• If you fasted the dog and your sample is still lipemic, note this in the history and submit the sample.
• If it is unsafe/unadvisable to fast the dog, note this in the history, and submit the sample.
• Samples with lipemia and/or hemolysis are more vulnerable to degradation if the sample is heated during transit. Send the sample in contact with the ice pack (freeze before packaging if there is time) and use a rapid (overnight preferred) shipping method. Discounted overnight shipping labels are available (see our “submit a sample” webpage).
• The cortisol assay and most thyroid assays are relatively resistant to the effects of triglycerides and hemolysis in the sample, and a mild to modest amount is unlikely to affect the diagnostic message of a single result or entire thyroid panel. However, samples that are brown, severely hemolyzed (look like blood or some variation of dense tomato juice) are likely to be rejected upon arrival at the laboratory.
• Lipemia may be unavoidable in spite of fasting. Hemolysis is generally associated with sample collection techniques. Please review atraumatic sample collection techniques available from multiple sources online.
• All samples are inspected upon arrival at the lab and evaluated for sample quality. If the sample appears unacceptable for testing on visual inspection, you will be notified by email. Please be sure your clinic email is correct on your VDL account.

Pre-treatment with tramadol or gabapentin (or pregabalin) is not expected to affect cortisol results of an adrenal function test or thyroid hormone results.

Adrenal function tests should NOT be performed on the same day as an anesthetic procedure. Obtaining a sample for thyroid testing can be done on the same day as an anesthetic procedure or adrenal function test.

Yes, as long as the serum is separated into a plain tube after clotting and centrifugation. The sample should not be left in the gel tube for an extended period of time. Do NOT send the sample in a serum separator tube.

You do not need to use a vacutainer collection system to obtain endocrine samples; a syringe is acceptable.

Any tube sold for obtaining a serum sample for clinical chemistry (generally these have a red stopper) is acceptable. Serum should be transferred to a plain tube for storage and transit after clotting and centrifugation. We are not aware of an effect on endocrine assays from clot additives in commercial tubes that would alter the diagnostic message of the result.

It will depend on the stability of the analyte you want to add. All samples are generally kept for 30 days, but this may vary based on storage capacity. Please call to discuss add-on testing to samples already processed.

Due to the volume of samples received, we are unable to cancel testing which is in process and has an “in-lab” status.

Samples can be returned. This will incur an additional cost for shipping.

Due to the volume of samples received, we are unable to take pictures of samples and provide the images to clients.

An attempt to perform the assay was made, and testing reagents are consumed before a QNS result is verified.

We are unable to offer “no cost” resubmission for samples with QNS results.

No. All results in a profile must come from the same sample. If you wish to have all results on a profile, this must be done with the same sample of sufficient quantity.