Your pet needs to have a urine sample checked.  A fresh, clean and properly handled sample is the most diagnostic.  Some pets are too nervous and fearful to provide a sample for us in the hospital. At Akron Animal Hospital, we offer a discount to owners who collect the sample themselves.  

All samples, once collected, should be stored in a clean/sterile container, in the refrigerator unless they are brought directly to the hospital. We can provide you with a sterile container.  We need to read the sample within 6 hours of collection.

Dogs

The best urine sample is taken first thing in the morning before the dog has had any food or water. Place your dog on a leash and, using a soup ladle, pie pan or shallow dish, try to collect a sample midstream by allowing the dog to pass a small amount of urine before placing the container into the stream.  Be careful not to allow any contaminants into the sample.

Cats

Empty the litter box and clean with bleach- Use a small amount of a non-absorbable material such as styrofoam packing peanuts to give the cat something to scratch. Alternatively, Akron Animal Hospital can provide a urine collection kit that includes a special sand to use for collection.

If you are unable to collect a sample at home, the staff at Akron Animal Hospital can help.  You may schedule a time for one of our staff members to try to walk your dog outside or for us to check your cat’s bladder for urine.   Sometimes we may need to keep your cat while its bladder fills with urine. Schedule these appointments early in the day in case we need to keep your pet for the day.  Do not allow your pet to urinate prior to the urine collection visit. You may close your cat in a small room and take away its litter box.

Samples can be dropped off to Akron Animal Hospital on our business hours:

Monday 8:00 am-5:30 pm, Tuesday 8:00 am -4:30 pm, Wednesday 8:00 am-5:30 pm, Thursday 8:00 am-11:30 pm, Friday  8:00 am-5:30 pm, Saturday 8:00 am-11:30 am