Protein in urine....what does it mean?

[diggydog]

Hi

I regularly check Alfie's urine using ketostix but at the chemist today they didn't have any so instead I got Multistix (siemens, if it matters)
Anyhoo I checked his urine this morning and according to the strips Alfie has A LOT of protein in his urine. It being a sunday (of course it would happen at a weekend) I cant get my vet untill tomorrow. I am not sure if I should be worried or not and dont even know if its accurate to use these in dogs but I am assuming it is given it test glucose and ketones.
So do I panic and call the emergency vet or would it be ok to leave him untill tomorrow and see the vet about it then?

Thanks

Allison & Alfie

[Patty]

Allison,
There are some values on the multistix that are not reliable for a cat/dog, but protein isn't one of them. However, other meds can alter the tests.

“Dip-stick” testing
The directions for the time interval between wetting the stick and reading each parameter must be followed carefully. Not all test parameters are valid in cats and dogs:

Glucose: no known limitations

Bilirubin: no known limitations

Ketones: no known limitations

Specific gravity: NOT RELIABLE

Blood: no known limitations

pH: no known limitations

Protein: no known limitations

Urobilinogen: NOT RELIABLE

Nitrite: NOT RELIABLE

Leucocytes: cat: NOT RELIABLE, gives false positives, dog: less
sensitive
(From: Clinical Urine Analysis for the Veterinary Surgeon. Bayer
Diagnostics Education Services).
http://www.lvlabs.co.uk/pdf/library/DAVNUrinalysisLN.pdf

Ali used to show protein in her urine on occasion. It was typically on the lower end/trace though. She showed this during a UTI but then also later without infection.

I have no scientific knowledge base to site, but I sometimes speculate that because the glomerulus (a sort of filter for the kidneys) will allow larger amounts of protein to pass through if its damaged/inflammed, I wonder if when a dog's blood sugar has been running higher for a longer period of time (and more sugar crystals are passing through) that it doesn't initiate the inflammatory process.

There are many reasons this can happen, some more worrisome than others. Here's some general info. I googled proteinuria diabetic dog...http://www.petplace.com/dogs/proteinuria-in-dogs/page1.aspx

I think you could wait until Monday. I would have him checked for UTI and maybe bloodwork. Talk to your vet and keep us posted.

Patty

[diggydog]

Thanks Patty

He had a urine culture done just this week which was negative so no UTI
I will be talking to the vet tomorrow anyway but I am just a little freaked out by it is all!

[Joan]

I test my handicapped pugs every week, and they quite often show positive for protein. I have learned to completely ignore portein and specific gravity results on the chemstrips. The strips are great for blood (infection), ph, glucose etc. But a positive protien...ignore.

Since I empty the bladders on my handicappped dogs manually, I check frequently, and run into lots of UTI troubles on and off. Any positive protein readings have never once correlated with UTI. kidney problems or anything related. Take deep breaths, and get some sleep. Here is a site that gives a pretty good explanation of the strip results.

http://www.vet.uga.edu/VPP/CLERK/Sine/index.php

[O'Riley]

Hi Allison... I use the Multistix every week, and my experience is a little different than Joan's with regard to protein. My dog Riley's protein is off the chart high. Riley has both a UTI and dental infection going on. Here's a link with a list of reasons a dog can have "proteinuria". There are dozens of other websites that go into even more detail:
http://www.petplace.com/dogs/proteinuria-in-dogs/page1.aspx

I was reading back through your main thread, and I see where Natalie mentioned Cushing's to you as one of the many reasons that insulin dosing can be hard to get a handle on. I also see that you noticed a bit of weight gain, which I think is kind of unusual in an unregulated dog.

If your vet suggests that Cushing's could be one of the possibilities, be forewarned that getting a definitive yes or no answer when the dog is also diabetic is one of the most exasperating things imaginable since many of the tests are next to useless due to the possibility of "false positive in the presence of non adrenal illness", meaning that a positive test result can be totally wrong when there is other illness involved (diabetes, infection, liver, etc.).

I don't want to weigh your thread down with my travails, so I'll be updating Riley's thread tomorrow, seeking advice. Maybe you'll be able to skip right over some of the mistakes I've made and get answers sooner rather than later.

Patty, thank you for posting that link. Fantastic resource! You may already know this, but there is a formula for adjusting specific gravity downward when glucose is high, and also when protein is present. The fact that glucose and protein can cause the specific gravity reading to be off is probably why specific gravity is deemed unreliable. If the glucose and protein readings are normal, I wonder if the specific gravity can then be considered accurate? I've been trying to find out if high glucose can affect the protein reading. Do you happen to know? Also, your suggestion about proteinuria and inflammation was thought provoking.

~Rosey

[diggydog]

Hi Rosey

Thanks for the info.
Alfie was has been tested in the past for Cushings both tests negtive.
It would appear that Alfie's weight fluctuates between 5.6kg and around 6.2kg he is checked every week on the vet scales. His weight is an issue and we are working on trying to get him to gain some weigh but I will talk to the vet about it all in the morning.

I will look up your thread later tonight when I have a bit of down time.

Thanks!
Allison