Content
Laboratory Procedures
Specimen Management
- Select and maintain laboratory equipment
Skill: Demonstrate knowledge of proper handling, packaging and storage of specimens for laboratory analysis to ensure safety of patients, clients, and staff.
- Implement quality control measures
- Understand how to ensure safety of patients, clients, and staff
- Prepare, label, package, and store specimens for laboratory analysis
Decision-making abilities: 1. Given the characteristics of the patient and the requested analysis, the veterinary technician will properly prepare, handle and submit appropriate samples for diagnostic analysis in order to ensure maximum accuracy of results.
Decision-making abilities: 2. Given the characteristics of laboratory instruments and equipment, the veterinary technician will determine proper maintenance and quality control procedures necessary to ensure accurate results.
Specimen Analysis
Skill: Properly perform analysis of laboratory specimens.
- Perform urinalysis:
- Determine physical properties (e.g., color, clarity, specific gravity)
- Test chemical properties
- Examine and identify sediment
- Perform blood tests:
- Hemoglobin
- Packed cell volume
- Total protein
- White cell count
- Red cell count
- Perform microscopic exam of blood film:
- Prepare film and stain using a variety of techniques
- Evaluate erythrocyte morphology - normal vs abnormal
- Perform leukocyte differential - normal vs abnormal
- Estimate platelet numbers
- Calculate absolute values
- Correct white blood cell counts for nucleated cell
- Calculate hematologic indices
- Coagulation tests - perform one of the following:
- Buccal mucosal bleeding time
- Activated clotting time (ACT)
- Prothrombin time (PT)
- Partial thromboplastin time (PTT)
- Fibrinogen assay
- Perform blood chemistry tests (BUN, glucose, common enzymes)
- Perform serologic test (ELISA, slide/card agglutinations)
- Identify blood parasites:
- Dirofilaria sp/Acanthocheilonema sp (formerly Dipetalonema sp)
- Hemotropic Mycoplasma sp (Hemoplasmas) (formerly Haemobartonella sp and Eperythrozoon sp)
- Anaplasma sp
- Babesia sp
- Trypanosoma sp
- Eperythrozoan sp
- Ehrlichia sp
- Perform parasitologic procedures for external parasites and identify:
- Mites
- Lice
- Ticks
- Fleas
- Flies
- Perform diagnostics procedures for parasites:
- Antigen kit, direct, filter, Knotts
- Floatation solution preparation
- Fecal flotations
- Fecal sedimentation
- Direct smears
- Centrifugation with flotation
- Adhesive tape retrieval of pinworm ova
- Perform fecal egg count using McMaster method
- Identify common parasitic forms:
- Nematodes
- Trematodes
- Cestodes
- Protozoa
- Perform coprologic tests
- Perform microbiologic procedures/evaluations:
- Collect representative samples
- Culture bacteria and perform sensitivity tests
- Identify common animal pathogens using commercially available media and reagents
- Collect milk samples and conduct mastitis testing (e.g., CMT, bacterial culture)
- Perform common biochemical tests
- Perform staining procedures
- Culture and identify common dermatophytes
- Perform cytologic evaluation:
- Assist in collecting, preparing and evaluating transudate, exudate and cytologic specimens (joint, cerebrospinal, airway, body cavity)
- Perform fine needle tissue aspirates and impression smear preparation (differentiate benign vs. malignant)
- Prepare and stain bone marrow specimens
- Collect, prepare, and evaluate ear cytology*
- Collect, prepare, and evaluate canine vaginal smears
- Evaluate semen
- Understand timing and types of pregnancy testing
- Assist with artificial insemination
- Perform necropsy procedures:
- Perform a postmortem examination or dissection on non-preserved animal*
- Collect samples, store and ship according to laboratory protocols
- Explain how to handle rabies suspects and samples safely
- Handle disposal of dead animals
- Perform humane euthanasia procedures
Decision-making abilities: 1. Given the characteristics of the patient, the specimen submitted and the results of the analysis, the veterinary technician will be able to recognize accurate vs. erroneous results in order to provide maximum diagnostic benefit.
Decision-making abilities: 2. Given the laboratory specimen collected and characteristics of the patient, the veterinary technician will determine appropriate methodology and carry out analytical procedures necessary to provide accurate and precise diagnostic information.
Decision-making abilities: 3. Having determined the accuracy of analytical results, the veterinary technician will work with the veterinarian to determine if a need exists for additional laboratory tests that will provide useful diagnostic information.