Need to collect urine sample but can't seem to?

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Cindy & Pets

Cindy & Pets

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So.... Tip has been having bowel issues, and issues with going outside the litterbox(mostly urinating) and it's been kind of iffy is she does it or not. So, I, naturally, take her to the vet while she's getting her bG checked(we've cut back to every 3 weeks since the insulin is working so nicely). And they managed to get a poo sample, but not one of pee. I guess she had an empty bladder. Well, I followed the instructions, which was to use the non-clumping litter that they gave me and put her in a bathroom or something with it overnight. Of course, being the Tip she is, she refused, held it in all night, and then, right when I opened the door to check, she dashed out, ran to the cats real litterbox and went and before I could catch her mid-stream, she was done. ):

So....since that strategy isn't working, what can I do? Should I fill her bladder up with lots of water-filled things and then lightly squeeze her bladder some? That's what usually happens at the vet and she just can't stop then. Or would there be a better method?
 
Hi Sayania,

What I do is just follow her to the bathroom and stick something under her to catch the urine. I have a little plastic bowel I use for that purpose. It's pretty flat, yet holds a lot. Some people use ladles. Then just put it in a sterile jar to bring to the vet with her name and the time and day taken. It has to be less than 24 hours old and kept refrigerated. I check for ketones the same way.

Melanie & Racci

Edit: PS: I wouldn't squeeze her bladder. You might hurt her. The vet knows what he's doing. Just give lots of fluids and fluid filled food.
 
Alright, thanks. I'll try that tomorrow evening, since the vet's closed the rest of today and tomorrow, so they can get it Monday morning.
 
Hi Sayania,
I was able to collect urine from Smokie very easily.
I used a little plastic container with a short handle on it and when Smokie would get in litter box and start to pee i slipped it under her and got a good spec. of urine.

The second time she became diabetic i was in a lot of pain so what i did i moved her
litter box so that it would be right by me all the time and then i didn't have to follow her around watching her to see if she was urinating. It was so much easier that way.
Try to take the urine to vet as soon as possible after you collect it.
 
It seems to be much more of a challenge for me. Even if she has to pee really bad, she refuses to do it with me even near the litterbox and at this point, it's becoming way too stressful, so I'm going to see if it can be done at the vet as going hardly stresses her out. It's more of the car ride that gets her and the vet is literally only a mile away, so....I'm just doing it that way.

Thanks though, everyone.
 
I have not. It seems like something really great, if only I had either 2 diabetics, or if Tip would allow me to be in the same room as her when she goes to the bathroom(to assure it's hers I'm collecting and not her sisters).

But, results are in, and she has a bad urinary tract infection. ): She's on antibiotics and this needs done again in 2 weeks to see if it's cleared up. Hopefully she'll have a full bladder there so she won't need to stay as long.
 
Aquarium gravel or crystal litter are both non-absorbent litters which may be substituted for regular litter when you need a urine specimen. To switch litter, vets recommend gradually mixing the new litter in and reducing the old litter over several days. Maybe dirty clumps out and new litter in?

Some folks put a plastic layer on top of the litter to catch it in puddles if they've got shy cats.

Also, there are urinalysis strips which can detect the presence of a variety of problems. Maybe a strategy would be to keep her in the bathroom for several hours, and have some of those strips (from the vet) cut up into small squares and placed on non-absorbent litter right before you release her.

One product is Vet-10 Animal Urine Reagent 10 Panel Test Strips

Discussion on the pros and cons of test strips designed for humans Urinalysis: What is your interpretation?

Hopefully, she'll run to the box thinking she out-smarted you, and pee on the strips, plus pee in a box with non-absorbent litter. Either way, you've got a shot at getting some pee!
 
Two methods have worked for me over the years.

With one cat, I could lay clear plastic wrap on top of the litter. When she would go on the plastic wrap, I collected it with an eye dropper and then put it in a clean medicine bottle to take to the vet.

With another cat who did not like the plastic wrap, I put small plastic bathroom cups along the walls of the litter box. Because he usually does not cover up when he goes, this works. He just aims at the corner of the box where I have some cups and most of the time I can get a sample. Every now and then, he throws litter in the cups but most of the time, he goes and leaves with out trying to cover it up. Because I now have four cats, I set up the video camera to make sure I get the sample from the right cat.

I heard the ladel idea works too but not with the one i need samples from.
 
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