Clinical pathology and sample collection in the laboratory rodent.

Common laboratory rodents have always been a favorite choice as a pet. Although diagnostic clinical pathology has not been viewed as practical for the rodent patient, current advances in technology make processing of small samples possible. Cultivation of the technical skills necessary for rodent sample collection has the potential to improve the standard of rodent veterinary care. This article provides an overview of rodent sample collection techniques, hematology, clinical biochemistry, serology, and clinical pathology of other tissues and fluids for laboratory rodents. General principles of clinical pathology can be applied across species. This article emphasizes the subtleties of the different rodent species which may impact diagnostic interpretation.     

Clinical pathology and sample collection of exotic small mammals.

The clinical pathology of some of the less common and newly emerging small mammal species is detailed in this article. The species covered here include the chinchilla, prairie dog, African hedgehog, and sugar glider. Venipuncture sites and sampling techniques are discussed in general and for each species. Detailed information on the hematology and serum biochemistry values of these animals is presented in numerous tables. Specific information is also provided for urinalysis, fecal analysis, dermatologic sampling, and cytology.     

Sample collection and clinical pathology of reptiles.

Clinical pathology techniques can guide the clinician to diagnose and treat the reptile patient successfully. Text, tables, pictures, and diagrams in this article describe blood and cytology collection techniques and interpretation for the common pet reptile species.     

Diagnostic techniques and sample collection

With the advancing knowledge of medicine, diagnostic techniques and laboratory equipment, practicing veterinary surgeons are increasingly capable of processing many of their patients' blood, urine, and tissue samples on-site. No case is better suited to this scenario than the dermatology case, which enjoys a unique privilege in the clinic because the clinician is frequently able to harvest, process, and analyze pathologic samples from affected animals during or shortly after the consultation, eliminating the need to wait for results from external laboratories and consequently reducing the time to recovery. Good sampling techniques are crucial for the acquisition of optimal data however, and this article highlights the key points of these procedures and recommends when they are best employed.     

Clinical studies of fish blood: importance of sample collection and measurement techniques

Effects of blood sample collection and measurement techniques were assessed for blood gas tensions, acid-base status, and hematologic and plasma biochemical values of rainbow trout. Blood samples were collected via intraaortic cannulae from immersed, unrestrained fish and from emersed, restrained fish. The samples were analyzed at either fish body temperature (10 to 14 C) or clinical blood analyzer temperature (37 C); results obtained at 37 C were back-adjusted to fish body temperature, using standard mammalian temperature-correction factors. Fish emersion and handling for 30 seconds significantly (P less than 0.05) altered blood PCO2, acid-base status, and hematologic and plasma biochemical values. The results were consistent with respiratory acidosis and hemoconcentration. The use of mammalian temperature-correction factors for determination of fish blood gas tensions and acid-base status yielded values that were significantly (P less than 0.05) different from those measured directly at fish body temperature.     

Ferrets. Examination and preventive medicine.

As ferrets are anatomically and physiologically similar to dogs and cats, the basic elements of ferret examination, disease processes, and preventive health are familiar to small-animal practitioners. Like other domestic carnivores, ferrets are tolerant of handling and medical procedures, especially compared with rabbits, rodents, and most nondomestic mammals. These characteristics make ferrets amenable to many of the highly specialized diagnostic and therapeutic techniques that are now available in small-animal practice. Veterinarians who wish to add ferrets to their practices should be familiar with the ferret literature, but they should not forget to draw from the wealth of knowledge in canine and feline medicine when managing unusual or difficult ferret cases.     

Ferrets: wound healing and therapy.

In all species of mammals, the stages of wound healing are the same, and both host factors and wound characteristics affect how wounds heal. The basic principles of wound care in ferrets, such as lavage, bandaging, and surgical closure, are similar to those in other species; however, knowledge of ferrets' anatomy and pathophysiology, as well as skin conditions commonly seen in ferrets, will help ensure proper wound healing.     

Clinical pathology in veterinary geriatrics.

Alterations in an individual analyte rarely provide an indication of the initiating circumstances that caused the abnormality. It is obvious from the previous discussion that multiple organs or organ systems can cause abnormal results in the same analyte. This fact underscores the importance of evaluating a biochemical profile in an integrated fashion, relating abnormalities of a particular analyte with the rest of the profile as well as with the signalment, history, and physical findings in the patient. Furthermore, assessment of abnormalities should be approached with some degree of skepticism because they may not be indicative of an actual disease.     

病料采集与送检注意事项

为了便于实验室对送检病料做出快速、准确的诊断。本文把犬病实验室诊断所需病料的采集和送检应注意的几点简述如下：     

Diagnosis of bacterial infections. Part 1: Principles of sample collection and transportation

Bacterial infections are common in equine practice, therefore it is important that diseases caused by these organisms are diagnosed accurately. Collection of appropriate samples in a correct and timely manner is fundamental to determining the causative agent. Furthermore, transportation of samples to the laboratory must ensure that the agents survive and can be identified. This paper outlines a recommended diagnostic approach when bacteria are suspected, the samples that may be obtained in order to confirm their presence, and the transportation requirements to facilitate their isolation in diagnostic laboratories.     

Arterial blood sample collection from the newborn calf

Measurements of arterial blood gas tensions and acid-base status provide a means of assessing how well the respiratory system is functioning. This information is essential for thorough evaluation of a compromised neonatal calf but arterial blood sampling is difficult immediately after birth. A technique for collecting blood from the brachial artery of the newborn calf is described. This technique, which uses an easily located site, has been successfully used in field studies to determine arterial blood gas values in such calves.