The Nutrition and Toxicology Section of the MSU VDL has added, or modified existing mineral panels, to better serve our client base. These are:

• Arsenic Urine (70070)
• Bone Mineral Panel (70071): Calcium, Lead, Magnesium, Manganese, and Phosphorus
• Macro Elements – Feed/Other (70072): Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium, and Sulfur
• Trace Elements – Feed/Other (70073): Cobalt, Copper, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Selenium, and Zinc
• Toxic Elements – Feed/Other (70074): Arsenic, Chromium, Lead, and Mercury

Until now, clients looking to submit urine samples for arsenic analysis had to order a Toxic Elements – Fluid panel which included 23 elements. These elements had variable relevance due to different diets between animals within species and certainly across species. This often overshadowed the reason for performing the test in the first place which was to look for arsenic. Arsenic is normally found in urine samples of most land-dwelling animals at concentrations <100 ng/mL (ppb).

Similarly, animal bones submitted for mineral analysis were previously ordered via a Toxic Elements – Feed/Other panel that also included 23 elements. Many of these elements had no significance for bone health. The new modified panel (70071) provides a more specific picture of bone mineral status that is more relevant for clinicians and nutritionists assessing dietary mineral uptake.

Feed minerals previously ordered under one panel also included too much confounding information for clients who were simply interested in either macro elements, trace elements, or both, and the presence of trace concentrations of heavy metals that may not have had any significance or bearing on animal health. These elements have been packaged in a way that reflects our routine diagnostic approach to analyzing elements and should improve turnaround times for our clients.