My cat's urine specific gravity is low. Is increased water the cause?

Question

I noticed on my 2yo cats last urinalysis from a couple weeks ago that her specific gravity was lower than month before (1.23 vs 1.49). Is this concerning or within normal? I have increased her water intake by adding more water to her food since first test (all wet high protein diet). So could that number have been lower from that? Should I get another urinalysis done soon or get test strips and test at home first? Everything else was marked normal but her pH was a touch high at 7. Thank you. Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 1 year and 10 months old | 9.5 lbs

Lindsey Edwards MVB, BSc, IVCA · Accepted Answer

A higher fluid diet should result in a lower specific gravity (she should be excreting more water than when on a drier diet). Test strips are poorly accurate for specific gravity and this should be cross-checked with a refractometer to determine the exact value especially if she has any history of urinary issues. Monitoring of the pH would be recommended as a slightly acidic urine is normal (fresh samples are required as it will change over time/storage); acidic urine helps to provide a natural barrier to infection.

My cat's urine specific gravity is low. Is increased water the cause?

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