Veterinary Urine Crystals

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.

Veterinary urine crystals.

A sign of trouble. Crystalluria indicates that the urine is supersaturated with the compounds that comprise the crystals e g. Some crystals form when a pet is given certain types of medications. Struvite crystals are commonly seen in canine and feline urine.

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. Without an infection struvite crystals in dogs are not associated with struvite urolith formation. The big question you ll be asking if a urinalysis detects this condition. Clinical signs of urinary crystals include trouble urinating blood in the urine and lethargy.

This is a quick reference guide that provides various clinical pathologic images including hematology e g. Crystals can also form in urine after it has been collected especially if there is a long delay before the urinalysis is done. If your pet s urine ph is too acidic or alkaline that imbalance between acidic urine and alkaline urine can also cause crystals to form. Some salts precipitate in an alkaline ph while others precipitate in an acidic ph.

What causes crystals in dog urine. The problem is urine crystals are painful. This is the final stage of a complete urinalysis. The only way to know if your dog has crystals in their urine is for a vet to perform a urinalysis.

It can confirm suspected findings from earlier stages of the analysis as well as facilitate visual inspection of structures in the sample e g. Crystals cells and cytology. Casts cells or crystals. 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.

Struvite crystalluria in dogs is not a problem unless there is a concurrent bacterial urinary tract infection with a urease producing microbe. Most crystals can be found in healthy animals. Crystals in dog urine. Crystals in the urine do not always indicate disease.