Diagnostic Imaging & Laboratory Testing Flashcards
7 cards from real Animal Care and Veterinary practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Diagnostic Imaging & Laboratory Testing flashcards as text
What is the normal urine specific gravity range for a healthy adult dog?
Answer: 1.015–1.045
Canine urine specific gravity normally ranges from 1.015–1.045, reflecting the kidneys' ability to concentrate urine; values below 1.030 in a dehydrated patient suggest inadequate concentrating ability.
Which combination of urinalysis findings is MOST suggestive of an active urinary tract infection (UTI)?
Answer: Bacteriuria (bacteria on sediment) combined with pyuria (elevated white blood cells)
The combination of bacteria and white blood cells (pyuria) on urine sediment examination is the hallmark of an active urinary tract infection.
What is the GOLD STANDARD method for definitively diagnosing a bacterial urinary tract infection in veterinary patients?
Answer: Aerobic urine culture and antimicrobial sensitivity testing
Urine culture identifies the specific bacterial organism and sensitivity testing guides antibiotic selection, making it the definitive diagnostic method for UTI.
Which urine collection method provides the most sterile sample suitable for bacterial culture in dogs and cats?
Answer: Cystocentesis — needle aspiration directly through the abdominal wall into the bladder
Cystocentesis bypasses the urethra and external genitalia entirely, providing a urine sample free of contamination from distal urogenital flora.
The presence of red blood cell (RBC) casts in urine sediment most strongly suggests pathology in which location?
Answer: The renal tubules, indicating glomerulonephritis or intra-renal hemorrhage
Casts form within the renal tubules; RBC casts indicate hemorrhage at the tubular level and are diagnostic for glomerular or tubular disease.
Any detectable amount of bilirubin on a urine dipstick in a cat is considered:
Answer: Always abnormal and warrants investigation for hepatic, biliary, or hemolytic disease
Unlike dogs (where trace bilirubinuria can be normal in highly concentrated urine), any bilirubinuria in cats is abnormal and indicates hepatobiliary disease or hemolysis.
Which stain is most commonly used in veterinary clinics to enhance visualization of cells and casts when examining urine sediment microscopically?
Answer: Sedistain (modified Sternheimer-Malbin stain)
Sedistain (Sternheimer-Malbin) is the standard in-clinic stain for urine sediment, differentiating viable from non-viable cells and highlighting casts and crystals.