General Guidelines:
- Culture swabs with transport media are the preferred specimen container for most specimens. Transport media is a non-nutrient medium that sustains the viability of organisms, without allowing significant growth. Dry swabs usually yield no bacterial growth and will not be accepted.
- Label swabs/containers with the owner’s name and the animal ID. If multiple samples per animal are submitted, the site of the sample on the label as well.
- Collect sample before antimicrobial treatment is started. If this is not possible, indicate on the submission form which antibiotic was used and when treatment was started.
- Collect specimens in sterile manner (to avoid contamination with normal bacterial flora) using a sterile swab and/or by placing the collected tissue, aspirate, or fluid in in a sterile specimen container. Take care to ensure that the exterior of swabs/containers are kept clean and uncontaminated to minimize contamination and exposure for those handling the samples. It is important to recognize that all samples have the potential of zoonotic transmission, and that many people handle the samples between collection and arrival at the laboratory.
- If collecting sample with a syringe, transfer contents of the syringe into a sterile container or onto a sterile swab with transport media. Do not use syringes to transport samples because they are a danger to handlers and may leak.
- Store the sample in the refrigerator until shipment and ship with freezer packs to the laboratory.
- When submitting anaerobic culture, do not refrigerate sample or ship with freezer packs. See Anaerobic Culture Submission Guidelines for more information.
- Sample types marked with an asterisk (*) include a basic anaerobic organism screen with Aerobic Culture and Sensitivity Testing. The laboratory will report that anaerobic organisms are present, but an extra fee will be added to identify and perform beta-lactamase testing, if indicated.
Sample Type | Recommended Sampling and Guidelines | Shipping (if different than general guidelines) |
Comments |
---|---|---|---|
Abscesses & Wounds* | Submit swab of internal wall or abscess, excised abscess or fluid contents | ||
Anaerobic Culture | Refer to notes on anaerobic cultures | Anaerobes are cold sensitive. Samples must be stores at room temp. | Please phone the lab prior to submitting anaerobic cultures for suggestions on best specimen to submit. |
Blood | Perform a surgical preparation and withdraw no more than 10 ml of blood and inoculate directly into a specialized “blood culture media” bottle (e.g. Oxoid Signal System). | It is not recommended to ship blood culture systems. Please contact lab for further instructions. | DO NOT refrigerate. Blood samples in red vacutainer tubes or blood samples in anticoagulant tubes are not suitable for culture. |
Campylobacter Culture | Submit fresh fecal sample (at least 5 grams); morning sample preferred. See Feces for more details. DO NOT send swabs. | Store in refrigerator immediately following collection. Send on freezer packs. | Contact lab for further instructions and fees. |
Canine Brucellosis Testing | Submit at least 2 mL of serum. | Samples are sent to reference laboratory for Brucella canis antibodies using rapid slide agglutination testing (RSAT) and agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) assays. STAT testing cannot be accommodated. Testing requires 2 business days from the time of receipt by the reference laboratory. | |
Cerebral Spinal Fluid* | Submit ~1 mL of CSF in sterile container | Contact lab if anaerobic infection is suspected. | |
Cervical Swab* | Submit swabs; guarded swabs preferred | Clostridial Fluorescent Antibody Test (FAT): C. chauvoei, C. novyi, C. septicum, C. sordellii | |
Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile culture | Submit fresh fecal sample (at least 5 grams); morning sample preferred. See Feces for more details. DO NOT send swabs. | Sent to referral lab at AVC. | |
Dermatophilosis
(Dermatophilus spp.) |
Collect scabs and send in a sterile container for culture and Giemsa stains. Swabs are NOT appropriate. | Submit for Aerobic Culture and Sensitivity. | |
Ear | If submitting swabs for both ears, please ensure they are labeled accordingly. | ||
Eye | Submit swab from infected area/lesion or from secretions. | ||
Feces | Submit in sterile wide-mouth leak- proof container, no more than half- full. Morning sample preferred. Submit at least 5 grams. DO NOT send samples in rectal gloves. Very small samples (e.g. from budgies) may dry out in a large container – use a swab with transport media. | Store in refrigerator immediately following collection. Send on freezer packs. | Caution: Feces contain many bacteria. In a confined space, gasses build up and my cause the top to blow off the container, or cause the contents to “spray” once the lid is loosened. |
Johne’s Disease (M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis) |
Submit fecal sample (at least 5 grams) for culture or 1 ml of serum for serology testing. | Store feces in the refrigerator immediately following collection. Send on freezer packs. | Serology is not as sensitive as culture. Turn-around time for serology:5-7 days; for culture: 8-9 weeks. Sent to referral lab at AVC. |
Joint Fluid* | Submit sample on a swab with transport media. We do not recommend the submission of fluid samples. | Joint fluid submitted in a vacutainer without anticoagulant will clot, enmeshing the bacteria; vacutainers with anticoagulant will inhibit bacterial growth. | |
Leptospirosis
(Leptospira species) |
Referred Test for more information on testing for Leptospirosis. | ||
Lower respiratory tract | Transtracheal wash, tracheal swab, pleural fluid. | ||
Methicillin- Resistant Staph. screening | Submit nasal and/or rectal swabs. Use swabs with transport media. | Screening for carrier status. | |
Milk | Refer to milk collection guidelines. | For herd health testing, please notify lab ahead of time. | |
Mycology | Refer to mycotic sampling guidelines. | ||
Mycoplasmas | Collect tissues or swabs. | Freeze the sample until shipment and ship with freezer packs. | Sent for referral lab. Contact lab for information on fees and detection methods (culture, PCR) |
Nasal | Submit nasal swab, nasal biopsies, nasal flush | ||
Oral Cavity | Submit swabs of infected area, tissues of biopsies. | Contact lab if anaerobic infection is suspected. | |
Salmonella screening | Submit at least 5 grams of feces. Refer to Feces for more details. DO NOT – send swabs | Store feces in the refrigerator immediately following collection. Send on freezer packs. | |
Skin | Swab on infected area/pustules or collect scabs in sterile container (see Dermatophilosis) | ||
Tissues | Place individual tissues in plastic “Whirl-Pak” bags or leak-proof plastic containers. For intestines, make sure the ends are ligated. DO NOT use the same instruments to open the GI tract and other organs. | Store the sample in the refrigerator until shipment and ship with freezer packs. Pack in second outer plastic bag within shipping container. If not transporting to lab for more than 2 days, freeze the tissues. | |
Urine | The preferred method of collection is cystocentesis. Samples collected by free-catch and catheter are more likely to be contaminated. | Store the sample in the refrigerator immediately following collection until shipment, and ship with freezer packs. DO NOT freeze. | For urine samples that will not arrive at the lab within 24 hours, submit urine on a swab with transport media. One charge will apply for fluid and swab specimens from the same case. |
Vaginal, small animal pre- breeding | Vaginal swabs generally yield profuse growth of mixed flora. Please include a history including any signs of discharge and/or inflammation. Pre-breeding checks rely more on cytology. We cannot culture Brucella. Please see “Canine Brucellosis Screening” for details. |