If I get a urine sample overnight is it ok to take it to the vet the next morning?

[Fluffycloudland77]

Fluffycat is being a stubborn little sod & I have fallen out with him.

We are currently not speaking to each other.

[spanky2]

When my cat had to provide a urine sample the vets told me to bring it in fresh, not even fridged. Apparently it breeds bacteria the longer it is in the pot.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Was yours to check for crystals in the urine or infection?.

[Fluffycloudland77]

He will have done a wee in his normal litter now. I was going to sneak up with a tumbler.

This has been going on two weeks.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Stay at the vets? Oh lord. We have the white litter but I was worried he'd use it & the sample would be too old to be any good so I'd have to rinse it out and start over.

It might come to that though.

I mixed a bit of water in his food this morning to help him along, which of course he's ignored and gone out.

[cozietoesie]

I'd be interested to have some sort of definitive opinion on this. Seniorboy's vet likes to have his samples within an hour or two and the practice always tell me to refrigerate it directly after bottling it. (Because I work from home and the vet is close by, it's usually with them still warm in about 20 minutes though - I collect it in a special deep saucer (from an antique coffee can set.))

But - two weeks ?? I'd have him in to the vets now and get it collected 'directly' from him Fluffy.

By the way, is it a critical test or is it one of those 'throwaway' requests that vets sometimes make along the lines of ' Oh and bring us in a urine sample as well so that we can check it - why not?'

[Fluffycloudland77]

Throwaway. He wees in the bedroom if he doesn't get his own way so I want to rule out crystals.

He only does it if you're watching too.

[cozietoesie]

Fair enough - but you know, really, that that's protest/tantrum peeing, eh?

[Fluffycloudland77]

You're right. I still want it ruled out just in case.

I was hoping I could get a sample overnight in the white litter and whizz it over first thing but apparently not.

They really ought to do home testing kits for situations like this.

[cozietoesie]

Of course you'll want it tested - but I think I'd have him in to the vet after 2 weeks if you can afford it and he's physically up to it. That's too long to put your life pretty well on hold.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

If you pop the sample in the fridge overnight it's fine. The lab courier only comes once a day so the vets are going to store the sample in the fridge till then.

[cozietoesie]

Useful to know, Lone - although my own vets do pretty well all their urine testing - and some of their ordinary blood testing - in-house so aren't usually courier dependent.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

We do a fair amount of on site testing, but culture needs to go to an outside lab. In the fridge is fine it will recent new crystals from growing and inhibit excessive bacterial growth.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Sorry prevent new crystal growth.
I can guarantee that every practice pops some urine samples in the fridge to do later it is standard practice.

[cozietoesie]

Thanks for that - good to know the background. (Although I'm not sure it will help poor Fluffy much when faced with Bengal intransigence. 2 weeks !)

[Fluffycloudland77]

Right, so If I put the katkor in there Sunday night & he wees in it I can take it there for 9am Monday morning right?.

[cozietoesie]

Sounds like it - if you refrigerate it fast.