Qualitative urinalyses in puppies 0 to 24 weeks of age

Suggestions for interpreting qualitative urinalyses from puppies have been based on limited results obtained in the laboratory setting. Proteinuria, glucosuria, and decreased concentration of urine have been considered normal in puppies <8 weeks of age due to immature renal function. In this study, the authors reviewed 149 voided urine samples from 118 different, apparently healthy, random-source puppies. The primary finding was that mean urine specific gravity (USG) was significantly lower in 0- to 3-week-old puppies when compared to puppies 4 to 24 weeks old. Mean USG in all other age groups was >1.030. There was no difference in the frequency of positive protein or occult blood dipstick results among age groups, and there were no positive glucose, ketone, bilirubin, or urobilinogen reactions in any samples analyzed. Urine sediment results are reported for 41 samples. Epithelial cells and white blood cells were the most common sediment findings in these 41 voided samples, observed in 34 (83%) and 18 (44%) samples, respectively. Crystals were observed in 15 (37%) samples, whereas casts, bacteria, and red blood cells were observed less commonly.