood can be seen, then the animal urgently needs to be shown to a doctor.
- Urolithiasis (urolithiasis) is a pathology in which sand crystals and urinary stones form in the urinary tract and in the bladder itself. Sand and stones pass through the ureter, irritate and injure the mucous membrane, causing inflammation - the cat cannot go to the toilet without pain, and blood appears in the urine. In severe cases, the patency of the urinary tract is completely disrupted. Urolithiasis is a disease that requires urgent treatment. Only urgent surgery can solve the problem and save the pet’s life.
- Kidney diseases. The list of congenital and acquired diseases of this organ is long - cats are prone to kidney disease. Poor kidney function leads to irregular urination. A veterinary specialist should carry out diagnostics and determine a treatment regimen based on the test results.
- Dysfunction of the sphincter and bladder walls. The disease develops in older cats as a result of disruption of the central nervous system. Usually manifests itself as incontinence - old cats urinate on themselves. In some cases, poor urine output develops. The diagnosis can be made by a veterinarian.
- Urethral and bladder polyps are benign growths that resemble warts. They can block the urinary tract and interfere with the flow of urine. For diagnosis, it is necessary to conduct a number of studies (X-ray, ultrasound). The disease is treated surgically.
- Traumatic injury to the urinary tract. It is urgent to take your cat to the veterinarian if he has fallen from a height or been in a car accident.
- Congenital pathologies. Urinary retention may be associated with the development of the cat’s internal organs. In such cases, problems with urination appear at a fairly early age. Their timely and accurate identification is necessary.
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Problems with urination appear especially often in castrated, neutered, elderly, weakened animals and in obese cats.
Preventive measures should include:
- regular examination by a veterinarian and strict compliance with all instructions issued by the doctor;
- control of the animal's weight. Obesity causes a malfunction in many body systems, primarily the excretory system;
- compliance with a corrective diet;
- monitoring compliance with the drinking regime;
- preventing animal hypothermia;
- complete rejection of salt in cat food and other salty foods: smoked meats, sausage, salted meat and fish.
Attentive attitude towards your pet will allow loving owners to promptly identify and eliminate problems associated with urinary retention.
