• All cases must be submitted by a licensed veterinarian. 
• All samples require a DSU submission form. 
  • Work will not proceed until a submission form is received and an incomplete submission form will result in delays.
  • Please complete all sections of the submission form including billing information, submitting veterinarian/clinic information, owner/producer name, animal information (including ID, breed, age, sex), testing requested, cremation company (if applicable)
  • Relevant history only. A complete medical record is not required unless it all has a direct bearing on the current situation.
• Appropriate tissue selection and sampling may vary depending on the particular disease process and a combination of fixed and/or fresh/frozen samples may be required for definitive diagnosis. Please refer to our necropsy checklist and sampling protocols.

• All samples must be labeled, packaged properly and accompanied by a completed DSU submission form.
• Labels should include tissue or animal ID, date, and if the sample is fresh or fixed. Unlabeled samples may be discarded or result in delays.
• The submission form must be placed in its own plastic zipper lock bag and kept separate from the submitted samples.
• Ensure multiple samples are individually packed as described below with padding between samples.
• Formalin-fixed tissues should be placed in a labeled, clean, leak proof, screw top plastic container(s) and then placed in a secondary zipper lock plastic bag with accompanying absorbent material. Refrigeration is not required for formalin-fixed tissues.
  • Large samples can be fixed in larger volumes of neutral buffered formalin (NBF) overnight and then placed in a smaller zipper lock plastic bag along with NBF soaked paper towels for shipping. This primary bag should then be placed in a secondary zipper lock plastic bag with accompanying absorbent material.
• Fresh samples/tissues should be placed in individual, labeled, sterile, and leak-proof containers/bags and then placed in a secondary zipper lock plastic bag with accompanying absorbent material. Add cold packs to help maintain temperature during shipping.
• Cadavers should be properly labeled, bagged, and boxed with cremation instructions provided, if required.
• Please do not submit samples in glass containers or syringes.
• All glass slides and fluid samples for Cytology should be properly labelled. Glass slides should be packaged in protective slide cases and fluid samples should be in appropriate collection tubes in a sealed plastic bag.
• If submitting formalin-fixed tissues with cytology samples, ensure they are packaged in separate sealed bags.  Formalin vapour with "fix" unstained material.
• Ensure that all contents are packed in a rigid outer container (e.g. a strong cardboard box), with additional absorbent material.
• Poor packaging can result in broken or leaking containers which may be unsafe, impair testing, and create delays.

Fixed tissue

• Tissues collected should be representative of lesions present and include the surrounding normal tissue, the interface between normal and abnormal, as well as the lesion in question.
• Tissue slices should be ≤1 cm thick (preferably 5–7 mm) and fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin (NBF) for ≥24 hours with at least a 10:1 ratio of NBF to tissue.
• In cold weather, fix in10% Formalin for minimum of 24 hours. Transfer tissues to 70% alcohol (isopropyl, ethyl or rubbing alcohol) for shipping.
• Excisional biopsies may be partially incised through the skin surface, but the surgical margin should be preserved. Inking of margins is recommended if assessment of surgical margins is desired.
   

Fresh tissue

• Fresh tissue samples may be required for ancillary testing and confirmation of a suspected diagnosis (e.g. liver for toxicology or lung for bacterial culture).
• Fresh samples should be placed in individual, labeled, sterile bags or leak proof containers. DO NOT pool fresh tissues.
   

Cadavers

• Complete necropsies can be performed on whole bodies submitted to the DSU.
• All submitted bodies must be clearly labeled (submitting clinic, animal ID, any additional identifiers) and accompanied by a completed DSU submission form. 

General

• Directly sample the site of infection (or suspected infection) as indicated by clinical signs, gross lesions or medical imaging.
• When collecting samples from normally sterile sites, avoid contamination of the specimen with environmental organisms or commensal bacteria of the skin, feces or mucosal surfaces.
• Whenever possible, collect specimens for bacterial culture before starting antimicrobial therapy. Specimens collected during antimicrobial therapy are still acceptable but may or may not yield significant results. A negative culture would be questionable.
• Specimens should be submitted to the lab as soon as possible after collection.
• All samples must be clearly labeled (submitting clinic, animal ID, any additional identifiers) and accompanied by a completed DSU submission form. 

Tissues

• Antemortem tissue should be collected using aseptic technique and submitted in individually labeled sterile bags or leakproof containers. Refrigerate until shipping. Ship to the lab on ice.
• Post-mortem tissue should be collected as soon as possible after death. Sterile instruments should be used to collect tissue samples of at least 2 cm³ and placed in individually labeled sterile bags, screw-capped or leakproof containers. Please do not pool tissue – mixing thoracic and abdominal organs is especially detrimental. Intestines must be packed separately from other tissue samples. Refrigerate until shipping. Ship to the lab on ice.

Fluid

• Fluid samples (e.g. exudate, effusions, aspirates, lavages) are preferable to swabs as the greater sample volume increases the likelihood of detecting the causal organism. Samples should be collected using aseptic technique and submitted in a sterile screw-capped or leakproof container. Refrigerate until shipping. Ship to the lab on ice.
• Store cerebrospinal and joint fluid at room temperature until shipping. 

Swabs

• Many bacteria are susceptible to desiccation during shipment when sent on conventional dry cotton swabs. When possible, samples should be collected from the specific site of infection using a bacterial culturette system containing transport media (e.g. Amies, Stuart’s). Refrigerate until shipping. Ship to the lab on ice. 

Anaerobes

• Samples should be submitted in a specialized commercial transport system (tissues) or a bacterial culturette system (swabs) containing transport media and oxygen-free gas specifically designed to support anaerobic organisms. Liquid materials (e.g. pus or exudate) can be submitted in a syringe devoid of air bubbles with syringe cap (DO NOT send with needle still attached). Store at room temperature until shipping.

Milk

• Ideally, clinical mastitis cases should have individual quarter samples collected using aseptic technique after cleansing and drying the tip of the teat. The initial stream of milk should be discarded, and the next stream(s) submitted in a sterile screw-capped or leakproof container. Composite samples (milk from 2-4 quarters) can be used to screen herds for major mastitis pathogens. Refrigerate until shipping. Ship to the lab on ice.

Urine

• Please specify the urine collection method on the submission form under specimen site. Urine should be collected using aseptic technique by midstream, catheter or preferably by cystocentesis in a sterile red top tube or leakproof container. During cystotomy, visibly inflamed bladder can be collected and submitted for culture. Refrigerate until shipping. Ship to the lab on ice.

Feces

• Feces should be collected directly from the rectum or as freshly voided samples and submitted in a sterile screw-capped or leakproof container. Do not overfill the sample, leaving enough room for gas production. Please wrap the primary container in a sealable bag to help contain the sample if damaged during transport. Refrigerate until shipping. Ship to the lab on ice.

Blood

• Samples should be collected using aseptic technique and submitted in commercial blood culture bottles. Store at room temperature until shipping.

Skin and Hair (Mycology)

• Samples should be taken from the edge of active lesions (e.g. skin scrapings, plucked hair, scab material) and submitted in a cotton-plugged test tube or paper envelope.

General

• All samples must be clearly labeled (submitting clinic, animal ID, any additional identifiers) and accompanied by a completed DSU submission form. 
• Glass slides should be packaged in protective slide cases and fluid samples should be in appropriate collection tubes in a sealed plastic bag.
• If submitting formalize-fixed tissues with cytology samples, ensure they are packaged in separate sealed bags.  Formalin vapour with "fix" unstained material and impact results.

Bone Marrow

• When submitting bone marrow aspirate smears, please also submit:
  • a CBC print out report from in-house (or reference lab) hematology analyzer from blood collected at the time of bone marrow collection
  • 2-unstained blood smears (as well as EDTA whole blood if available)
• If a bone marrow biopsy sample is available, concurrent submission of this sample to our histopathology service would be ideal (especially helpful in cases where aspiration is unrewarding and low cellularity is suspected expected e.g. marrow fibrosis).

Urine

• Air dried urine sediment smears must be accompanied by an in-house urinalysis report.
• NOTE: we do not accept samples for full urinalysis

Blood Smears

• An in-clinic copy of the CBC report must be included, as well as 1-unstained smear (and 1-stained and reviewed in clinic) when possible.
• NOTE: we do not accept samples for full biochemistry or CBC

Body Cavity Effusions

• Smear evaluation and total protein only.
• NOTE: we do not provide total nucleated cell counts (TNCCs)

Serum

• Sample should be collected in red top vacutainers. Let the blood clot and separate the serum. Avoid hemolyzed samples if possible. Serum is the preferred sample.
• Whole blood in red top tubes cab be submitted, but additional processing charges will apply, check the fee guide.
• Samples can be pooled in a whirlpool bag with clear labelling, with the number of samples, age, and type of animal. The bag should accompany a complete DSU submission form.
• Animal type, age, and vaccination history are required on the submission form for reporting accuracy and database development.
• Refrigerate the samples and ship on ice. For an extended period, storage at -20C is recommended.

• Feces should be collected directly from the rectum, or immediately after being excreted by the animal (as fresh as possible) for best results.
• Provide 15-20 grams (golf ball size) of feces for analyses.
• Pooled samples: collect 15-20 fecal samples from different individual animals (at least 15-20 g each) and place each sample in a separate resealable bag or tightly sealed container. The samples will be pooled in the lab.
• Store samples in sealed, airtight, and leakproof containers (e.g., a plastic fecal container or resealable bag) to prevent drying and leakage. Do not overfill the containers. Remove excess air from plastic bags or vacuum-seal the sample to preserve its freshness for longer. Place the sample in a secondary leakproof container (e.g., a Ziplock bag) before shipping to prevent any leakage. 
• Do not mix the feces with any preservative or liquid unless specifically instructed. Water or other liquids can dilute the egg concentration, leading to inaccurate counts.
• Keep samples refrigerated at 4°C until shipping. Do NOT freeze them, as freezing can destroy parasite eggs and distort the results.
• Samples should be submitted to the lab ideally within 24 hours of collection, with a maximum of three days after collection.
• All submitted samples must be clearly labeled (submitting clinic information, animal ID, any additional identifiers) and accompanied by a completed DSU submission form. 
• Detailed sample submission guidelines

• Ship specimens in accordance with Transport Canada regulations. 
• Ship using your commercial courier of choice and in accordance with their regulations and protocols. 
• Do not ship samples to arrive on weekends or holidays.
• Specimens may also be dropped off.  Hours for sample drop-off are Monday through Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.  The DSU is closed on weekends and holidays.
• Large animal delivery must arrive before 4:00 pm to allow for adequate transfer time.
• Contact Us with questions or for additional information.

What services does the Diagnostic Services Unit (DSU) offer?  The DSU offers necropsy, histopathology, cytology, bacteriology, and serology services to veterinarians and researchers.

Can anyone submit to the DSU?  No. All diagnostic cases must be submitted by a licensed veterinarian. 

Does the DSU offer cosmetic necropsies? No, the DSU does not offer cosmetic necropsies. 

How do I send submissions to the DSU?  Ship using your courier of choice; couriers deliver to the DSU Monday through Friday (with the exception of holidays) during regular business hours.  Submissions may also be dropped off at the DSU Monday – Friday between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm (with the exception of holidays).

When can I expect results?  Information on estimated turn-around-times, given in business days, can be found under tests.

Are reports sent directly to owners?  No. Reports are sent to the submitting veterinarian. If you are an owner looking for results please contact your veterinarian.

Are charges billed directly to owners?  No. Billing goes back through the submitting clinic once a case is finalized and not directly to owners.

Can an animal be sent for cremation after necropsy?  Yes. In most cases an animal can be released for cremation.  Exceptions include animals diagnosed with Risk Group 3 or certain zoonotic diseases.  Remains will only be released on direction of the pathologist following finalization of the report which can take several weeks.  Release for cremation may be significantly delayed in legal cases. For biosecurity reasons the DSU is unable to release remains directly to owners, remains can only be released to a cremation service.

Can wildlife samples be submitted to the DSU?  The Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (CWHC) has a regional centre at the University of Calgary.  Please contact us with questions about wildlife submissions.