Getting Urine Sample At Home

[poppyheart]

Hi All

Abra Rose went to the vet yesterday for the past few weeks she has been a bit off and not herself. Hiding more than usual, meowing a lot more and biting fur out of her paws, it then escalated over the weekend to excessive urine output and drinking lots of water on top of these other issues.

At the vets, they did try to get a urine sample but her bladder was empty. I still got the vet to take bloods so we at least had some information. The bloods were very hard to get and took 3 x people and the vet to hold her still (poor Abra she was very upset and stressed). But it did happen.

The vet gave me some pellets to use in the litterbox instead of litter to collect her urine and drop it back to them. But Abra refuses to use the box while the pellets are in there she will come and get me, take me to the box, meow at me for her normal litter and then sit and meow until I give up and swap out the pellets for normal litter so she can go.

The vet has got back to me today with blood results and they have found something with her kidney's but he said he needs the urine test done so he can figure out what is going on.

If I can't get the urine this way he said she would have to go in for the day and be sedated so that they can extract it from her.

Sorry for the long post. Has anyone had to get urine sample from their cat and if so how did you get it to happen?

Thanks

 

[Antonio65]

I used those plastic pellets twice to get some urine that didn't need to be sterile for the test. My cat wasn't bothered by the change of litter.
Other times, when the sterility of the urine was important, they drew it right from her bladder. In all these occasions an ultrasound scan guided procedure was necessary!

 

[Tobermory]

I had to use the pellets with Lily in the fall. I closed her in the bathroom with a litter box starting mid afternoon until the following morning before she used the box. There was a lot of pitiful crying involved, very hard to hear. A couple of months later, we needed to collect more, but this time, I took her to another vet who was more proficient at drawing it directly from her bladder with a needle. Over and done and a sterile sample.

 

[duckpond]

if she will not use the beads you might try this sand based one?

 

[Neo_23]

My vet taught me a trick of covering the litter box with a clean garbage bag. You put it over the box and on top of the litter so that when the cat steps into the box they still feel the litter under the bag and smell it somewhat. It's worked for me with 2 cats, neither of them thought twice, they both peed on top of the bag.

You have to make sure that you quickly lift them up after they are finished peeing and put them on a towel or something to make sure they don't get any pee on their feet and to dry them off in case they do.

Then, just ask your vet for a syringe and syringe the pee into a sterile container or tube.

 

[Tobermory]

These both look like better strategies than the tiny amount of black pellets the vet gave me! I’d think that you’d still have to close kitty up, though...preferably in the bathroom where accidents wouldn’t be as much of a problem. (Lily: “You want me to pee in that?? I think not. There’s a handy bedspread right over here.”)

 

[poppyheart]

Hi everyone, sorry for delay in my response as there is a bit of a time difference. Thank you everyone for your suggestions. Tobermory Lily's idea on the box seems to be exactly the same as Abra's (no way am I peeing in there!).

I think I made it all worse last night after I posted. Abra led me in to her box to tell me her litter wasn't in there and I told her it was ok she went in and I thought she was going to go but she refused and got back out and then ran into the back bedroom and started crying/meowing so I picked her up and put her back in the box which she was not happy about and struggled with me and ran away again. So I left her for a bit and then when she came out tried to make her go again by directing her into the bathroom where her box is but she wouldn't go and just cried/meowed.

I started to worry that she would get an aversion to the litterbox so I swapped it out to her normal litter so she could go. The whole issue is the amount of urine she is outputting and the number of times she is going, so stopping her from being able to use the box (well in her mind anyway) seems counterproductive.

The vet has given me today and tomorrow to get a sample from home, I think I will give her a break today. I will give it one more go tomorrow using the suggestions above (I am hoping that sand base option is available here) and if that doesn't work she will have to go into the vets.

I am sure she would go a pee straight away if she understood what the alternative is going to be as she hates the vet.

 

[LTS3]

If your cat will let you, stick a small plastic cup or a long handled kitchen soup ladle right under the cat's tail to collect a urine sample.

 

[poppyheart]

Thanks for the advice LTS3 . When you have done this, do your cats notice or because they are in the middle of going they can't do much about it? I will have a look what options I have that she won't notice are under her.

 

[Antonio65]

Can't you just get one of those plastic cup generally used for human urine sampling and put it under her butt when she pees in her normal litter? Of course you must be quick, and Abra should not be bothered by your intrusive presence during a "personal moment" of hers
I must say that I tried this technique, but I failed... My cat got suspiscious about that hand that was sneaking under her from behind

 

[Antonio65]

If your cat will let you, stick a small plastic cup or a long handled kitchen soup ladle right under the cat's tail to collect a urine sample.

Thanks for the advice LTS3 . When you have done this, do your cats notice or because they are in the middle of going they can't do much about it? I will have a look what options I have that she won't notice are under her.

Ops! Didn't see that

 

[LTS3]

One of my cats doesn't care what I do with him while he's in the box. Some cats won't go if they know you're watching and waiting.

 

[poppyheart]

Thanks for the update LTS3 , after I updated on here yesterday the vet called me to see how it was going and I told them what was going on and he said not to worry her any more with trying to get the sample and they would do it instead.

So Abra will be going in on Tuesday (because of Easter we have to wait), she will be sedated and urine extracted, they are also going to do a more thorough exam while she isn't trying to escape from them as well.

The vet feels because of how stressed going to them makes her that it is best to give her a mild sedation.

Thanks you so much for everyone's responses and help. If this is ever required again I am going to try the above options if i can.

I just hope there is nothing wrong.

 

[Tobermory]

I know Abra is stressed at the vet, but it sounds like with the vet’s support and guidance, you’ve got a good plan. And it will allow the vet to really give her a thorough check up. Let us know how everything is.

 

[poppyheart]

UPDATE: Thanks everyone for all your help with the urine sample suggestions etc. Abra did end up going into the vet yesterday for the day. She was sedated and urine taken and more checks etc done.

With the blood test and urine test both now back they have decided to treat Abra for a kidney infection with antibiotic shots she will have a shot every two weeks for 3 times total. The vet is hoping that this will resolve her excess urine output and excessive water drinking but if it doesn't they will need to do an ultrasound to see what is happening with her kidney's (they said there was only so much they could tell from the blood and urine).

The vet called this morning to see how she was and has said if I feel like the shot is not making any difference I can bring her in at any time.

I am hoping that this is what the cause is and it is not something more serious. I am so worried and stressed and just hope it is all going to be ok.

Thanks again anyone who has taken the time to read my post and/or respond. I really appreciate TCS and all our members.

 

[Tobermory]

UPDATE: Thanks everyone for all your help with the urine sample suggestions etc. Abra did end up going into the vet yesterday for the day. She was sedated and urine taken and more checks etc done.

With the blood test and urine test both now back they have decided to treat Abra for a kidney infection with antibiotic shots she will have a shot every two weeks for 3 times total. The vet is hoping that this will resolve her excess urine output and excessive water drinking but if it doesn't they will need to do an ultrasound to see what is happening with her kidney's (they said there was only so much they could tell from the blood and urine).

The vet called this morning to see how she was and has said if I feel like the shot is not making any difference I can bring her in at any time.

I am hoping that this is what the cause is and it is not something more serious. I am so worried and stressed and just hope it is all going to be ok.

Thanks again anyone who has taken the time to read my post and/or respond. I really appreciate TCS and all our members.

It sounds like your vet is a caring one. I hope Abra is soon on the mend. Give her extra pets from me.

 

[poppyheart]

Thanks for your thoughts Tobermory . My vet has been amazing and has gone above and beyond, I wasn't expecting so much care from them to be honest. I am sure she will be fine soon.

 

[Antonio65]

The vet called this morning to see how she was and has said if I feel like the shot is not making any difference I can bring her in at any time.

How do thinks she is now? Does it seem to you that the shot is making some difference?

 

[poppyheart]

How do thinks she is now? Does it seem to you that the shot is making some difference?

Hi Antonio65 , she still seems a bit off she, she is not eating much (but that may be from the sedation and shot) and has drunk over 300ml of water today (which is still too much). She has seemed to have lessened her urine output but again it is still more then it was a few weeks ago.

The vet said to give it 24 to 48 hours so I will keep an eye on her overnight and then decide what to do. It is so tricky to know I wish she could talk and tell me how she feels poor Abra.

 

[Antonio65]

My understanding is that an antibiotic should kick in or show its effects within 24-36 h. A kidney infection reminds me of a pyelonephritis, which if it's the case, can be long to solve. This could explain the long course of antibiotics.
I think 300 ml of water is very much indeed.
I have the habit to measure my cat's water intake daily, and it's always around 70 ml (min 45, max 100), plus the moisture she gets from her wet food. So 300 ml seem very much to me.

Do you have the chance to post the blood panel results?