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236 Tasks for the Veterinary Assistant

for collection of voluntary samples. The following is a Usually this is done in the standing position with the
brief overview of involuntary urine collection assistant holding the base of the tale straight up and out
techniques. of the way while holding onto the front end to keep the
The technique chosen for urine collection depends patient from biting anyone!
on the reason it is being collected. A sample to check for Cystocentesis is the most invasive procedure but can
a urinary tract infection (UTI) can be a voluntary sample, be necessary as it prevents urine from washing through
an expressed sample, or a catheterized sample. A sample the urethra and being contaminated by organisms nor-
to be checked for microorganisms and to be cultured is mally residing in that structure. A veterinarian or veteri-
best collected by cystocentesis. nary technician performs this procedure by inserting a
An involuntary collection expresses the bladder man- needle through the abdominal wall directly into the
ually. The veterinarian or technician applies external urinary bladder. Urine is aspirated into a sterile syringe
pressure to the bladder through the abdominal wall. attached to the needle. The assistant restrains the patient
The assistant may be asked to be ready to collect the mid- in either lateral or dorsal recumbency. Some clinics will
stream sample or help to restrain the patient. As with the do a surgical scrub at the insertion area while others do
voluntary collection, the expressed sample should be not. Ask how the procedure will go and lay out the
midstream unless the bladder contains only a small required equipment.
amount of urine, in which case all the urine is Cats are usually not as willing to hold still for catheter-
collected. ization and so often have to be sedated. This holds true
Catheterization is another technique used for urine for those male cats that have plugged urethra. This is
collection. This is considered an invasive technique as it usually a sick kitty that doesn’t have the patience for
introduces a catheter through the vulva or penis and being messed with!
into the bladder. The assistant will most likely restrain
the patient while the veterinarian or veterinary techni- Urinalysis
cian proceeds with the catheterization. This is an impor-
tant job as the assistant not only has to control the The proper name and spelling for the examination of
patient, but has to retract and hold the prepuce back on urine is urinalysis. The urinalysis is divided into four
the male dog while the catheter is placed. If the prepuce parts: the physical characteristics, specific gravity,
is allowed to touch the catheter it contaminates it and chemical assay, and microscopic examinations. The
another will have to be used. The dog is usually in lateral assistant may be responsible for conducting and
recumbency with another helper restraining the front recording the first three parts of the urinalysis. Ideally, a
legs and head. Using two hands, push the prepuce back urinalysis is conducted within 30 minutes of sample col-
with one and with the other keep the top leg out of the lection. If unable to run the sample immediately, place it
way (Figure 12.20). into the lab refrigerator in a labeled, sealed container.
A urinary catheter is a long, thin tube of rubber or When ready to perform the tests, let it come to room
plastic that is inserted into the bladder through the temperature before starting. Indicate on the patient’s
urethral opening. A syringe is attached to the ending of record and treatment board that the sample has been
the catheter, and the urine is aspirated. In the female, collected and is in the lab.
the catheter is passed through the vulva and enters the Some labs will have a lab form that is filled out as the
external sphincter located on the floor of the vagina. urinalysis is performed. Others will utilize the
management software with a form that is filled out on
the computer as the individual parts are completed. If
asked to assist with the first three parts of the urinalysis
find out which technique is used to record the findings.
The first part of the urinalysis is to record the physical
characteristics of the urine: color, clarity, odor, and foam.
In the patient’s record, create a list: urinalysis: color,
clarity, odor, foam. Record your observations after each.
Normal urine is yellow and clear. Urine can range from
colorless to bright yellow to red and almost brown.
Blood, disease states, brightly colored food, and some
drugs can alter coloration.
Normal urine is clear but clarity can range from
cloudy to flocculent, in which large particles of sediment
are suspended in the urine. The odor is usually not diag-
nostic, but the presence of bacteria imparts an ammonia‐
FIGURE 12.20 Restraint for urinary catheterization of male dog. like odor and ketones impart a fruity or sweet odor.