Clinical Pathology

Sample Submission Form

• Hematology, coagulation, urinalysis, diagnostic cytology testing
• Blood banking

Samples received after 4 p.m. will be tested the next business day unless an afterhours fee is charged. In-clinic patient testing is available on Saturdays from  9 a.m. – noon, will only be preliminary. Send-in/research samples are not processed on holidays or weekends. After-hours fee will be assessed for samples submitted after 4 p.m.

Sample Submission

• Please include a completed Clinical Pathology requisition form. Include the veterinary clinic/veterinarian, address, and fax/telephone information.
• Patient information should include full name, age, sex, species/breed and history.
• All samples should be labeled with patient name.
• Date of blood draw or sample collection should be on the form.
• Samples should be received same day or shipped overnight on a cold pack, unless it is a slide cytology.
• Serum, plasma samples should be separated from the RBCs.
• An air-dried differential slide should be made if a CBC is ordered. The slide should be protected from freezing/heat exposure and should not be packaged with formalin fixed tissues.
• NOTE: Ideally, shipping over the weekend or a holiday is not optimal for sample integrity. It is best to avoid this unless necessary.
• Fluid cytologies, when possible, should have an air-dried direct slide made to preserve cellular integrity.
• Cytologies should include sample site or fluid type with description of the lesion and any relevant history.
• Cytology samples should not be packaged with formalin fixed tissues.
• For cytology submissions requiring additional information, please attach a second page, preferably typed.

Resubmit a Sample

Samples are received under the same accession number and are not charged an additional test fee unless there is an additional shipping charge. To resubmit samples, follow the original guidelines for submitting specimens. Samples cannot be resubmitted after 14 days.

Saving Samples

Samples submitted to the Clinical Pathology Lab are saved for one week in the refrigerator. If additional testing is desired during this time, please notify the laboratory to determine if there is enough volume and sample integrity to run the test. CSF serum titer samples are saved frozen fortwo months. CSF titer samples are refrigerated for two weeks. Slides for cytologies are kept for a minimum of three years.

Fee Information

In-clinic patients: Clinical Pathology services for in-house patients are charged to the patient account upon accessioning and are invoiced to the client at time of discharge. Any additional testing requested by the clinician on the case after discharge will be charged to the client and billed.

Send-in sample testing: There is no additional fee for send-in specimens. The Clinical Pathology laboratory cannot receive samples sent in by the owner without an attending veterinarian on the case. The test results and invoice will be given to the attending veterinarian. We can only give results to the attending veterinarian.

STAT requests include an additional fee and are not available for all tests.

All fees are subject to change. Please direct invoice and billing inquiries to the accounting department at 509-335-0816. For test pricing contact the Clinical Pathology laboratory at 509-335-0745.

Miscellaneous Fees

Fee	Details
Stat charge
After-Hours fee	After-Hours fees will apply starting at 4 p.m. Monday-Friday, holidays, weekends (excluding in-clinic patient testing from 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays)
Federal Express shipping fee	Most send-out tests will also have a FedEx shipping and handling charge applied
Antech IDEXX shipping and processing fee	Some send-out tests will have a sample processing fee instead of a FedEx fee

Test	Specimen	Min Volume	Species	Turnaround
Albumin	serum	200 μl	most	same day
Alkaline phosphatase (ALP)	serum	200 μl	most	same day
Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT)	serum	200 μl	most	same day
Ammonia (in-clinic cases only)	heparin collect anaerobically	Full tube collected	most	same day
Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST)	serum	200 μl	most	same day
Pre Bile Acids	serum	200 μl	most	same day
Post Bile Acids	serum	200 μl	most	same day
Blood Urea nitrogen (BUN)	serum	200 μl	most	same day
Calcium	serum	200 μl	most	same day
Chloride	serum	200 μl	most	same day
Cholesterol	serum	200 μl	most	same day
Creatine Kinase (CK)	serum	200 μl	most	same day
Creatinine	serum	200 μl	most	same day
Gamma Glutamyltransferase (GGT)	serum	200 μl	most	same day
Glucose	serum	200 μl	most	same day
Magnesium	serum	200 μl	most	same day
Phosphorus	serum	200 μl	most	same day
Potassium	serum	200 μl	most	same day
Rumen Chloride	Rumen	Free fluid	ruminants	same day
Sorbitol Dehydrogenase (SDH)	serum	200 μl	large animal	same day
Sodium	serum	200 μl	most	same day
Total Bilirubin	serum	200 μl	most	same day
TC02	serum	200 μl	most	same day
Total Protein	serum	200 μl	most	same day
Triglycerides	serum	200 μl	most	same day

***Several chemistries can also be performed on urine upon request.

Test	Specimen	Min Volume	Species	Turnaround	Profile includes
Agriculture animal profile	serum	0.5 ml	bovine, caprine, ovine, camelids, other	same day	SDH,GGT, AST, ALP, CK, BUN, Creatinine, Glucose, Total Protein, Albumin, Globulin, Magnesium, Calcium, Phosphorus, Sodium, Potassium, Chloride, TCO2, Anion Gap
Equine profile	serum	0.5 ml	equine	same day	SDH,GGT, AST, ALP, CK, BUN, Creatinine, Glucose, Total Protein, Albumin, Globulin, Total Bilirubin, Calcium, Phosphorus, Sodium, Potassium, Chloride, TCO2, Anion Gap
Small animal profile	serum	0.5 ml	canine, feline, other	same day	ALT, ALP, Cholesterol, BUN, Creatinine, Glucose, Total Protein, Albumin, Globulin, Total Bilirubin, Calcium, Phosphorus, Sodium, Potassium, Chloride, TCO2, Anion Gap
Renal Mini profile	serum	200 μl	most species	same day	BUN, Creatinine, Phosphorus
Large Animal Liver	serum	200 μl	equine, camelids, bovine, caprine, ovine, other		SDH, GGT
Small Animal Liver	serum	200 μl	canine, feline	same day	ALT, ALP, Total Bilirubin
Electrolytes	serum/heparin plasma	200 μl	most species	same day	Sodium, Potassium, Chloride
Avian Profile	heparin plasma	200 μl	avian	same day	AST, Bile acids, CK, Uric acid, Glucose, Calcium, Phosphorus, T. protein, Albumin, Globulin, Potassium, Sodium (Vetscan™ ) Analyzer

For send in chemistries, where possible the serum should be separated from the red cells

Test	Specimen	Min Volume	Species	Species
Prothrombin Time (OSPT)	Sodium citrate 3.2% plasma tube	2.7 ml	most species	same day
Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (APTT)	Sodium citrate 3.2% plasma tube	2.7 ml	most species	same day
Thrombelastography (TEG)	Sodium citrate 3.2% plasma tube	2.7 ml	canine, feline, equine
Due to the integrity of the sample /special tubes, the coagulation tests are usually for in-clinic patients only. Samples for TEG must be submitted within an hour of sampling & the lab should be notified in advance.

Test	Specimen	Min Volume	Species	Turnaround	Includes
Complete blood count (CBC)	EDTA whole blood	0.5 ml	most species	same day	WBC count, RBC count, Platelet count, Hgb, Hct, MCV, MCH, MCHC, RDW, MPV, manual differential, RBC morphology. (plasma protein is included if paired chemistry profile is not analyzed)
Avian CBC	EDTA whole blood (NOTE: ratites "emus, ostrich" and crows should be drawn in Heparin)	200 μl	avian, reptiles	same day	WBC count, manual differential, spun Hct, plasma protein, platelet estimate, RBC morphology, blood parasite evaluation
CBC with Fibrinogen	EDTA whole blood	0.5 ml	equine, bovine, ovine, caprine, camelids, other	same day	WBC count, RBC count, Platelet count, Hgb, Hct, MCV, MCH, MCHC, RDW, MPV, manual differential, RBC morphology, plasma protein, fibrinogen. (Manual PCV and calculated indices are run for camelids)
CBC without differential	EDTA whole blood	0.5 ml	most species	same day	WBC count, RBC count, Platelet count, Hgb, Hct, MCV, MCH, MCHC, RDW, MPV
Blood smear pathologist review	Blood smear	NA	most species	same day	Slide review by pathologist to detect abnormal cells, parasites/protozoa
Slide differential	Blood smear or EDTA whole blood	0.5 ml	most species	same day	Slide WBC differential, WBC Estimate, WBC, RBC and platelet morphology
Fibrinogen	EDTA whole blood	0.5 ml	equine, bovine ovine, caprine, camelids, other	same day	fibrinogen, plasma protein
Platelet count	EDTA whole blood	0.5 ml	most species	same day	platelet count, MPV, slide review
PCV/plasma protein (refractometer)	EDTA whole blood	0.5 ml	most species	same day
Reticulocyte count	EDTA whole blood	0.5 ml	most species	same day	includes: absolute reticulocyte and percent reticulocyte. Camelids are run manually NOTE: reticulocyte counts should be done same day as the blood draw)
WBC count	EDTA whole blood	0.5 ml	most species	same day
Avian differential only	blood smear or EDTA whole blood		avian, reptiles	same day
Knotts test	EDTA whole blood	1 ml	canine, feline	same day

For send in CBCs, an air-dried blood smear for differential should be included with the EDTA blood tube for accurate differential results

Test	Specimen	Min Volume	Species	Turnaround	Includes
Urinalysis	urine in sample cup, red top tube		most species	same day	sample collection type, color, transparency, specific gravity, sulfosalicylic acid protein precipitation, dipstick pH, hemoglobin, ketones, bilirubin, glucose. Microscopic exam for RBC, WBC, casts, epithelial cells, crystals, other.
Urine protein/creatinine ratio	urine in sample cup, red top tube	0.5 ml	most species	same day	urine microprotein, urine creatinine, ratio
Giardia Antigen	fresh feces in sample cup		most species	same day
Occult Blood	fresh feces in sample cup		canine, feline

Several urine chemistries can also be performed upon request.

Test	Specimen	Min Volume	Species	Turnaround	Includes
Slide cytology	slides		most species	same day if received before 3:30pm
Fluid cytology	EDTA	1-2ml preferred. For send-in samples, a direct air dried smear of the fluid should be sent with the fluid when possible	most species	same day if received before 3:30pm	Fluid cytology usually includes WBC count, Hct (PCV), refractometer protein specific gravity, description of fluid, mucin clot (joint fluids). Cytologic evaluation of TTW and BAL fluid only includes microscopic evaluation.
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytology	AO or LS CSF in EDTA. Red top tube if titers and cultures needed		most species	same day if received before 3:30pm	CSF fluid cytology includes: description of fluid, WBC count, RBC count, CSF chemistries of glucose, microprotein, creatine kinase, and cytologic examination
Bone Marrow	bone marrow slides, bone marrow in EDTA, Current CBC		most species	same day if received before 3:30pm
Buffy coat	EDTA whole blood	0.5 ml	most species	same day if received before 3:30pm
Alkaline Phosphatase stain	cytology slides, non-fixed, unstained		canine	same day

Test	Specimen	Min Volume	Species	Turnaround
Canine DEA 1.1 typing	EDTA whole blood	0.5 ml	canine	same day
Feline blood typing	EDTA whole blood	0.5 ml	feline	same day
Canine Coombs	EDTA whole blood	0.5 ml	canine	same day
Small animal crossmatch	EDTA whole blood	2 ml from patient, Blood bag snippets or 2 ml EDTA from donor	canine, feline	same day
Equine crossmatch	EDTA whole blood / red top tube	2 ml from patient and donors	equine	equine same day

Blood transfusion products are for in-clinic patients only

Test	Specimen	Min Volume	Species	Turnaround
Cortisol pre/post	serum	1ml	canine, feline, equine	same day if received before 3pm
T4 total	serum	1ml	canine, feline other species will be sent out	same day if received before 3pm
Progesterone	serum	1ml	canine	same day if received before 3pm
Phenobarbital	serum	1ml	most species	same day if received before 3pm

Test	Specimen	Min Volume	Species	Turnaround	Includes
Blood gas *	anaerobic lithium heparin syringe	0.5 ml minimum	most species	same day	pH, pCO2, pO2, O2 saturation, HCO3, base excess, TCO2
Blood gas/lytes *	special heparinized syringe	0.5 ml minimum	most species	same day	blood gas, sodium, potassium, chloride
Blood gas plus *	special heparinized syringe	0.5 ml minimum	most species	same day	pH, pCO2, pO2, O2 saturation, HCO3, base excess, TCO2, Ionized magnesium, lactate, Ionized calcium
Lytes	special heparinized syringe	0.5 ml minimum	most species	same day	Sodium, potassium, chloride
Blood gas/lytes plus *	special heparinized syringe	0.5 ml minimum	most species	same day	pH, pCO2, pO2, O2 saturation, HCO3, base excess, TCO2, Sodium, potassium, chloride, Ionized magnesium, lactate, Ionized calcium
Ionized magnesium*	special heparinized syringe	0.5 ml minimum	most species	same day
Ionized calcium*	special heparinized syringe	0.5 ml minimum	most species	same day
Lactate*	special heparinized syringe	0.5 ml minimum	most species	same day

* Due to sample integrity, blood gases, lactate, ionized magnesium, ionized calcium are done on in-clinic patients only. Processed within 30mins.

Test	Specimen	Min Volume	Species	Turnaround	Includes
Ethylene Glycol	EDTA plasma	200 μl	most species	same day
Occult Heartworm antigen	plasma, serum	200 μl	canine, feline	same day
Snap 4DX plus	plasma, serum, whole blood	200 μl	mostly canine	same day	includes: E. canis/E. ewingii, A. phagocytophilum, B. burgdorferi/ A. platys and heartworm
Snap cPL canine pancreatic lipase	serum	200 μl	canine
Snap fPL feline pancreatic lipase	serum	200 μl	feline