Specimens (by discipline)

The following is a brief guide. Follow the links for more detail.

• Bacteriology
  Swabs of tissues eg heart blood, intestinal content, in transport medium. 30 ml of chilled lesion, fluid or tissue eg liver, lung, intestine in a screw-capped container.
• Biochemistry
  Full 10ml plain and LiHep blood tube.
• Genetics
  50 tail hairs with roots.
• Gross Pathology
  Representative samples of affected tissue with any adjacent normal tissue
• Haematology
  Full 10ml EDTA blood tube and blood smear
• Histopathology
  Representative samples of affected tissue with adjacent normal tissue. Tissues should be in 1cm thick slices in 10x their volume of buffered formalin solution.
• Parasitology
  Approximately 30g of faeces for faecal egg count.
• Serology
  Full 10ml plain blood tube.
• Toxicology
  Approximately 50ml of ingesta, faeces or fresh tissue
• Virology
  Full 10ml plain and EDTA blood tubes. 30ml of fresh chilled tissue eg heart, spleen or swabs of lesions or tissues in PBGS.

NB.
All specimens should be clearly labeled with the animal identification.

NSW Department of Primary Industries does not supply specimen containers or consumables.

Specimens (by disease or syndrome)

Follow the links for more detail.

• Diseases of livestock
• Diseases of poultry
• Diseases of caged birds
• Diseases of bees
• Diseases of fish

In general, it is better to send too many rather than too few samples. Specimens will be held in the laboratory under appropriate conditions pending the results of initial tests. The pathologist should be given sufficient history and specimens to allow the application of other examinations which may be suggested from the history or lesions. Such additional testing will be undertaken only after consultation with the submitter.

When investigating difficult or unusual disease problems, we encourage field veterinarians to consult with NSW Department of Primary Industries laboratory veterinarians to decide on the most appropriate sampling and testing strategies.

Care must be taken in the collection and despatch of samples to the laboratory to ensure that you, your staff, personnel handling the specimens during transit and the staff at the Laboratory who have to unpack and handle the specimens are not subjected to any risk of infection.

Related sections

Packaging of specimens

Transport of specimens to the laboratory

Special requirements for testing of stock for overseas export

Special requirements for testing of stock for interstate movement

Checklist of equipment for clinical and necropsy examinations