Sample Preparation

Below you will find guidelines and recommendations concerning sample preparation. Please contact the laboratory if you have supplementary questions.

Biochemistry

Serum tubes should be left horizontally for 15-20 minutes at room temperature after collection.
Centrifugation.
Remove the serum and place in an Eppendorf tube or other suitable container.
The patient should be fasting before collection to avoid postprandial lipemia.
When collecting samples on Fridays we recommend storing samples in a refrigerator and shipping Sunday/Monday.

Coagulation assays

Routine coagulation assays (Fibrinogen, PT, aPTT, D-dimer)

Use a citrate tube (3,2% citrate) for coagulation assays.
It is essential to ensure a clean venipuncture (atraumatic) and a rapid blood flow when collecting blood for coagulation assays.
Use a "waste" citrate-tube before filing the sample tube, so to prevent coagulation by contamination with tissue factor.
The sample tube should be filled correctly to ensure the appropriate ratio between anticoagulant and blood.
Gently invert the tube 8-10 times to mix the blood with the anticoagulant.
Centrifugation.
Plasma is removed to an Eppendorf tube or other suitable container.
- To be analysed within 3 hours of sample collection or
- The sample should be frozen ( minus 80 degrees celcius) and kept frozen until it reaches the laboratory by prior agreement.

For coagulation assays not routinely performed at the laboratory, please contact the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory before sample collection.

Cytology

To ensure an optimal interpretation of cytology preparations, please provide the laboratory with the following information:

Signalement: Patient species, breed, age and sex.
Localization and thorough description of the tumor/effusion.
Other relevant information, e.g. information regarding diagnostic findings by x-ray, ultrasound, CT/MRI etc. When submitting samples from liver, spleen and/or bone marrow it is furthermore recommended to enclose a CBC printout and/or a fresh blood smear.

Hematology

Please fill the tube correctly to avoid artifacts due to low sample volume. Be sure to mix the blood adequately with the anticoagulant by gentle inversion.
Make a fresh blood smear at the time of blood collection and enclose the unstained preparation with the sample tubes. This will ensure an optimal morphological evaluation.
Test results will be most valid if samples are less than 24 hours old when arriving at the laboratory.

For analysis of thyroid hormones (T4, TSH), cortisol and progesterone, please follow the above instructions for Biochemistry analyses.

Please contact the hospital for specific recommendations concerning additional parameters.

Fecal analysis

Feces is collected over three consecutive days.
The feces must not have been in direct contact with the ground.
We recommend using a plastic bag for collection.
Please fill up the sample tube.
The samples should be refrigerated until submission.

Flowcytometri (dog)

Requirements for sample collection and shipment for flow cytometry.

Please contact Vetlab (tel: +45 35 33 29 07) for information and planning of the procedure.

If possible, please include a brief medical history and relevant results from the patient.

The sample must be received by Vetlab within 24 hours of sample collection.
Therefor the sample must be sent the same day it is collected and received the following day at Vetlab. Please be aware of this in connection with the deadline for booking a courier.

It is also possible to use the physical mailbox at Vetlab's entrance (Dyrlægevej 46, 1870 Frederiksberg) after closing hours.

Flow cytometry on blood (if leukemia is suspected):
Submit EDTA tubes and fresh blood smears, preferably unstained and stained.
1-2 ml EDTA blood is often enough, please contact Vetlab if you have any questions.

Flow cytometry on FNA from lymph nodes (if lymphoma is suspected):
Aspirates from lymph nodes should immediately be placed in a suitable liquid medium.
The liquid medium can either be prepared in the clinic by taking 0.5 ml of EDTA plasma or 0.5 ml of separated serum (preferably from the patient) and placing it in a new 1 ml EDTA tube and adding 0.5 ml of sterile saline (so a total of 1 ml of liquid will be in the new EDTA tube).
Alternatively, PBS (Phosphate buffered saline, pH 7.4) can be used as liquid medium.
Feel free to contact Vetlab if you which to have a few tubes of PBS sent to your clinic for storage. If the PBS buffer solution is kept refrigerated and handled sterile, it has a long shelf life.
If possible, please also submit FNA on slides from the afflicted lymph node.

It is important to collect many cells, as a high number of cells is required for analysis. Tips for maximizing cellularity in the liquid medium:
The fluid can be withdrawn into the syringe that has been used for FNA and carefully re-injected into the tube to maximize cellularity.
As a guideline, sufficient aspirations should be performed until the fluid acquires a cloudy appearance.

Feel free to contact Vetlab if you have questions about the collection or shipment.

Urinalysis

To examine urine sediment, please submit an unstained, air-dried line smear. For guidance please look through our videomaterial in the menu to the right.
Remaining urine should be submitted in a suitable close-fitting container.
The sample should be refrigerated until submission.