Diagnosis
Urinalysis
A urinalysis is crucial in making a correct diagnosis. The pH of the urine, and the presence of bacteria or crystals all provide valuable information.
Abnormalities that can be found in the urine in a pet with a urolith include:
- Blood
- Increased white blood cells
- Increased protein
- Crystals
- Bacteria
- Low or high pH
The presence of crystals (crystalluria) is a sign that a urolith is possible, and usually warrants further investigation.
This is an example of a normal cat urinalysis. The pH is acidic, there are no white blood cells (WBC's), red blood cells (RBC's), crystals, or bacteria.
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Urine Culture
Bacteria are implicated in many cases of urolithiasis.htm. Culturing the urine will let us know what bacteria, if any, are involved, and which antibiotic(s) will be effective. In addition to serving as a nidus for urolithiasis.htm, these bacteria can ascend from the bladder into the kidneys, causing a pyelonephritis.
This is a culture & sensitivity report we received from our lab. We sent them a sample of urine and asked them to let us know if there are bacteria in the normally sterile urine. The organism they cultured is E. coli, a common bacteria in both animals and humanoids. This bacteria is pathogenic in the bladder, and is causing a urinary tract infection. The lab tests numerous antibiotics and determines which antibiotic(s) E. coli is sensitive to. as you can see from this culture, E. coli is resistant (R) to numerous antibiotics.
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After we have determined that bacteria are part of the problem our lab provides us with information on how effective antibiotics will be at the level of the bladder.
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