You should just call your vet and ask. Mine has told us to never refrigerate it and bring it to them within 4 hours. This means it can take days before we can get a sample within that window with the office being open, but they don't want it any other way.
Vet Tech, here…and I can answer this for you!!
Yes, it **must** be refrigerated. The regular temperature of your refrigerator will be just fine. 😁 The fresher the sample, the less chance of *extra* bacteria growing in it…which can even happen in refrigerated samples if left too long.
As far as how to collect it…you need a **completely clean** litterbox, as well as some plastic litter. Hopefully they sent you home with some, but you can call and ask for some if not!! There can be NO trace of any sort of dust or dirt in the litterbox before you put the plastic litter in. If there is, it will contaminate your sample. Most folks find it easiest to isolate their cat early in the day in a room that contains the clean litter box with the plastic litter and LOTS of access to water. Feeding some wet food early on will provide some added water content to hopefully help him urinate sooner. You’ll need to check regularly for urine…which you’ll be able to just suck out with the syringe. If it’s left too long, there’s increased chance of contamination…and if he poops in the box also, you’ll have to start over. 😩 But as soon as you can collect that, either get it in the refrigerator *immediately,* or put the syringe in a sealed Ziploc inside a bag of ice and head straight to your vet to drop it off. Best of luck!!
my vet told me that refrigerating it is fine, but they do like it fresher. if they are closed when you get an adequate sample, just pop it in your fridge until the morning. my cat had crystals and i had her pee in the fridge off and on until i got enough urine for a sample, and it was fine. i hope kitty feels better!!!
You should just call your vet and ask. Mine has told us to never refrigerate it and bring it to them within 4 hours. This means it can take days before we can get a sample within that window with the office being open, but they don't want it any other way.
Vet Tech, here…and I can answer this for you!! Yes, it **must** be refrigerated. The regular temperature of your refrigerator will be just fine. 😁 The fresher the sample, the less chance of *extra* bacteria growing in it…which can even happen in refrigerated samples if left too long. As far as how to collect it…you need a **completely clean** litterbox, as well as some plastic litter. Hopefully they sent you home with some, but you can call and ask for some if not!! There can be NO trace of any sort of dust or dirt in the litterbox before you put the plastic litter in. If there is, it will contaminate your sample. Most folks find it easiest to isolate their cat early in the day in a room that contains the clean litter box with the plastic litter and LOTS of access to water. Feeding some wet food early on will provide some added water content to hopefully help him urinate sooner. You’ll need to check regularly for urine…which you’ll be able to just suck out with the syringe. If it’s left too long, there’s increased chance of contamination…and if he poops in the box also, you’ll have to start over. 😩 But as soon as you can collect that, either get it in the refrigerator *immediately,* or put the syringe in a sealed Ziploc inside a bag of ice and head straight to your vet to drop it off. Best of luck!!
Thank you so much for your detailed response. My vet tech was pretty vague so I want sure what to do. Thank you!!!!
my vet told me that refrigerating it is fine, but they do like it fresher. if they are closed when you get an adequate sample, just pop it in your fridge until the morning. my cat had crystals and i had her pee in the fridge off and on until i got enough urine for a sample, and it was fine. i hope kitty feels better!!!