My dog's urine test shows 1+ epithelial cells. What does it mean?

The abnormal findings are: elevated pH - often seen in bladder infections high number of leukocytes and red cells - usually seen in bladder infection or/and inflammation Proteins - often seen in kidney diseases but also can be seen in urinary tract infections. It looks that Peppy has urinary tract infection. Ideally, the urine analysis should be repeated in 7-10 days time to make sure everything is back to normal.

Hello. Was this a sterile sample or one caught while she was urinating? Some white blood cells can be normal in the vaginal vault when collecting a free catch sample. It this was a sterile sample, then the white blood cells may be there because of inflammation not caused by infection. Often, these are very self-limiting, especially in puppies. Antibiotics are not required not recommended in these situations. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Well this is quite strange. I don't know why the difference of 15 to 17 cells will make much a difference in the diagnosis. I would call them and try to get a more thorough explanation as to why they like to find the specific number of abnormal cells. If the urine does have an infection, I would have the UTi treated with antibiotics and then have the ultrasound repeated to see if the mass is still present. If so, I would probably just treat for transitional cell carcinoma which is the most common bladder tumor. You can visit an oncologist for chemo/radiation options. A lot of people just choose to put the dog on piroxicam which is an anti-inflammatory which helps to decrease the inflammation in the tumor but it isn't going to cure the cancer. Also I would put him on a joint supplement like dasuquin to help increase the mucus in the bladder wall which is also a natural anti-inflammatory. I hope this helps!

The blood test is just fine. I do not see any abnormalities. The urine tests are pretty normal as well. No bacteria or crystals. Some white and red cells present can be normal. There may be some early kidney disease with the presence of microalbuminuria but more testing would need to be done. These test results need to put together with the dogs clinical signs. I'm not sure what you are trying to decipher. What are the dog's clinical signs? There is not enough information here for us to be helpful. You may want to opt for a private consult with me or one of our other experts so we can chat back and forth. That way we may be able to help you better.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Thanks for such detailed information. Cytology is rarely diagnostic for this disease so I would still be suspicious that a malignant tumor such as TCC is much more likely. This is because of what you described but also due to the fact that this is way more common than benign tumors of the bladder. There is a test that your veterinarian could consider which is easy to perform and is non-invasive. This is also very sensitive and specific meaning that typically a negative or a positive result can be trusted. This is called the BRAF test which is performed with a urine sample. Good luck and have a great day!

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Whether or not I would be worried would depend on how the urine sample was collected. Did the vet use a needle and go directly into the bladder to get the sample (cystocentesis) or was it done as a "free catch" sample where you or a member of the vet team walked Kiwi and caught the urine in a container. If you are unsure of how the sample was obtained then you should call your vet to ask. It really does not sound to me like anything to be concerned about at this time but I do not have access to all her records and I have not examined her myself so I cannot really say for sure. If you can get more information as to how the sample was collected you are welcome to post again or ask for a private consultation with me or one of the other veterinarians. Hope this helps. Best wishes!

Thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Having trace albumin (protein) in a dogs urine is pretty normal. We only get concerned about kidney damage when the albumin is moderate-severe and also when CREA is high. High BUN can indicate a GI bleed or a high protein diet in most cases. I don't see a complete cell count (CBC) analysis in the records you sent. Swelling of the limb can indicate edema, a musculoskeletal injury or even a seroma. I would suggest doing a urinalysis to rule out a UTI or stones causing the bloody discharge you are seeing, and a radiograph of the leg (if medical management with an anti-inflammatory hasn't shown improvement with this already). I hope this helps and best wishes with Scooby moving forward. Take care.