title: The effect of boric acid on bacterial culture of canine and feline urine.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify the optimal method of submission of canine and feline urine for bacterial culture.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cystocentesis samples from 250 animals (200 dogs, 50 cats) suspected of having urinary tract infections were collected. The reference aliquot, without preservative, was processed on site within 2 hours. Two further aliquots (one without preservative, one with boric acid) were stored at room temperature for up to 7 hours and then posted by guaranteed next day delivery to a commercial laboratory for analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-seven of the samples were positive on culture in the reference test. There was no significant difference between reference test results and those of samples posted without preservative (P=0·39), but samples posted in boric acid were significantly less likely to give a positive result (P=0·01). Samples posted without preservative had a sensitivity of 82% and a specificity of 98%; for boric acid, sensitivity was 73% and specificity 99%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Postal urine samples should be submitted to the laboratory in a plain sterile tube.
authors.affiliation: Small Animal Teaching Hospital, University of Liverpool, Neston, Cheshire CH64 7TE.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rowlands
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Blackwood
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mas
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cripps
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Crompton
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Burrow
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D001437:Bacteriuria / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D001888:Boric Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000652:urine; D002415:Cats; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D014556:Urine / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D001888:Boric Acids; C032688:boric acid