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Urine dipstick test for proteinuria in cats innacurate, study suggests
"These findings indicate that clinicians should not rely on the results of the urine dipstick test in combination with USG in cats for detecting proteinuria."

Vets urged to use other quantitative methods to detect the condition in felines. 

The urine dipstick test is not accurate for detecting proteinuria in cats, even when combined with urine-specific gravity (USG), according to new research.

The research, published in the Journal of Small Animal Practice (JSAP), assessed the utility of the urine dipstick alone and when associated with the USG for detecting proteinuria in cats.

For the study, researchers reviewed the clinical records of cats presented to a referral hospital between January 2011 and January 2017. For the feline urine samples to be eligible for inclusion, they had to have undergone a complete urinalysis, including dipstick evaluation, USG and urine protein-to-creatinine (UPC) measurement.

A total of 121 feline urine samples were included, and diagnostic agreement and test accuracy were calculated for the dipstick test alone and when combined with the USG, utilising different cut-off values were used for proteinuria. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were also calculated.

Corresponding author, Jorge Pérez-Accino, explained: “The diagnostic agreement between the urine dipstick and UPC ratio was poor and did not improve if the USG was considered together with the dipstick. A dipstick result of equal or greater than “Trace” (0.1-0.3g/L) had a sensitivity of 81 per cent and a specificity of 31 per cent to detect proteinuria.

“With regards to the ROC curves, the area under the curve (AUC) of the urine dipstick alone was poor (0.57). When combined with the USG results, this improved to fair (0.78) but the specificity and negative predictive value (NPV) were still low.”

JSAP editor, Nicola Di Girolamo, concludes: “These findings indicate that clinicians should not rely on the results of the urine dipstick test in combination with USG in cats for detecting proteinuria. Instead, other quantitative methods, such as UPC ratio, should always be performed to detect proteinuria in cats.”

Image (C) Professor Ian Ramsey.

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
UK's BSE risk status downgraded

The WOAH has downgraded the UK's international risk status for BSE to 'negligible'.

Defra says that the UK's improved risk status recognises the reputation for having the highest standards for biosecurity. It adds that it demonstrates decades of rigorous animal control.

Outbreaks of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease, have previously resulted in bans on Britain's beef exports.

The UK's new status could lead to expanded trade and better confidence in British beef.

Christine Middlemiss, the UK's chief veterinary officer, said: "WOAH's recognition of the UK as negligible risk for BSE is a significant milestone and is a testament to the UK's strong biosecurity measures and the hard work and vigilance of farmers and livestock keepers across the country who have all played their part in managing the spread of this disease.