Collecting a fecal or urine sample from your pet can seem intimidating or messy. However these samples give our doctors important diagnostic information about intestinal parasites, urinary infections, kidney health, diabetes, etc. We hope to make this process more straight-forward and approachable for our owners.
Fecal Collection Instructions
- Please collect a grape-sized amount and deposit in the provided tube. Sample should be less than 24 hours old.
- You have 28 days from your appointment to bring back the sample.
- A note about litter boxes: Cat litter dries out fecal samples. Please make sure the sample you bring in is still soft. It’s okay for your sample to have litter on it.
Urine Collection Instructions
- If you are collecting a sample to complete a bloodwork panel, you have 28 days from your appointment to bring it back.
- Please provide at least 2 tablespoons of urine.
- Samples should be brought to the office right after collection, or they can be refrigerated for up to 4 hours.
Dogs—Free catch collection:
- Use a clean ladle or storage container to “catch” a small amount of urine from your dog.
- Having 2 people is helpful, especially with female and small dogs
- Transfer the urine into a clean Gladware container or Ziploc bag for transport.
Cats—Litter box collection:
- Empty and clean the litter box. (Or use a clean dishpan.) Pour the Kit Kat sand into litter box—it doesn’t have to cover the entire bottom.
- Place your cat and litter box in an enclosed space, such as a bathroom, and wait for your cat to urinate.
- Tip the litter box and allow the urine to pool in a corner. Use the pipette to fill the provided test tube. It’s okay for a little Kit Kat sand to get in the tube.
- We are open until 8 pm on Tuesday / Thursdays, and 2 pm on Saturdays. (Check our social media for special closings.) These extended hours are a good opportunity for clients who work during the week to collect a urine sample and bring it to the office.
