Blood Drug Testing

How do animal blood tests work?

I am doing a paper in my science class that is due THIS Friday, and I chose to do it on the applications of veterinary medicine. I'm trying to figure out how animal blood tests work once they are sent to the lab. Like, what is the process?

Public Comments

1. Veterinary technologists and technicians typically conduct clinical work in a private practice under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian. They often perform various medical tests and treat and diagnose medical conditions and diseases in animals. For example, they may perform laboratory tests such as urinalysis and blood counts, assist with dental prophylaxis, prepare tissue samples, take blood samples, or assist Veterinarians in a variety of tests and analyses in which they often use various items of medical equipment, such as test tubes and diagnostic equipment. While most of these duties are performed in a laboratory setting, many are not. For example, some veterinary technicians obtain and record patients’ case histories, expose and develop x rays and radiographs, and provide specialized nursing care. In addition, experienced veterinary technicians may discuss a pet’s condition with its owners and train new clinic personnel. Veterinary technologists and technicians assisting small-animal practitioners usually care for companion animals, such as cats and dogs, but can perform a variety of duties with mice, rats, sheep, pigs, cattle, monkeys, birds, fish, and frogs. Very few veterinary technologists work in mixed animal practices where they care for both small companion animals and larger, nondomestic animals. Besides working in private clinics and animal hospitals, veterinary technologists and technicians may work in research facilities, where they administer medications orally or topically, prepare samples for laboratory examinations, and record information on an animal’s genealogy, diet, weight, medications, food intake, and clinical signs of pain and distress. Some may sterilize laboratory and surgical equipment and provide routine postoperative care. At research facilities, veterinary technologists typically work under the guidance of Veterinarians or physicians. Some veterinary technologists vaccinate newly admitted animals and occasionally may have to euthanize seriously ill, severely injured, or unwanted animals. While the goal of most veterinary technologists and technicians is to promote animal health, some contribute to human health as well. Veterinary technologists occasionally assist Veterinarians in implementing research projects as they work with other scientists in medical-related fields such as gene therapy and cloning. Some find opportunities in biomedical research, wildlife medicine, the military, livestock management, or pharmaceutical sales. (That is all I remember from school,I used to help someone else in school with there vet math)
2. I am not a vet, nor the son of a vet, however, I owned pets from time to time. Have to stick my nose in. It is much the same as for humans. Animals get many of the same problems people do: Parasites, anemia, leukemia, kidney problems, heart problems, obesity. When they check an animal for some of those they look at the cells on slides, they count the cells for the number of red blood cells, wbcs, etc. Sometimes parasites are in the blood stream or the larva, and they look at that too, on slides. They use precautions such as not exposing themselves. May need to spin down, or refrigerate. They must have certain amts of blood, & there are time limits as to how fresh the blood must be on some testing. Rabies , I believe has a time limit. In cases when something like Hanta Virus is suspected, there would be the most strict handling due to the deadliness of the pathogen, or a rat suspected to be a carrier of plague. The Hanta Virus is found in certain areas. Rabies rarely exists as a single isolated case. Plague is rarely seen any more, rarely. Some testing may be done on site depending on the equipment there, but many send them out. Some are always sent out. There is also the center of communicable diseases to be considered, if something comes up like Hanta or Plague or Rabies.