Blood Drug Testing

What tests are necessary for my cat that is urinating in the hallway?

I took my cat into the vet this evening because she is urinating in our hall, which is on the way into the bathroom where her litter box is located. She does not do it all the time, but enough were I want to fix it because it is ruining our carpet. She is 8 years old, so I thought mabye diabetes was a good candidate for the culprit, so i wanted to take her to the vet to have her urine analyzed. The doctor tried to get some urine out of her, but was unsuccessful, so they had to keep her overnight. The doctor then offered me a "deal" they ahve for senior cats. The test checks the liver, kidney's, urine, ecg, cbc, super chemistry blood work, and thyroid test for 170. For just the urine test, it would be 85 (both of these prices include exam fees, etc.). Is this worth it. My cat is perfectly healthy except for the urinating on the carpet, do i really need to spend this extra money for this, or will the urine test tell me everything that i need to know for this problem? I need to let the doc know in the morning if i want to go through with the other tests other then the urine test, so your timely advice is appreciated! Thanks!

Public Comments

1. Just like with humans, blood work reveals very much about our internal organ function. It's a good idea to have a senior wellness panel done, as it serves as a baseline for any future concerns you and your vet may have about your cat. The blood results really will help your vet make the best diagnosis about what's going on with your cat. Inappropriate urination is frequently a urinary tract infection, which is best diagnosed with culturing the urine, and also looking at the white blood cell count (indicates an infection). It's up to you,of course, but I think it's money well spent.
2. Personally, I think it is not only worth it, but a good deal. Having full bloodwork done will identify any current or potential problems...when you can nip a problem in the bud can save you tons in vet bills down the road, not to mention your cat's life. Blood work will identify a lot of things a urine analysis won't, such as kidney issues and diabetes, blood cell count...a whole range of things.
3. OH yeah. If your cat is over 7 years old, you should expect to have full blood work and urine tests done every year rather your cat is sick or not. Running blood work every year can help prevent things from like this happening in the future.
4. Your cat may seem perfectly healthy, but often times a problem like urinating outside of the litter box can be a symptom of something bigger going on with her that you're not able to see. My cat recently peed in our laundry basket and on a sweatshirt on the floor, I took further note of his behaviors (going to the litter box often, but not actually peeing or otherwise) and I rushed him to the vet. Turned out he had a nasty bladder infection with crystals and blood in his urine. Maybe take a closer look and see if any of her other behaviors are strange. It could be behavioral or it could be that she just doesn't like where you put her litter box. But if it were me, I'd rather be safe than sorry and just get the tests done. Good luck!