AVA Conference Adelaide 2016

The urine sample obtained by catheterisation, bladder massage, perineal or preputial stimulation and/or free catch may provide useful information of the health and function of the urinary, genital, and other body systems. Urine analysis is an essential step in the evaluation of the primary kidney disorders. For some diagnoses concurrent collection of blood may yield additional information. The assessment of the urine sample can be carried out on farm and in laboratory. The on-farm assessment includes specific gravity, colour, opacity, odour, pH, and presence and quantification of ketone bodies, blood, pigments and protein. Normal urine of cattle patients has specific gravity of 1.020-1.050, is straw-coloured, mildly turbid, with a slight odour on ammonia and has basic pH. Common manifestations of abnormalities for the assessed characteristics of the urine and their interpretation will be briefly discussed. This paper will briefly describe collection of urine sample, on-farm analysis that may be carried out and interpretation of the findings as part of assessment on individual cattle patients