Veterinary Urine Crystals

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Veterinary urine crystals.

This is the final stage of a complete urinalysis. The big question you ll be asking if a urinalysis detects this condition. This is a quick reference guide that provides various clinical pathologic images including hematology e g. Some crystals form when a pet is given certain types of medications.

Crystals in dog urine. Crystals cells and cytology. Salts resulting from normal and abnormal metabolic processes and some medications may precipitate in urine and form crystals if the concentration of the salts is sufficiently high and the urine is of appropriate ph. Crystals in the urine do not always indicate disease.

Normal leukocytes and erythrocytes by species urine sediment examination e g. The only way to know if your dog has crystals in their urine is for a vet to perform a urinalysis. Needle shaped crystals may be composed of tyrosine calcium sulfate sodium urate ampicillin tri iodated contrast agents other findings in urine sediment can include fat droplets sperm bacteria fungal spores or hyphae these are contaminants you see them if urine is kept too long and parasites. Crystals can be seen in the urine of clinically healthy animals or in animals with no evidence of urinary disease such as obstruction and or urolithiasis.

Most crystals can be found in healthy animals. Without an infection struvite crystals in dogs are not associated with struvite urolith formation. Clinical signs of urinary crystals include trouble urinating blood in the urine and lethargy. Crystalluria indicates that the urine is supersaturated with the compounds that comprise the crystals e g.

A sign of trouble. The problem is urine crystals are painful. It can confirm suspected findings from earlier stages of the analysis as well as facilitate visual inspection of structures in the sample e g. What causes crystals in dog urine.

Struvite crystalluria in dogs is not a problem unless there is a concurrent bacterial urinary tract infection with a urease producing microbe. Struvite crystals are commonly seen in canine and feline urine. Some salts precipitate in an alkaline ph while others precipitate in an acidic ph. Ammonium magnesium and phosphate for struvite.