For generations, veterinarians have counted on the Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory’s endocrinology phone service for help with cases large and small. We remain committed to providing expert diagnostic assistance to our clients, but we are implementing new guidelines to make the best use of our diagnosticians’ time and expertise. These guidelines go into effect June 1, 2026.
Phone conversations will be provided for current and prospective VDL clients with questions about:
- Results from submissions to the MSU VDL with a completed interpretation.
- Diagnostic test recommendations for samples coming to the MSU VDL.
We recommend clinicians call directly to minimize the risk of miscommunication between clinic team members and our diagnosticians.
If an interpretation was not ordered, our client services team can add it to the case, and our diagnosticians will release a report with a written interpretation. Clients are welcome to call to discuss a case if they have further questions after receiving the interpretation.
We cannot provide:
- Treatment advice or guidance related to case management
- Diagnostic insights for cases where testing was performed at other laboratories
- Answers or advice to pet owners with questions about testing or results
The MSU VDL’s expert diagnosticians provide interpretation based on numeric results and assist clinical veterinarians with submissions. Referring veterinarians are best positioned to apply the interpretation of diagnostic results in consideration of the history, clinical examination, and veterinarian-client-patient relationship and use those results to provide guidance on herd health management, treatment of disease, medical therapies, and clinical care.
Other frequently asked questions:
To maximize our professionals’ time for providing written interpretations on cases as well as phone conversations for higher level questions about test recommendations and diagnostic insights, we have created an Endocrinology Frequently Asked Questions resource.
Please refer to that FAQ resource for answers to sample-related questions about quality, containers, handling, processing, and shipping.
As a reminder, information about sample type, volume, collection protocol, and shipping can be found in our test catalog for each test we offer.
If clients prefer to call to get answers to these types of questions, our client services team is happy to take these calls.
In addition to the FAQs, we also have a wealth of information available about our Endocrinology Diagnostic Services. Please visit our Endocrinology Section for answers to deeper questions about adrenal testing, assessment of reproduction, calcium disorders, equine endocrine testing, growth hormone and IGF-1, and thyroid function.