Lab Tests
Microbiology
The world around your pet is teeming with microscopic organisms, some beneficial and others potentially harmful. At Veterinary Diagnostic Centre, our Microbiology department delves into this hidden world, identifying and combating infectious agents that can compromise your pet’s health.
Description
The acid-fast stain is a differential stain used to identify acid-fast and partial acid-fast organisms, mainly the members of the genus Mycobacterium & Nocardia.
Description
To differenciate between Gram positive and Gram negative organism, if present any
Description
Aerobic culture is used for the isolation and identification of most aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria. An antimicrobial susceptibility test will be performed when organisms isolated meet microbiologic criteria for clinical significance or unless otherwise requested
Description
This test is a combination of aerobic culture and antibiotic susceptibility test. If no pathogen is isolated and identified no susceptibility is performed. More than one antibiotic susceptibility will be tested if more than one bacteria is isolated.
Description
For isolating and identifying most clinically significant anaerobic bacteria.
Description
Sensitivities of various antibiotics to isolated bacteria is estimated through aerobic culture.
Description
To isolate and identify possible pathogens responsible for mastitis.
Description
To isolate and identify fungal pathogens.
Description
To isolate and identify
Description
To isolate and identify dermatophytes.
Description
This test is a combination of aerobic culture and antibiotic susceptibility test. If no pathogen is isolated and identified no susceptibility is performed. More than one antibiotic susceptibility will be tested if more than one bacteria is isolated.
Description
The acid-fast stain is a differential stain used to identify acid-fast and partial acid-fast organisms, mainly the members of the genus Mycobacterium & Nocardia.
| Test Turnaround | 1 day |
| Specimen Required | Swab, Tissue, Exudate, Prepared air dried slide |
Description
To differenciate between Gram positive and Gram negative organism, if present any
| Test Turnaround | 1 day |
| Specimen Required | Gram’s stain is used as a differencial stain for isolated bacteria and also can be used for direct smear examination |
Description
Aerobic culture is used for the isolation and identification of most aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria. An antimicrobial susceptibility test will be performed when organisms isolated meet microbiologic criteria for clinical significance or unless otherwise requested
| Test Turnaround | 2-7 days |
| Specimen Required | Fresh tissues, Fluids, Exudates, Aspirates, Pure bacterial isolates |
| Collection Container | Sterile, leak-proof container or Bacterial transport medium |
| Special Instructions | If a specific organism is suspected, please note this on the submission form; this information can assist with proper culture setup. Please note specimens are not routinely pooled for aerobic cultures unless requested. |
Description
This test is a combination of aerobic culture and antibiotic susceptibility test. If no pathogen is isolated and identified no susceptibility is performed. More than one antibiotic susceptibility will be tested if more than one bacteria is isolated.
| Test Turnaround | 2-7 days |
| Specimen Required | Fresh tissues, Fluids, Exudates, Aspirates, Pure bacterial isolates |
| Collection Container | Sterile, leak-proof container or Bacterial transport medium |
| Special Instructions | For urine culture see Urine Culture and Sensitivity test Specimen should be collected to limit bacterial contamination. After collection, specimen should be refrigerated promptly after collection to prevent overgrowth, with the exception of blood, joint and CSF specimen which should be kept at room temperature. Samples are not routinely pooled for aerobic cultures unless requested. |
Description
For isolating and identifying most clinically significant anaerobic bacteria
| Test Turnaround | 2-7 days |
| Specimen Required | Fresh tissues, Fluids, Exudates, Aspirates, Pure bacterial isolates |
| Collection Container | Sterile, leak-proof container or Port-a-cul system or other obligate anaerobe transport media (Amies gel swabs are not appropriate) |
| Special Instructions | If submitting swabs for culture from specimen that may contain both aerobic and anaerobic growth the swab must be able to maintain both aerobic and anaerobic bacterial viability, such as a Port-a-cul system or other obligate anaerobe transport media. Note, transport systems with Amies gel is for facultative anaerobic bacteria and are not appropriate for obligate anaerobes. For Clostridium perfringens and Clostridioides difficile (formerly Clostridium difficile) please use the Test Search Tool for more specific information related to testing for these organisms. Samples are not routinely pooled for anaerobic cultures unless requested |
Description
Sensitivities of various antibiotics to isolated bacteria is estimated through aerobic culture
| Species | All species |
| Test Turnaround | 3-7 days |
| Specimen Required | Sensitivities of various antibiotics to isolated bacteria is estimated through aerobic culture |
| Collection Container | Sterile, leak-proof container or Bacterial transport medium |
Description
To isolate and identify microorganisms from blood.
| Species | All species |
| Specimen Required | Samples should be fresh and collected aseptically |
| Test Turnaround | 3-7 days |
| Specimen Criteria | Samples should be fresh and collected aseptically |
| Ideal Sample Volume | 3ml |
| Min Sample Volume | 1ml |
| Rejection Criteria | Specimen contaminated by external particles. Sample kept at room temperature for more than 24 hours |
| Collection Container | Blood culture vials |
Description
To isolate and identify possible pathogens from milk
| Specimen Required | Samples should be fresh and collected aseptically |
| Test Turnaround | 3-7 days |
| Specimen Criteria | Samples should be fresh and collected aseptically |
| Ideal Sample Volume | 3ml |
| Min Sample Volume | 1ml |
| Rejection Criteria | Specimen contaminated by external particles. Sample kept at room temperature for more than 12 hours |
Description
To isolate and identify possible pathogens responsible for mastitis
| Test Turnaround |
2-7 days |
| Specimen Required |
Samples should be fresh and collected aseptically
|
| Specimen Criteria |
Samples should be fresh and collected aseptically
|
Description
Sensitivities of various antibiotics to isolated bacteria is estimated through aerobic culture
| Species | All species |
| Specimen Required | Samples should be fresh and collected aseptically |
| Test Turnaround | 3-7 days |
| Specimen Criteria | Samples should be fresh and collected aseptically |
| Ideal Sample Volume | 3ml |
| Min Sample Volume | 1ml |
| Rejection Criteria | Specimen contaminated by external particles. Sample kept at room temperature for more than 24 hours |
| Collection Container | Blood culture vials |
Description
To isolate and identify Mycobacterium sp. from clinical samples
| Species | All species |
| Specimen Required | Samples should be fresh and collected aseptically |
| Test Turnaround | 15-21 day |
| Specimen Criteria | Nasal wash |
| Ideal Sample Volume | 3ml |
| Min Sample Volume | 2ml |
| Rejection Criteria | Specimen contaminated by external particles. Sample kept at room temperature for more than 24 hours |
| Collection Container | Blood culture vials |
Description
To isolate and identify fungal pathogens
| Species | All species |
| Specimen Required | Samples should be fresh and collected aseptically |
| Test Turnaround | 7-14 days |
| Specimen Criteria | Hair, Scabs, Tissue, Body fluids |
| Collection Container | Hair/ Scabs can be enclosed in plastic bag or paper. Body fluids and tissue should be collected in sterile leak proof container. |
Description
To isolate and identify
Description
To isolate and identify dermatophytes
| Species | All species |
| Test Turnaround | 7-14 days |
| Specimen Criteria | Hair, Scabs, Tissue, Body fluids |
| Ideal Sample Volume | 2-5g |
| Min Sample Volume | 2g |
Description
This test is a combination of aerobic culture and antibiotic susceptibility test. If no pathogen is isolated and identified no susceptibility is performed. More than one antibiotic susceptibility will be tested if more than one bacteria is isolated.
| Test Turnaround | 2-5 days |
| Specimen Required | Urine |