Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab

Toxicology

TOXICOLOGY SAMPLES SHOULD BE SUBMITTED THROUGH WADDL

General Toxicologic Help

 Many analytical procedures can be performed if the problem warrants the investment of time and the client is willing to pay for the procedure. Always request a specific analysis or consult with a clinical toxicologist to facilitate the selection of the appropriate test(s). Although it is possible to screen samples for certain groups of chemicals, it is not feasible to analyze for "everything" or "check for poisons".

The following guidelines may be helpful in confirming a diagnosis:

1. Provide an accurate history on the day-to-day conditions surrounding the illness. All details are significant and should include: morbidity and mortality, clinical signs, time the animal was last observed and its condition at that time, and detailed necropsy findings and treatments. The presence of any poisons or potential toxins on the premises, the possibility of exposure, length of time animals have been on present feed or water and any changes in feed or water should be noted.
2. Collect samples carefully. All samples should be clean and individually packaged. Each sample should be clearly labeled.
3. Samples should be shipped refrigerated or frozen.
4. Samples with legal implications should be sealed and tagged carefully in the presence of a second person. The laboratory should be notified regarding all potential legal cases.
5. Sample selection is very important. In the list following preferred samples are under-lined in black.
6. Minimum sample size is listed per test. MORE IS BETTER, less is possible.
7. A toxicologist is available for consultation if necessary: (509)335-9696 or (208)885-7466

Other types of toxicological analyses (soil, water, plant, and environmental) may be available. Contact the Analytical Sciences Laboratory (208)885-7466.

Last revision October 22, 2010

Test Specimen(s)1		Minimum Sample Size 2	Preservation	Fees		Approximate Turnaround (working days) 3
Acetylcholinesterase
Blood (EDTA, heparin, serum, plasma)		0.1-0.5 ml	Chill	$20	$40	3-5 days
Brain		Complete hemisphere	Chill	$20	$40	3-5 days
Aflatoxin (see also Mycotoxin screen)
Feed		250 g	Chill	$24	$44	5-7 days
Ammonia (Nonprotein nitrogen poisoning - urea) All samples need to be collected within 30 min of death
Blood (EDTA, heparin), serum, plasma, ocular fluid		5 ml	Freeze	$14	$28	5-7 days
Rumen/abomasal contents		10 ml	Freeze	$14	$28	5-7 days
Anticoagulant Rodenticide Screen* (brodifacoum, bromadiolone, chlorophacinone, coumachlor, coumafuryl, diphacinone, difethialone, pindone, valone, warfarin, difenacoum)
Blood (EDTA, heparin)		5 ml	Chill	Send out		7-10 days
Liver, bait, stomach contents		20 g	Chill	Send out		7-10 days
Arsenic
Blood (EDTA, heparin), urine		1 ml	Chill	$40	$65	5-7 days
GI contents, source		1 g	Chill/Freeze	$40	$65	5-7 days
Liver, kidney (renal cortex preferred): (SEE Tissue Heavy Metal Screen)
Liver, kidney (SEE Tissue Macro/Micro)
Liver, kidney (SEE Tissue HMS ICP-MS)
Brodifacoum (SEE Anticoagulant Rodenticide Screen)
Bromadiolone (SEE Anticoagulant Rodenticide Screen)
Cadmium
Blood (EDTA, heparin), urine		1 ml	Chill	$40	$65	5-7 days
Liver, kidney (renal cortex preferred) (SEE Tissue Heavy Metal Screen)
Liver, kidney (SEE Tissue Macro/Micro)
Liver, kidney (SEE Tissue HMS ICP-MS)
Caffeine
Stomach contents, urine, serum		10 ml	Chill/Freeze	$20	$40	5-7 days
Calcium
Serum, plasma, ocular fluid/intact eye (SEE Trace Element Screen)
Liver, kidney (SEE Tissue Macro/Micro)
Carbamate Pesticide Screen
Liver, kidney, GI contents, vomitus, lavage washings		10 g	Chill/Freeze	$85	$170	7-10 days
Chlorinated Herbicide Screen (2,4-D, dicamba, bromoxynil, MCPA)
Serum, urine		10 ml	Chill/Freeze	$85	$150	7-10 days
Chlorophacinone (SEE Anticoagulant Rodenticide Screen)
Chromium
Liver, kidney (SEE Tissue Macro/Micro)
Liver, kidney (SEE Tissue HMS ICP-MS)
Cobalt
Blood (EDTA, heparin)		1 ml	Chill	$40	$65	5-7 days
Liver, kidney (SEE Tissue Macro/Micro)
Liver, kidney (SEE Tissue HMS ICP-MS)
Copper
Serum, plasma (SEE Trace Element Screen)
Liver, kidney (SEE Tissue Heavy Metal Screen)
Liver, kidney (SEE Tissue Macro/Micro)
Liver, kidney SEE Tissue HMS ICP-MS)
Coumachlor (SEE Anticoagulant Rodenticide Screen)
Coumafuryl (SEE Anticoagulant Rodenticide Screen)
Cyanide (qualitative only)
Feed		100 g (Representative sample)	Freeze	$10	$20	3-5 days
Deoxynivalenol (Vomitoxin, DON) (SEE Mycotoxin screen)
Difenacoum (SEE Anticoagulant Rodenticide Screen)
Difethialone (SEE Anticoagulant Rodenticide Screen)
Diphacinone (SEE Anticoagulant Rodenticide Screen)
Ethylene and propylene glycol (by gas chromatography)
Serum, urine; source material		5 ml , 10 ml; 50 g	Chill/Freeze	$55	$110	7-10 days
Fluoride
Water		50 ml	Chill	$10	$20	7-10 days
Fumonisin
Feed		50 g	Chill	$33	$55	7-10 days
Glutathione peroxidase (must be run within 7 days of collection)
Blood (EDTA, heparin)		0.1-0.5 ml	Chill	$20	$40	1-3 days
Gossypol*
Feed		500 g	Chill	Send out		7-10 days
Ionophore Screen (monensin, narasin, lasalocid, salinomycin)
Feed, Source, GI contents, bile		50 g	Chill/Freeze	$40	$80	5-7 days
Iron
Serum, plasma (SEE Trace Element Screen)
Liver, kidney (SEE Tissue Heavy Metal Screen)
Liver, kidney (SEE Tissue Macro/Micro)
Lasalocid (SEE Ionophore Screen)
Lead
Blood (EDTA, heparin), urine		0.050-0.5 ml	Chill	$30	$60	1-3 days
Liver, kidney (cortex preferred), GI contents (SEE Tissue Heavy Metal Screen)
Liver, kidney (SEE Tissue Macro/Micro)
Liver, kidney (SEE Tissue HMS ICP-MS)
Magnesium
Serum, plasma, ocular fluid/intact eye, CSF (SEE Trace Element Screen)
Liver, kidney (SEE Tissue Macro/Micro)
Manganese
Blood (EDTA, heparin)		1 ml	Chill	$40	$65	5-7 days
Liver, kidney (SEE Tissue Heavy Metal Screen)
Liver, kidney (SEE Tissue Macro/Micro)
Liver, kidney (SEE Tissue HMS ICP-MS)
Melamine Screen (melamine, ammeline, ammelide, cyanuric acid)
Feed		5 g	Chill	$135	$255	7-10 days
Mercury
Blood (EDTA, heparin) urine		1 ml	Chill	$30	$50	5-7 days
Liver, kidney (cortex preferred), GI contents		1 g	Chill/Freeze	$30	$50	5-7 days
Metaldehyde
Stomach contents, Source		10 g	Freeze	$40	$80	5-7 days
Molybdenum
Plasma (EDTA, heparin)		1 ml	Chill	$40	$65	5-7 days
Liver, kidney, GI contents (SEE Tissue Heavy Metal Screen)
Liver, kidney (SEE Tissue Macro/Micro)
Liver, kidney (SEE Tissue HMS ICP-MS)
Monensin (SEE Ionophore Screen)
Mycotoxin Screen* (aflatoxin, vomitoxin, ochratoxin, zearalenone)
Feed		500 g		Send out		7-10 days
Narasin (See Ionophore Screen)
Nitrate
Serum, plasma, ocular fluid/intact eye, abomasal contents (collected within 30 min. of death)		5 ml	Freeze	$14	$28	5-7 days
Soil		30 g		$14	$28	5-7 days
Water		30 ml	Freeze	$14	$28	5-7 days
Feed		5 g		$14	$28 (add $4 for drying and grinding)	5-7 days
Ochratoxin-A (see Mycotoxin Screen)
Organochlorine Pesticide Screen
Liver, kidney, fat, brain		10 g	Chill/Freeze	$85	$170	7-10 days
GI contents, Source		50 g	Chill/Freeze	$85	$170	7-10 days
Organophosphate Pesticide Screen
Liver, kidney		10 g	Chill/Freeze	$85	$170	7-10 days
GI contents, Source		50 g	Chill/Freeze	$85	$170	7-10 days
Penitrem A (SEE Tremorgenic Mycotoxins)
pH
GI contents		50 g	Freeze	$8	$16	3-5 days
Urine, serum		2 ml	Chill/Freeze	$8	$16	3-5 days
Water, Source		100 ml	Chill	$7	$12	3-5 days
Phosphorus
Serum, plasma (SEE Trace Element Screen)
Liver, kidney (SEE Tissue Macro/Micro)
Pindone (SEE Anticoagulant Rodenticide Screen)
Plant/mushroom identification
Entire plant/mushroom			wrap in dry paper towel; place in paper bag	$7.50	$7.50	2-4 days
GI contents			Chill	$7.50	$7.50	5-7 days
Potassium
Liver, kidney (SEE Tissue Macro/Micro)
Roquefortine (SEE Tremorgenic Mycotoxins)
Salinomycin (SEE Ionophore Screen)
Selenium
Blood (EDTA or heparin), serum, plasma		1 ml	Chill	$17	$27	5-7 days
Liver, kidney		1 g	Chill/Freeze	$17	$27	5-7 days
Hair		1 g		$17	$27	5-7 days
Sodium
Serum, plasma, CSF, brain (SEE Trace Element Screen)
Liver, kidney (SEE Tissue Macro/Micro)
Strychnine
GI contents, source		10 g	Chill/Freeze	$24	$48	1-3 days
Serum, urine		2 ml / 10 ml	Chill/Freeze	$24	$48	1-3 days
Liver		25 g	Chill/Freeze	$24	$48	3-5 days
Sulfur
Liver, kidney (SEE Tissue Macro/Micro)
Liver, kidney (SEE Tissue HMS ICP-MS)
Theobromine
Stomach contents, urine		20 ml	Chill/Freeze	$20	$40	5-7 days
Tremorgenic Mycotoxins* (penitrem A, roquefortine)
Stomach contents, bile, urine, liver		20 g (ml)	Chill/Freeze	Send out		7-10 days
Urea
Feed, Source, GI contents		50 g	Chill/Freeze	$20	$40	3-5 days
Valone (SEE Anticoagulant Rodenticide Screen)
Vitamin E
Serum, plasma (must be separated from clot prior to shipping - no hemolysis; protected from light)		1 ml	Freeze	$19	$38	3-5 days
Liver*		2 g	Chill/Freeze	Send out		7-10 days
Warfarin (SEE Anticoagulant Rodenticide Screen)
Zearalenone (see Mycotoxin screen)
Zinc
Serum, plasma (SEE Trace Element Screen)
Liver, kidney, pancreas (SEE Tissue Heavy Metal Screen)
Liver, kidney (SEE Tissue Macro/Micro)
Liver, kidney (SEE Tissue HMS ICP-MS)
Zinc phosphide
GI contents, Source (airtight container required- toxin is volatile)		50g	Freeze	$50	$100	5-7 days
Other Screens
Serum Trace Element Screen (calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc - sodium on request)
Serum, plasma (must be separated from clot prior to shipping) (lysis of RBCs may affect iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc levels)		1 ml	Chill	$16	$26	5-7 days
Tissue Heavy Metal Screen (arsenic, cadmium, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, lead, zinc)
Liver, kidney		1 g	Chill/Freeze	$20	$40	5-7 days
Tissue Macro/Micro Elemental Analysis (arsenic, barium, cadmium, calcium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, sulfur, zinc)
Liver, kidney		1 g	Chill/Freeze	$36	$70	5-7 days
-  single element				$20	$35
Tissue Heavy Metal Screen by ICP-MS (arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, lead, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, selenium, vanadium, zinc)
Liver, kidney Any single element		1 g	Chill, Freeze	$67.50 $40	$135 $65	5-7 days
Gas chromatography-Mass spectrometry Organic Tox Screen (call lab before requesting)
GI contents, Source, Urine, Liver, Kidney		25 g	Chill/Freeze	$50	$100	5-7 days

1 Preferred tissue underlined in black
2 The lab can accommodate smaller sample volumes. Please call.
  
3 Some analyses can be run STAT. Please call in advance

 * indicates samples are sent out for analysis at another lab.

$4 fee for drying/grinding may be added to any sample as needed for analysis.