Following on from July’s post entitled Urinalysis: the neglected test, let’s have a look at the dipstick – it’s a very easy part of a urinalysis and essential to perform.
Here are some of my tips in regards to using dipsticks:
Dipstick: despite the name, DON’T DIP!
It may sound obvious, but you should always use veterinary-specific dipsticks. Human-specific dipsticks include panels for urobilinogen, nitrates and leukocytes, which we often do not interpret in small animal patients, as they are neither sensitive nor specific.
DON’T DIP! Use a syringe and drop samples on to each square, leave for 10 seconds, then flick off the excess.
Any amount of protein in dilute urine should raise suspicion. A reasonably large amount of protein has to be present in the urine for it to be positive on a dipstick. A urine protein to creatinine ratio may be the only way to quantify the amount of protein present, but first you must rule out evidence of inflammation or haematuria via a sediment examination.
The ketone panel on the dipstick test is only for acetoacetate (and not beta-hydroxybutyrate), although it is extremely rare for diabetic ketoacidosis patients to not produce any acetoacetate.
Trace blood can be a common artefact finding, especially during a cystocentesis where needle trauma can contaminate the sample with blood.
In our feline patients, any hyperbilirubinuria is abnormal, but this may be normal in a dog depending on urine concentration.
What a month is has been. Surely, August 2018 will go down in the annals of history as one the most prolific in the fight for animal welfare in England.
From the banning of puppy and kitten sales in pet shops to outlawing electric shock collars, campaigners have had a spate of notable victories to celebrate in a matter of weeks which, it is hoped, will enhance animal welfare and shape a better future for pets and owners alike.
Indeed, such has been the influx of news, we were still filing articles on the day of going to print, to ensure the latest news – the electric collar ban – reached you hot of the press.
But new causes and campaigns are never far away, as evidenced by the fact that, according to some organisations, cats are the latest victims of the public’s “thirst for endless novelty” with RVNs again “ideally placed” to help tackle the issue.
Every little helps
Yet it doesn’t matter if you are fighting on the front line of a campaign trail or caring for a forlorn feline in a small animal practice; every act, every consult and every action is an amazing feat and should be applauded.
You transform the lives of animals and their owners daily, and make their futures a little brighter in the process.
With so much demanded of RVNs, I imagine it could be easy to get a little overwhelmed. In the face of conflict, Second World War politicians sought to raise the British public’s morale with the ”Keep Calm and Carry On” posters. They seemed to work. Sound, and still relevant, advice methinks.
If animals could speak – from kittens in clinic to rescued horses – I am think they would say “thank you” for all your hard work. Which is what I want to say too, as it happens.
Whoever you are and whatever you do, keep up the amazing work and (to coin the phrase) keep calm and carry on. When future generations are reflecting on this pivotal time in animal care, you can say with pride “I was there”.
Doogle’s plight found its way into the hallowed pages of The Hinckley Times.
One of our cats – Doogle, a home-loving feline who rarely sets foot outside the garden – recently got himself caught under my mum’s car, only to drop out when she’d driven along a few streets and run, startled, across the fields toward the next village.
Posters, local press coverage and Facebook shares resulted in a few potential leads on his whereabouts (we’d localised him to 2-3 miles from home) but, as a cat that doesn’t normally roam far, we never thought he’d find his own way back. The only comforting factor was the knowledge he was microchipped – should someone find him and take him to a rescue centre or vet, he’d be returned to us.
Cats vs. dogs
As cats tend to stray (or get lost), the advantage of microchipping them is clear, but it isn’t a legal requirement. It will, however, become law in England and Scotland for dogs to be microchipped from 6 April 2016. This change in the law means that all dogs must be chipped by 8 weeks of age and the appropriate details registered to the chip must be up to date.
Unfortunately, while we did have Doogle microchipped, we realised we hadn’t registered our contact details with the microchip company, despite him being 18 months old and having been chipped as a kitten.
This is something many dog owners will have to consider in line with the new law: if an owner does not keep the dog’s information up to date on a relevant database, or the dog is unchipped, a notice may be served giving 21 days in which to rectify the situation. If they still fail to comply, a fine of up to £500 can be issued or the dog may be seized and microchipped.
Raising awareness
Doogle managed to make his way home without the aid of microchip technology, but not all pets are so lucky.
Ignorance is no excuse, so we must make clients aware of the new regulations, and in some cases, the exemptions:
Working dogs that have their tails docked in accordance with the Animal Welfare Act 2006 are allowed an extended time limit of 12 weeks before they must be chipped (this applies to England and Wales only – tail docking is entirely banned in Scotland).
Implantation can also be delayed if a vet believes it could adversely affect a dog’s health. In these cases, the vet must certify this is the case and state the expiry of the exemption, by which time a chip must be inserted.
The introduction of the law will help trace inherited defects, tackle puppy farming and promote responsible dog ownership, not to mention the peace of mind that chipping gives owners should their pets be lost or stolen.
Much to our disbelief, Doogle managed to find his own way home two weeks after he first went missing, so we never relied on his microchip for him to be returned, but we can now appreciate the relief of knowing it’s there (with the correct details registered) if he ever disappears again.
