Urine shows how well the kidneys concentrate it, whether sugar, protein or blood is getting into it, and whether there are crystals or bacteria in it. The sample is caught as the pet urinates, drawn through a thin tube, or taken with a very fine needle through the belly wall into the bladder, and the method changes what the result means. A cat that strains in the litter box and passes nothing needs a vet now, not a sample.
On the bill the test is called a urinalysis. The Merck Veterinary Manual calls it one of the most important tools a vet has for finding problems in the urinary tract, and the American Animal Hospital Association lists it with the blood count and the chemistry panel in the basic tests for older pets.
| What is checked | What the sources say it can show |
|---|---|
| Concentration | How well the kidneys save water. Cornell's Feline Health Center says poorly concentrated urine can be one of the earliest signs of kidney disease in a cat. |
| Sugar | The Merck manual says sugar is not normally present. It can appear with diabetes, with stress, or with a fault in the kidney itself. |
| Protein | It can come from the kidneys, from bleeding or infection lower down, or from causes such as fever or hard exercise. |
| Red and white blood cells | Many red cells suggest bleeding in the urinary tract. Many white cells suggest infection. |
| Crystals | They can be present without causing disease. |
| Bacteria | Large numbers usually mean infection. |
If protein is found, the manual says a second test, the urine protein to creatinine ratio, may be needed. When the vet suspects an infection, the urine is cultured, which means the laboratory grows the bacteria from it. Cornell University's Riney Canine Health Center says a culture confirms the infection, names the bacteria and shows which antibiotics work best, and that it may take a few days.
There are three ways. Cornell's Feline Health Center describes them, and Cornell's clinical pathology site says what each one does to the result.
| Method | What happens | What it means for the result |
|---|---|---|
| Free catch | The urine is caught as the pet urinates, ideally from the middle of the stream. For a cat, the litter box can be filled with beads that do not soak the urine up. | It can carry bacteria and cells from the skin and the lower urinary tract, so a few bacteria in it do not show an infection. |
| Catheter | A thin tube is passed into the bladder through the urethra, the opening that urine leaves by. | It can knock lining cells loose, and it can cause a little bleeding if the urethra is irritated. |
| Needle into the bladder | A very fine needle is passed through the belly wall into the bladder. The bill may call it cystocentesis. | It is the cleanest sample, so bacteria found in it mean infection. The needle can leave a trace of blood that shows only under the microscope. |
The Merck manual's page for dog owners says the needle sample is the preferred way to collect urine for a culture.
The Merck manual says owners can sometimes collect a urine sample and bring it in. Ask the clinic first whether a home sample is any use for what they want to test, and which container to use.
Urine changes as it sits. Cornell says bacteria multiply, cells break down, and crystals can form that were not there when the urine was fresh.
The American Animal Hospital Association ties it to age. For healthy dogs, its 2019 guideline says to consider one baseline test in a young adult, to test once a year in a mature adult, and every 6 to 12 months in a senior. For cats, the 2021 guideline it wrote with the feline practitioners recommends the test every one to two years from age 7 to 10, and strongly recommends it at least once a year after 10.
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A cat that goes to the litter box again and again, strains, cries and passes little or nothing may have a blocked urethra. Cornell's Feline Health Center calls that an absolute emergency, and says death can follow in less than 24 to 48 hours once the blockage is complete. Male cats are at higher risk. Do not wait to catch a sample. The signs are on Cats: is this an emergency?, and the same sign in a dog is on Dogs: is this an emergency?
For dogs, Cornell lists straining, frequent small amounts of urine, accidents in the house and blood in the urine among the common signs of a urinary tract infection, and any of them is a reason to book a visit.
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Sources read on 2 October 2026; every number is as the source gives it.