Chapter 10 Effective Use of a Diagnostic Laboratory
Veterinary toxicology laboratories offer a wide range of testing for toxins by using highly specific and sensitive analytical techniques. Most toxicology laboratories are integrated in veterinary diagnostic laboratories, which also provide pathology, microbiology, serology, virology, endocrinology, electron microscopy, parasitology, and other diagnostic services. Combining results from analyses from all diagnostic “sections” will provide a high probability of establishing an accurate diagnosis, especially if the “diagnostic puzzle” described earlier in Chapter 9 is used to narrow the search. Toxicologists and their analytical staff work closely with other personnel within the diagnostic laboratory from the other sections to fine tune the diagnostic approach to maximize the use of the submitted samples and hopefully achieve a successful diagnosis. Many veterinary diagnostic laboratories have close established contacts and working relationships with clinical experts present in associated teaching hospitals. This close working relationship helps the toxicologist narrow down or sometimes expand the list of potential toxins that may be involved in the case at hand.
GETTING STARTED
Your first contact with a veterinary diagnostic laboratory should be via the telephone. In most veterinary diagnostic laboratories, a veterinary toxicologist provides consultation on possible differentials for a case and proper sample collection. Good communication in the early stage of a suspected poisoning case between the practitioner and the diagnostic toxicology laboratory personnel is one of the most useful tools in an investigation and will guarantee proper sample collection and accurate selection of initial tests. The veterinary toxicologist also provides recommendations for the initial treatment of a potentially poisoned animal. Consulting with laboratory personnel to determine the laboratory’s capabilities, costs of analyses, turn-around times, and interpretation abilities is critical so that everyone involved is kept thoroughly involved. The consultant can help expand or narrow down the focus of the investigation, so that the clinician is not asking for the “toxicology screen,” but rather focusing on some select differentials to target for testing. This can also be the appropriate time for a veterinarian to pass along critical pieces of history regarding the case that may be too cumbersome to write on the accession forms. The telephone consult can also provide necessary information regarding packaging, preserving, and shipping the samples of interest. Some laboratories are open for Saturday deliveries, but many are not. You might need to know this in case samples arrive later than expected and are potentially perishable. Many laboratories have much of this information on Internet websites, but often it is a good idea to contact the laboratory directly to make sure that all information on the website is current and correct. Box 10-1 lists the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD)-accredited veterinary diagnostic laboratories located in the United States and Canada.
Box 10-1 AAVLD-Accredited Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories—2005
| State or Province | Laboratory Information |
|---|---|
| United States | |
| Arizona | Arizona Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory |
| Tucson, AZ 85705 | |
| 520–621–2356 | |
| Arkansas | Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Diagnostic Lab |
| P.O. Box 8505 | |
| Little Rock, AR 72215 | |
| 501–907–2430 | |
| California | California Animal Health and Food Safety |
| Laboratory System (5 labs throughout CA) | |
| P.O. Box 1770, University of California, Davis | |
| Davis, CA (Main lab) 95617 | |
| 530–752–8700 | |
| Colorado | Colorado State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory |
| Ft. Collins, CO 80523 | |
| 970–491–1281 | |
| Connecticut | Dept. of Pathobiology & Veterinary Science |
| Storrs, CT 06269–3089 | |
| 860–486–3736 | |
| Florida | Animal Disease Laboratory |
| Kissimmee, FL 34745 | |
| 407–846–5200 | |
| Georgia | University of Georgia |
| Athens Diagnostic Laboratory | |
| Athens, GA30602 | |
| 706–542–5568 | |
| University of Georgia Veterinary Diagnostic and Investigational Laboratory | |
| Tifton, GA 31793–3000 | |
| 229–386–3340 | |
| Illinois | Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory |
| University of Illinois, College of Vet. Medicine | |
| Urbana, IL 61802–6199 | |
| 217–333–1620 | |
| Animal Disease Laboratory | |
| Illinois Dept. of Agriculture | |
| Galesburg, IL 61402 | |
| 309–344–2451 | |
| Animal Disease Laboratory | |
| Illinois Dept. of Agriculture | |
| Centralia, IL 62801 | |
| 618–532–6701 | |
| Indiana | Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory |
| Purdue University | |
| West Lafayette, IN | |
| 765–494–7448 | |
| Iowa | Veterinary Diagnostic & Production Animal Medicine |
| Iowa State University | |
| Ames, IA 50011 | |
| 515–294–1950 | |
| State or Province | Laboratory Information |
| Kansas | Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory |
| Kansas State University | |
| Manhattan, KS 66506 | |
| 785–532–5650 | |
| Kentucky | Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center |
| Lexington, KY 40512 | |
| 859–253–0571 | |
| Veterinary Diagnostic and Research Center | |
| Murray State University | |
| Hopkinsville, KY 42240 | |
| 270–886–3959 | |
| Louisiana | Louisiana Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Lab |
| Baton Rouge, LA 70894 | |
| 225–578–9777 | |
| Michigan | Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health |
| Michigan State University | |
| Lansing, MI 48909–7576 | |
| 517–353–0635 | |
| Minnesota | Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory |
| University of Minnesota | |
| St. Paul, MN 55108 | |
| 612–625–8707 | |
| Mississippi | Mississippi Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory |
| Jackson, MS 39296 | |
| 601–354–6089 | |
| Missouri | Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory |
| University of Missouri | |
| Columbia, MO 65205 | |
| 573–882–6811 | |
| Montana | Diagnostic Laboratory Division |
| State of Montana | |
| Bozeman, MT 59771 | |
| 406–994–4885 | |
| Nebraska | Veterinary Diagnostic Center |
| University of Nebraska | |
| Lincoln, NE 68583–0907 | |
| 402–472–1434 | |
| New Mexico | Veterinary Diagnostic Services |
| New Mexico, Dept. of Agriculture | |
| Albuquerque, NM 87106 | |
| 505–841–2580 | |
| New York | New York State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory |
| Cornell University | |
| Ithaca, NY 14853 | |
| 607–253–3900 | |
| State or Province | Laboratory Information |
| N. Carolina | Rollins Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory |
| N. Carolina Dept. of Agriculture | |
| Raleigh, NC 27607 | |
| 919–733–3986 | |
| North Dakota | Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory |
| North Dakota State University | |
| Fargo, ND 58105 | |
| 701–231–8307 | |
| Ohio | Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory |
| Reynoldsburg, OH 43068 | |
| 614–728–6220 | |
| Oklahoma | Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory |
| Oklahoma State University | |
| Stillwater, OK 74074–7001 | |
| 405–744–6623 | |
| Oregon | Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory |
| Oregon State University | |
| Corvallis, OR 97331 | |
| 541–737–3261 | |
| Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory System |
| Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture | |
| Harrisburg, PA 17110–9408 (Main lab of 3 lab system) | |
| 717–787–8808 | |
| S. Carolina | Clemson Veterinary Diagnostic Center |
| Clemson University | |
| Columbia, SC 29224–2406 | |
| 803–788–2260 | |
| South Dakota | Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory |
| South Dakota State University | |
| Brookings, SD 57007 | |
| 605–688–5171 | |
| Tennessee | CE Kord Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory |
| Nashville, TN 37204 | |
| 615–837–5125 | |
| Texas | Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory |
| Texas A&M University | |
| College Station, TX 79106 | |
| 806–353–7478 | |
| Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory | |
| Drawer 3040 | |
| College Station, TX 77841 | |
| 979–845–9000 | |
| Washington | Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory |
| Washington State University | |
| Pullman, WA 99165–2037 | |
| 509–335–9696 | |
| State or Province | Laboratory Information |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory |
| Wisconsin Dept. of Agriculture and University of Wisconsin | |
| Madison, WI 53705 | |
| 608–262–5005 | |
| Wyoming | Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory |
| University of Wyoming | |
| Laramie, WY 82070 | |
| 307–721–2051 | |
| Canada | |
| BC | Animal Health Centre |
| Abbotsford, BC V3G2M3 | |
| 604–556–3003 | |
| Ontario | Animal Health Laboratory |
| University of Guelph | |
| Guelph, ON N1H6R8 | |
| 519–824–4120 | |
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