Urine collection: freeflow

• Collection of fresh urine sample allows urinalysis to be performed.

• Collection of urine sample for:
  • Glucose measurement when diagnosing or monitoring diabetic patients Diabetes mellitus.
  • Gross examination of urine for discoloration Discolored urine , eg hematuria, bilirubinuria, myoglobinuria (but gives no indication of source of discolouration ie renal, cystic or lower urogenital tract).
  • Measurement of specific gravity Urinalysis: specific gravity in assessing renal function.
  • Biochemical urinalysis (usually in assessment of renal function).
  • Sediment examination for presence of casts in diagnosis of renal tubular disease.
  • Sediment examination for presence of crystals in diagnosis of urolithiasis Urolithiasis.

Advantages

• Non-invasive.
• Requires no specialized equipment - can be performed by owner at home.
• Usually provides adequate sample for analysis.

Disadvantages

• Contamination may make bacterial culture unreliable.
• Requires animal to urinate voluntarily (may result in delay in urine collection).
• Cannot discriminate between urine produced in upper urinary tract and contamination of sample in lower urogenital tract.
• Not appropriate if animal has urinary tract obstruction.

• Urinary catheterization in female Urethral catheterization: female or male Urethral catheterization: male.
• Cystocentesis Cystocentesis.

Preparation

• None required.

Procedure

• As long as it takes for the animal to urinate voluntarily.

Criteria for choosing test

• The reason for urine sample collection has an influence on the most appropriate method of collection.
• Samples for bacterial culture should be collected in a sterile manner preferably by cystocentesis.
• Requirement for regular urinalysis, eg urine glucose monitoring in diabetics necessitates owner involvement and freeflow samples are adequate.

Minimum consumables

• Clean container for collecting urine.

Ideal consumables

• Urine collection vessel should be sterile and may contain preservative (depending on sample analysis required).
• Collecting urine samples in females (which squat to urinate) may be difficult - flat urine collection trays may be useful.

Step 1 - Urine collection

• When the animal begins to urinate pass the urine collection vessel into the flow of urine.
• Experienced personnel may encourage the flow of urine by gentle pressure on the abdomen.

Step 2 - Alternative method

• Urine collection can be made from a sample passed onto a clean non-absorbant surface by means of a syringe.
  Samples collected in this way are not suitable for culture due to risk of unknown contamination.

Step 1 - Urine storage

• Sealed containers should be refrigerated until examination.
• If samples are to be stored or there is delay in transport to the laboratory the sample can be transferred to a container with formalin or thymol preservative.

Refereed papers

• Recent references from PubMed and VetMedResource.