Collecting A Urine Sample From Your Pet
Sometimes vets will ask for a urine sample, but how do you get it?
A urine sample can give vets all kinds of information about your dog’s health. A pet’s urine isn’t always easy to collect, but with our handy tips and a little patience, you should find that you get what you need without too much trouble.
It’s a wee job
It’s best to be prepared before you begin trying to collect urine from your dog. Equip yourself with a clean, sealable container (such as a thoroughly washed jam jar), a cup or saucer, an eye-dropper or pipette (though don’t use it for eye-drops afterwards!), and a ruler or dowel rod.
Following your dog around while waiting for it to urinate will probably cause it to get jumpy and worried. Be patient and don’t get too close, but once your dog goes to the toilet, slide the cup or saucer under the stream of urine. If necessary, use the dowel rod to slide the cup into place from a distance. It can be messy, but you should get enough urine for testing. Use the dropper or pipette to transfer the urine into the sealable container.
For the best test results, vets prefer the sample to be between two and four hours old. However, if you can’t collect the sample so close to your vet appointment, you can refrigerate it for up to 24 hours.