• Directory
• Site Map
• Contact Us

Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories

• Home
• Athens Laboratory
• Tifton Laboratory
• User Guide
• Fee Schedule
• Bacteriology
• Clinical Pathology
• Electron Microscopy
• Parasitology
• Pathology
• Toxicology
• Virology and Serology
• Rabies Suspect

 

User Guide

The laboratories are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Arrangements for handling emergency cases outside working hours can be made by calling the individual laboratories.

Collection/Preservation of specimens: Properly collected and submitted specimens are necessary for accurate and meaningful results of laboratory tests. The accuracy of any laboratory result is dependent on submission of proper specimens with a complete history. Some general guidelines are:

Animals: If several animals are affected, more than one animal should be submitted. Live, affected and untreated animals will usually reveal the most meaningful information.

Organs and Tissues: Both fresh and formalin fixed tissues are required to adequately provide a diagnosis. Each fresh tissue should be placed individually in leak-proof plastic containers and maintained at refrigerator temperatures from the time of collection until receipt at the laboratory. Tissues for histopathologic examination must be preserved in 10% buffered formalin solution and submitted in a wide-mouth, leak-proof container.

Blood, urine, plants, and other specimens: Follow instructions for submission to the laboratory section to which the sample is to be submitted, such as bacteriology, serology, clinical pathology, etc.

Necropsy Service: Both laboratories are accredited as full service laboratories by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians.

Reports: Results will be reported to the referring veterinarian. Regulatory agencies will be notified in cases involving reportable diseases. Preliminary reports will be made by telephone when requested or when results require explanation or discussion. Reports can be faxed to the veterinarian upon request. A final report will be sent by mail or fax to the referring veterinarian. Results and reports are retained by the laboratory for three years (Exception: Clinical pathology results are retained for only one year).