In this episode, host Alyssa Watson, DVM, is joined by Candice P. Chu, DVM, PhD, DACVP, to talk about her recent Clinician’s Brief article, Top 3 Conditions Missed by Skipping Urinalysis. Dr. Chu discusses the most common reasons veterinarians skip this vital diagnostic step and how to perform in-house urinalysis both more efficiently and accurately. She also covers the importance of urinalysis in diagnosing subclinical bacteriuria, Fanconi syndrome, and proteinuria. Dr. Chu reveals a potential contaminant commonly found in veterinary clinics that may impact the accuracy of “tabletop” urine samples.
Key Takeaways
A recent survey showed that general practitioners perform urinalyses at a significantly lower rate than they perform blood-based diagnostics.
Performing urinalysis in-house means faster and more accurate results, but it’s important to standardize the procedure, including using a fixed volume of urine.
Proteinuria false positives are common with visible hematuria, highly alkaline urine, and also contamination by some common veterinary disinfectants.
Fanconi syndrome is not just a Basenji issue. Border terriers and Irish wolfhounds are also at risk for the congenital form, and any dog can develop the acquired version.
Subclinical bacteriuria is more prevalent than previously thought. Up to 13% of cats have subclinical bacteriuria based on urine culture.
Resources:
https://www.cliniciansbrief.com/article/urinalysis-error-veterinary-medicine-sample-test-results
https://www.cliniciansbrief.com/article/management-subclinical-bacteriuria
Contact us:
Podcast@briefmedia.com
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Twitter: @cliniciansbrief
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The Team:
Alyssa Watson, DVM - Host
Alexis Ussery - Producer & Multimedia Specialist