Introduction to Urinalysis

Complete urinalysis includes the evaluation of physical and chemical properties as well as a thorough examination of the urinary sediment. A complete urinalysis should be performed anytime that a complete blood count and routine serum biochemistry are submitted in order to be able to integrate and maximize the interpretation of findings. Urinalysis should be performed in febrile animals, because urinary tract infection can be a source of sepsis without obvious urinary tract clinical signs. Once urine is collected, the decision is made as to where and how the urinalysis will be performed. For urine samples being analyzed in-house, about two-third are run as complete urinalyses and one-third only undergo dipstrip chemical analysis. In-house automated methods of urinalysis allow the complete urinalysis to be performed, and a report generated within five minutes.