Case 5

Because of Coco's clinical signs of pollakiuria and poor appetite, you recommend a CBC, serum chemistry profile, and urinalysis. Unfortunately, Coco urinated in the car on the way to your hospital, and the owners decline blood tests because they think she is too stressed to undergo venipuncture. They consent to Coco providing a free-catch urine sample, and thankfully, Coco obliges. These are the results:

Patient values

Reference range

Urine specific gravity

1.025

1.015-1.050

pH

6

5.5-7

Protein

Trace

Negative

WBC

10-12

0-3/hpf

Bacteria

> 100 cocci and rods/hpf

Negative

QUESTION 2

What is your recommendation to Coco's owners at this time?

a) Recommend initiating treatment with a fluoroquinolone for a suspected urinary tract infection (UTI).

b) Recommend a urine bacterial culture and antimicrobial sensitivity testing on a urine sample collected via cystocentesis.

c) Recommend a switch to a renal diet and monitor her response.

d) Recommend a urine bacterial culture and antimicrobial sensitivity testing on a urine sample collected via cystocentesis. Also recommend a CBC and serum chemistry profile to rule out any underlying medical problems that may be predisposing her to a UTI.

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