Feline urine tests using multiple instead of the standard 2 pad stick, provide a wealth of knowledge if you are keen to know more about your cats health.

How to prepare a cat’s multipad dipstick:

  1. Before you remove the dipstick from the bottle, read the instructions!
  2. The dipsticks need to be kept cool and dry, so just select one at a time, touch only the ‘plastic’ end, and put the lid back on (with the dehydrating sack still inside!).
  3. SIT THE DIPSTICK FLAT ON A PIECE OF ABSORBENT PAPER, or the next step will result in urine going all over the place!  Lay it flat, next to the indicator sheet

Ready to start collecting results?

Preparation

The urine is in the syringe and the dipstick is sitting flat on the tissue next to the indicator sheet.

This means you will be able to see the color changes.

A stopwatch or clock with a second hand will enable you to keep detailed results.

Drop the Urine on the Cat Pads

You can see the colours change. Decide what is reading at 30 secs (or as per the indicator sheet).

Ketones – the pad turns pink. also needs to be read at 40 seconds.

Leaving it any longer gives false reports (both high and low) so it is important you keep up the times on the indicator sheet.

Blood Indications

Blood indications can start quite slowly so give it the full 60 seconds before deciding there is no blood. pH is a measure of your cat’s metabolism so do tell your vet if the readings are consistently less than 6.5 (acidic, usually in cats with renal insufficiency) or more than 7.5 (alkaline- associated with bladder stones and other problems, sometimes infections)

The Urobilinogen pad is not very accurate in cats but if you think you see any changes in the Bilirubin pad, then notify the vet – it often means liver problems.

Urgent Treatment Required

This is from a pretty sick cat.

There is blood in the urine and pH alkaline probably means a urinary tract infection, plus lots of glucose so he is diabetic – and the ketone pad is pink so he is really on the edge of being in intensive care…

The cat requires urgent vet care