Clinical Chemistry and Electrophoresis

(please refer to the current price list for details of the various profiles);

Type of sample/quantity required: 1 ml of serum: to obtain good quality serum it is essential to use tubes with separator gel and activator granules (these can be obtained from the laboratory by ordering them directly from the dedicated section of the online shop), wait for a clot to form, then centrifuge the sample for 10′ at 3000 RPM. The serum must then be separated as quickly as possible;

Storage/shipping methods: serum must be stored and shipped at refrigeration temperature;

Reception days: every day from Monday to Saturday;
Examination/reporting days: every day from Monday to Saturday;
Waiting times: reports are issued on the same day as the samples are received.

The MyLav laboratory uses the capillary electrophoresis method to perform serum protein migration. This technology guarantees the best analytical performance currently available for the separation of serum proteins.

Type of sample/quantity required: at least 0.5 ml of serum: to obtain good quality serum it is essential to use tubes with separator gel and activator granules (these can be obtained from the laboratory by ordering them directly from the dedicated section of the online shop), wait for a clot to form, then centrifuge the sample for 10′ at 3000 RPM. The serum must then be separated as quickly as possible;

Storage/shipping methods: serum must be stored and shipped at refrigeration temperature;

Reception days: every day from Monday to Saturday;
Examination/reporting days: every day from Monday to Saturday;
Waiting times: reports are issued on the same day as the samples are received.

(See also section on Urine Examination)
The MyLav laboratory uses the agar gel electrophoresis method for the separation of urinary proteins. This technology guarantees the best analytical performance for the discrimination of proteins excreted in the urine.

Type of sample/quantity required: One ml of fresh, whole urine: it is always advisable to state the collection method: spontaneous urination, catheterisation, etc.

Storage/shipping methods: urine must be stored and shipped at refrigeration temperature;

Reception days: every day from Monday to Saturday;
Examination/reporting days: every day from Monday to Saturday;
Waiting times: reports are issued within 10 days of reception.

Sample type/quantity: Liquid, serum, lithium heparin plasma, K3-EDTA plasma (at least 0.5 ml).

Storage/shipping: Samples should be stored and shipped at refrigeration temperature.

Drop-off days: Daily from Monday to Saturday.
Days of execution/referral: Tests are performed on Tuesdays for samples accepted by Monday and on Friday for samples accepted by Thursday.
Wait times: Reports are issued within 3 working days.

Type of sample/quantity required: whole blood in k3 EDTA;

Storage/shipping methods: blood samples must be stored and shipped at refrigeration temperature, avoiding direct contact with the freezer pack;

Reception days: every day from Monday to Saturday;
Examination/reporting days: every day from Monday to Saturday;
Waiting times: reports are issued on the same day as the samples are received.

Type of sample/quantity required: at least 0.5 ml of serum: to obtain good quality serum it is essential to use tubes with separator gel and activator granules (these can be obtained from the laboratory by ordering them directly from the dedicated section of the online shop), wait for a clot to form, then centrifuge the sample for 10′ at 3000 RPM. The serum must then be separated as quickly as possible:

Storage/shipping methods: serum must be stored and shipped at refrigeration temperature;

Reception days: every day from Monday to Saturday;
Examination/reporting days: every day from Monday to Saturday;
Waiting times: reports are issued on the same day as the samples are received.

PROCEDURE FOR THE DETERMINATION OF SERUM BILE ACIDS

• Take an initial blood sample in the morning on an empty stomach;
• Take a second sample about two hours after a meal containing small amounts of high-protein, high-fat food. The aim is to stimulate emptying of the gallbladder with small doses of a food containing a high concentration of fat and protein, which does not cause lipaemia.

Type of sample/quantity required: whole blood in K3 EDTA. The determination of cyclosporin concentration should be performed after approximately 3 weeks (if used as monotherapy) or approximately 1 month (if used in combination with other drugs), to allow a relatively constant plasma concentration to be achieved. Levels should be determined 12 hours after administration of the drug, to assess the presence of adequate concentrations for therapeutic purposes.

Storage/shipping methods: blood samples must be stored and shipped at refrigeration temperature, avoiding direct contact with the freezer pack;

Reception days: every day from Monday to Saturday;
Examination/reporting days: every day from Monday to Saturday;
Waiting times: reports are issued on the same day as the samples are received.

Type of sample/quantity required: at least 0.5 ml of serum.
IMPORTANT: Do not use tubes containing separator gel for sampling, as they may cause false reduction.
The assessment of digoxin concentration should be performed 10 days after treatment has started, in order to achieve a relatively constant plasma concentration. However if toxic effects are suspected it is also advisable to perform the assessment after just 3-5 days. The blood peak occurs 2 to 5 hours after administration. Levels should be determined 8 hours after administration of the drug, to assess the presence of adequate concentrations for therapeutic purposes, or after 2-5 hours to detect possible toxicity.

Storage/shipping methods: serum must be stored and shipped at refrigeration temperature;

Reception days: every day from Monday to Saturday;
Examination/reporting days: every day from Monday to Saturday;
Waiting times: reports are issued on the same day as the samples are received.

Type of sample/quantity required: least 0.5 ml of serum IMPORTANT: do not use tubes containing separator gel for sampling. There are no precise guidelines regarding the therapeutic monitoring of Levetiracetam in veterinary medicine. The drug reaches the blood peak rapidly. Its half-life is approximately 4 hours in dogs and 3 hours in cats. The drug is usually administered every 8 hours. Sampling to check the blood concentration is performed 6-8 hours after administration.

Storage/shipping methods: blood samples must be stored and shipped at refrigeration temperature, avoiding direct contact with the freezer pack;

Reception days: every day from Monday to Saturday;
Examination/reporting days: Mondays;
Waiting time: within 7 working days

Type of sample/quantity required: at least 0.5 ml of serum
IMPORTANT: do not use tubes containing separator gel for sampling, as they may cause false reduction.
The assessment of phenobarbitalmia should be performed 2-3 weeks after treatment has started, in order to achieve a relatively constant plasma concentration. The blood peak occurs approximately 4-6 hours after oral administration. Phenobarbital is normally administered orally every 12 hours. The first test for phenobarbitalmia should be verified using two samples, taken 4-6 hours (blood peak) and 12 hours after administration of the drug. For example, the first sample can be taken in the morning immediately before the tablet is administered, and the second sample 5 hours later. This makes it possible to estimate the pharmacokinetics with a good degree of accuracy, thus highlighting the proportion of patients (approximately 10%) for whom taking phenobarbital every 12 hours is not sufficient to cover the whole day. The level of drug can then be determined from a single sample collected 8-12 hours after oral administration.

Storage/shipping methods: serum must be stored and shipped at refrigeration temperature;

Reception days: every day from Monday to Saturday;
Examination/reporting days: every day from Monday to Saturday;
Waiting times: reports are issued on the same day as the samples are received.

Type of sample/quantity required: least 0.5 ml of serum Tubes with separating gel are not recommended. Haemolytic samples must strictly be avoided. Plasma concentrations of potassium bromide may take 3 to 6 months to reach constant equilibrium. When starting therapy on a maintenance dose (40 mg/kg), it is normally recommended that the first measurement takes place after 3 months. If treatment is stared on the loading dosage (600 mg/kg), the initial measurement should be made after one week (to assess the results of the loading dose), and after one month (to assess the level reached after switching to maintenance). Since the drug has a long half-life, plasma levels can be assessed at any time of the day, regardless of the time of administration of the bromide.

Storage/shipping methods: serum must be stored and shipped at refrigeration temperature;

Reception days: every day from Monday to Saturday;
Examination/reporting days: every day from Monday to Saturday;
Waiting times: reports are issued on the same day as the samples are received.