What happens if I can only get a tiny sample?

The best option is to place everything you have obtained in to a Heparin tube. If you wish to make a film there is usually sufficient blood remaining in the syringe. However do not try to make any films from your sample as this may waste valuable blood. This will enable us to do Haematology and most biochemical tests required for a basic screen. Please advise us of the order in which you would like diagnostics performed on small samples. We can advise you of what we would consider the most important to run on a case by case basis.

How do I obtain feather pluck?

Feather plucks are usually used for DNA sampling. This means we do not wish for them to be contaminated. Wear latex gloves and remove a number (10 – 20) body feathers from the keel of the bird and check that there is some pulp within the rachis. Place these immediately into a ziplock bag or container that is not contaminated and seal it shut.

How should I send an animal for post mortem?

Please call us first to let us know you are sending an animal for post mortem. The animal needs to be wrapped up and placed in a sealed plastic bag and placed in a box with a ice pack contained in waterproof material (this is due to the fact that during transport condensation may occur and breakdown the outer wrapping which upsets the Post Office) and sent by Royal Mail Special Delivery before 1am. Please do not send in a jiffy bag as they tend to get squashed during transit. Ideally a post mortem should be performed within 48 hours for most species on fresh (not frozen tissues). For very small species placing the animal whole (or with the coelomic cavity open) into 10% formalin and performing histopathology on the tissues may be more useful than a decomposed specimen arriving for post mortem. Fish decompose quickly and you may be better phoning for advice regarding appropriate sample collection in house.

Is there a test available to tell the age of a bird?

Unfortunately there isn’t a test available to tell the age of bird. In most species it is possible to identify juveniles. A rough idea can be given upon examination by an avian vet.

Is it possible to turn the temperature up on the incubator to make bacteria grow faster?

Unfortunately it is not possible to do this as selective organisms require selective temperatures depending on their site and species.

How do you bleed a Koi Carp?

Blood may be withdrawn from a number of sites but the preferred site is the Caudal vein using either a lateral or ventral approach. Entry site for the needle is approximately half way along the Caudal Peduncle, for the lateral approach the needle is inserted just below the lateral line angled towards the head. When the bony vertebral column is encountered the needle is angled slightly below to enter the Caudal vein. For the ventral approach the needle is inserted in the ventral mid line along side, or just Caudal to the anal fin. When the vertebral column is encountered the needle is withdrawn slightly to enter the Caudral vein. Fish blood is readily prone to haemolysis for this reason as little vacumn should be put on the syringe as possible and vacumn blood collection tubes should be avoided. These methods will usually obtain blood from fish weighing over 25g, in smaller fish, sadly, to obtain a blood sample, they have to be sacrificed and the tail cut off to expose the Caudal vein, but great care must be taken not to dilute or contaminate the sample. Since fish blood clots rapidly Heparin is the most useful anti-coagulant and all the equipment used (i.e. needles and syringes) should rinsed in Heparin.