A feasibility study investigating the utility of a point-of-care rapid immunoassay for detecting septic peritoneal effusion in dogs.

Objective: To determine the sensitivity (SN), specificity (SP), positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy of a point-of-care urine bacterial rapid immunoassay (RIA) for a diagnosis of septic peritonitis, compared to more traditional diagnostic tools, such as cytology and bacterial culture.

Design: Prospective, cross-sectional feasibility study conducted from October 2016 to June 2017.

Setting: Four locations within a private practice referral hospital.