Urine Cortisol:Creatinine Ratio (UCCR)

Sample Type: Urine

Preferred Volume: 5ml

Test Code: BUCCR

-Ideally, the urine sample should be collected at home when the dog is not stressed

-Collect sample in a pottle or non-additive blood collection tube (not a red-top CAT tube)

-Refrigerate and ship with cold packs. At 2-8^oC the sample is stable for 7 days

The UCCR may be helpful as a screening test for hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing's disease). However, a change in the urinary cortisol test reagent has rendered the test less sensitive than reported with the previous reagent, with confirmed cases of canine hyperadrenocorticism presenting with lower ratios than previously described in literature. Specificity remains moderate as acute stress in the clinic or at home, or chronic stress related to other diseases can also elevate UCCR. If hyperadrenocorticism is suspected, then proceeding to the low dose dexamethasone suppression test should be considered.

Solid-phase competitive chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay.  Following urine cortisol extraction, the urinary cortisol competes with luminescent labelled antigen for a limited number of binding sites on reagent antibody.

The amount of cortisol in the urine reflects the average blood cortisol concentration at the time that urine is formed. UCCR, rather than absolute cortisol concentration, is determined to correct for the variable urine concentration (USG) at the time of testing.

Reviewed: 04 Feb 2026