Clinical Pathology
A Better Life
As one of the largest, dedicated veterinary clinical pathology labs in the country, we strive to help our fellow clinicians—both within the hospital and in the community—provide their patients and clients with timely and accurate diagnostics.
Services & Resources
Sample Submission
- Routine samples should be submitted between 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. weekdays and 8 and 11 a.m. on weekends.
- Evening technicians are for emergencies and critical care cases only.
- Routine work and research cases are to be done during regular daytime hours.
- Submission of research samples must be pre-arranged with the laboratory supervisor.
- All samples brought to the laboratory should be identified by the case number and owner name.
- Patient cards must be used on all forms—no handwritten forms, except STAT and Emergency.
- Unlabeled specimens will be discarded with NO exception!
- Samples should be accompanied by the appropriate form and forms should be clocked-in, so that the time and day submitted are printed on the form.
- Please provide adequate patient history and specimen information on the submittal form. This helps us ensure reliable results.
- STAT designation should be reserved for life-threatening emergencies.
- ASAP designation should be reserved for cases in which laboratory results are needed rapidly for the treatment or diagnosis of critical patients.
- Samples without STAT or ASAP designation will generally be reported out within two hours.
In-House Testing
Sample Submission
Samples for most blood chemistry testing can be submitted in a lithium heparin tube (green top) or a clot tube (red top). Exceptions are TIBC (total iron-binding capacity), which must be submitted in a clot tube, and ammonia, which must be submitted in a lithium heparin tube on wet ice.
Tests Performed
- Panel & Electrolytes
- Panel (small animal)
- Panel (large animal)
- Mini Panel (5 tests)
- Avian/Reptile Panel w/Electrolytes
- Avian/Reptile Panel
- Cholesterol
- ALT (SGPT)
- Alkaline phosphatase
- Bilirubin (total)
- BUN
- Calcium
- Creatinine
- Glucose
- Phosphorus
- Serum Protein (total)
- GGT
- CPK
- AST (SGOT)
- Electrolytes (Na-K-Cl-CO2)
- Sodium
- Potassium
- Chloride
- Total CO2
- Glucose Tolerance (6 samples)**
- Glucose Tolerance (additional samples)
- Blood gases (w/ionized Ca)
- Lactate
- Calcium (ionized)
- Amylase
- Ammonia tolerance
- Ammonia
- Lipase
- Magnesium
- Iron
- TIBC
- Triglycerides
- Colloid Osmotic Pressure
- RBC Osmotic Fragility**
- Uric Acid
- Urine Creatinine
- Urine Urea
- Urine Phosphorus
- Urine Sodium
- Urine Chloride
- Urine Potassium
- Urine Microprotein
- After Hour Chemistries
**Test must be pre-arranged with lab
Sample Submission
Samples for hematology should be submitted in EDTA (purple-top) tubes. Tubes should be filled two-thirds full and submitted within two hours of collection for guaranteed results.
Tests Performed
- CBC w/Platelets (Automated)
- Avian / Non Mammalian CBC
- WBC
- RBC
- HGB
- PCV
- Plasma Protein (refractometer)
- Fibrinogen (semi-quantitative)
- Thrombocytes (automated)
- Thrombocytes (manual)
- Reticulocytes
- WBC Differential
- Hemoprotozoa (Anaplasma)
- Hemoprotozoa (Babesia)
- Hemoprotozoa (Hemobartonella)
- Hemoprotozoa (Ehrlichia)
- Hemoprotozoa (Hepatozoa)
- Hemoprotozoa (Histoplasma)
- Buffy Coat for Review
- After Hour Hematology
- RBC Osmotic Fragility
- CBC/Bone Marrow Combo
- Pathologist CBC Review
Sample Submission
Samples for urinalysis can be submitted in a clot tube, syringe, or other sealed containers. A minimum of three ml is required for microscopic sediment evaluation.
Tests Performed
- Routine urinalysis
- Urine hemoglobin/myoglobin
- Fecal analysis
- Occult Blood
- Fecal Leukocytes
- Muscle Fiber Fecal Analysis
- Trypsin Fecal Analysis
- Fat Fecal Analysis
- ph Indicator Strip
- After Hour Urinalysis
- Urine Multistix
- Urine Specific Gravity
- Urine Microscopic Examination
Sample Submission
Samples for coagulation tests should be submitted in a sodium citrate tube (blue top) with the exception of FDP, which should be submitted in a soybean trypsin tube (also blue top).
Note: It is critical that tubes be filled properly. Sodium citrate and soybean trypsin tubes should be allowed to auto draw 2.7 and 2.0 mL respectively to insure exact anticoagulant dilution. Coagulation tests are batched and run daily at 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. If it is an emergency, please notify lab personnel.
Recipient samples for crossmatch or blood typing tests should be submitted in EDTA tubes (purple top). Donor samples can be submitted in EDTA or as blood bag segments.
Tests Performed
- Prothrombin Time
- Partial Thromboplastin Time
- Coagulation Profile II
- Antithrombin III
- D-Dimer
- Fib-Claus
- Plasmin Inhibitor
- Plasminogen
- Protein C
- Protein S
- PT-Fib
- Crossmatch (first donor)
- Crossmatch (each additional donor)
- Blood typing
- After Hours Coagulation
Sample Submission
Samples should be submitted in an EDTA tube (purple top) for cell counts and microscopic examination, and clot tubes (red top) for chemistry analysis. CSF specimens and samples for chemistry analysis should be submitted in a clot tube (red top) for both cell counts/differential and chemistry analysis.
Tests Performed
- CSF analysis
- CSF (WBC)
- CSF (RBC)
- CSF (pandy)
- CSF (Microprotein)
- Body Fluid Analysis
- Body Fluid (WBC)
- Body Fluid (RBC)
- Body Fluid (Total Protein)
- Body Fluid (Fibrinogen)
- Body Fluid (Mucin Clot)
- Washes With Cell Counts
- Washes Without Cell Count
- Bone Marrow
- Cytologic Evaluation
- After Hour Cytology
- Bone Marrow/CBC Combo
- Joint Fluid Panel
- Special Stain
Send-Out Testing
For clinical pathology procedures performed at TVMDL or other labs, submit a sample and request form to the Clinical Pathology Lab and the sample will be relayed to the designated lab. Information about send-out tests can be found in the lists above.
Outside Laboratory Shipping Schedules
- Samples submitted for TVMDL, GI Lab, and Parasitology are taken daily at 11 a.m., 1:15 p.m., and 4:15 p.m.
- Samples being shipped out on cold packs for next-day delivery are packed and taken to Central Receiving no later than 2:30 p.m. The primary carrier is FedEx.
- Samples being shipped on ice packs are sent on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday only. Overnights are NOT sent on Thursday or Friday because many times, these samples will not get to the lab until late Friday or Saturday. As a result, samples have been lost due to improper storage and handling at the receiving labs.
- If you need a sample to be sent out Thursday or Friday, please contact the outside laboratory and the Clinical Pathology Lab to make special arrangements.
- In the case of holidays, please check with us before making your schedule for sample collection and/or scheduling surgery.
Lab Team
