Urinary Catheter (U-Cath)

U-catheters, or urinary catheters, are placed to make sure urine can drain from the bladder when there is a medical condition that either makes it difficult or impossible for your pet to urinate. A urinary catheter can be used in the short term to gather a sterile sample or urine for testing. Alternatively, u-catheters are placed for a longer time of use after surgery, trauma, or for relief when diagnosing and resolving the cause of difficulty urinating.

The u-catheter is attached to tubing which leads to a collection bag. This ensures the veterinary team can monitor the appearance and accurate measurements of urine that is coming out of your pet while in a hospital setting. 

Placing a u-catheter usually requires either heavy sedation or anesthesia. A veterinary technician will work to ensure your pet is cleaned, prepared and monitored during this process while a veterinarian places the u-catheter. Usually an X-ray is taken after the procedure to ensure that the u-catheter is exactly where it needs to sit in the bladder. The veterinary team will closely monitor the u-catheter to make sure it is still working to expel urine from the body when in place. Both male and female pets can benefit from this type of catheter depending on the cause such as a urinary blockage, surgery, trauma or if a pet is neurologically inappropriate.