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Price list 2025 (PDF)

• Remiss för cytologi och transcellulära vätskor (PDF)
• Remiss endokrinologi (inkl. protokoll) samt TLI, B12, Folsyra, Fenemal (PDF)
• Remiss för kemi och hematologianalyser (PDF)
• Remiss för hemostas och urin (PDF) 

Cytological sample 

Fine needle aspirate is administrated through injection needle (0,5-0,7 mm) and syringe (e.g. 5 ml). Local anaesthesia is not used. Insert the needle into the structure to be sampled and gently aspirate. Remove the syringe from the needle and take out the needle.Alternatively, several small smears can be made without aspiration. Place small amounts of the cell suspension on a microscope slide. Make smears immediately, preferably using both the standard blood smear technique and the "squash" technique. Allow to air dry and send the smears as they are. Use a microscope slide with a writing surface and mark with a regular pencil. Write the animal's name and/or journal number and the type of sample material taken.

Bone marrow

To make an optimal assessment of bone marrow, the following are needed:

• peripheral blood
• blood smear
• bone marrow smear for cytological assessment
• bone marrow biopsy for histopathological examination.

The Clinical Pathology Laboratory, in collaboration with the Department of Pathology (SLU), offers a bone marrow package that includes all analyses.

Provide information about medical history, clinical findings and previous test results on the referral as this will facilitate interpretation. There are different techniques for taking bone marrow smears, such as the standard blood smear technique and the “squash technique”. It is best to ensure that there are bone marrow particles in the smears, as samples without particles are more difficult to interpret and sometimes non-diagnostic due to too few bone marrow cells. 

Bone marrow biopsies in formalin can be sent in a separate envelope to prevent the cytological smears from being destroyed by formalin fumes.

Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL)

Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is handled after sampling in the following way:

Divide the liquid into three test tubes, optimally with 10 ml in each tube, but sample amounts down to 2 ml will work. Indicate on the tubes whether it is original liquid or with added serum.

• A portion is left without action in an empty plastic tube or, if the liquid is mixed with blood, in an EDTA tube. Do not use serum tubes with gel or clot activator.
• A portion is mixed with serum, as this helps to preserve the morphology of the cells. It is possible to use serum from other individuals or animal species. When mixing, add approximately 1 part serum to 4 parts sample.
• A portion is centrifuged at low speed, approximately 300 G, and then a smear is made on the bottom sediment.

The fluid should preferably be analyzed within 24 hours, but smears have an unlimited shelf life and attached smears can therefore be analyzed for cellular changes and cell morphology in cases where the shelf life of the fluids has been exceeded.

Transcellular fluids (synovial, peritoneal and pleural fluid, CSF)

Viscous and blood-mixed fluids are collected in EDTA tubes, but it is advisable to supplement with plastic tubes without additives. Thin, cell-poor fluids are preferably collected in plastic tubes without additives. Remember to include a smear of the fluid.

Hormone analyses and other analyses performed using immunological techniques

Endocrinological samples are analyzed using both instrumental automated methods and manual methods (ELISA), which allows for a wide range of analyses. Methods that use immunological methodology (antibodies) often have limitations in which animal species the method can be used for. Analyses performed using manual methods are only performed once a week or every fortnight. Please contact us for further information.

In many hematological diseases, manual microscopic assessment is essential to make the correct diagnosis and provide the animal with adequate treatment. For example, in cases of suspected immune mediated hemolytic anemia, oxidative poisoning or leukemia, microscopy is required for diagnosis.

We assess all hematology samples manually under a microscope, and use an advanced hematology instrument. For the best assessment, you should send a blood smear made on fresh blood and an EDTA tube. We offer several different package solutions for hematology issues.

• Instructions for doing a blood smear on fresh EDTA blood (PDF)

We perform hematological analyses on birds and reptiles. In these species, heparin is sometimes used instead of EDTA as an anticoagulant and the shelf life is poorer compared to samples from mammals.

• Hematology in birds and reptiles (PDF)

Qualified hematological diagnostics

In many hematological diseases, manual microscopic assessment is central to being able to make the correct diagnosis and give the animal adequate treatment. If, for example, immune mediated hemolytic anemia, oxidative poisoning or leukemia is suspected, microscopy is required for diagnosis. It is possible that the platelet count will be falsely low when analyzed in an instrument and therefore blood smears should always be checked if thrombocytopenia is suspected.

At the Clinical Pathology Laboratory, hematological samples are analyzed with an advanced hematological instrument and blood smears are made on all samples. The blood smears are stained with May Grünwald-Giemsa stain and assessed under a microscope by experienced personnel. If necessary, the sample is submitted to a veterinarian with specialist competence in hematological diagnostics, who writes a comment and provides information on how to interpret the test result.

We also perform certain complementary examinations at no extra cost when indicated, such as tests for autoagglutination in cases of suspected immune mediated hemolytic anemia and staining for Heinz bodies in cases of suspected oxidative poisoning.

Hemostasis analyses (PT/APTT)

Citrate tubes are used for hemostasis analyses. The test tubes should be filled to the mark on the tube. Hemostasis samples are very sensitive to incorrect sampling. If there is a problem with sampling, take a new tube from another blood vessel. Centrifuge the sample and pour the plasma into an empty tube without addition (write on the referral and tube that it is citrate plasma). Citrate plasma for analysis of PT and APTT is stored at room temperature or frozen.

Urine sediment

Preferably send 5-10 ml of urine in plastic tubes without additives (centrifuge tubes). Urine sediment should be analyzed fresh (within 4-6 hours), but analysis is possible for up to 1 day. Older samples, up to 3 days old, can also be analyzed, but then the risk that cells or crystals have changed or broken increases. If the clinical question is only cytological assessment of epithelial cells, mix 1 part serum to 4 parts urine and do a smear or, if possible, a cytospin. State on the referral and tube that you have added serum. Send us both urine in tubes and the smear.

Urine protein/urine creatinine quota and urine cortisol/urine creatinine quota

At least 2 ml of urine should be sent. It is advisable to centrifuge the sample and send only the supernatant. For analysis of urine cortisol/urine creatinine quota, morning urine is recommended. The sample should be taken at home in a quiet environment to avoid stress that may affect the test result.t.

Chemistry analyses at the Clinical Pathology Laboratory are carried out with an advanced instrument, electrophoresis, and with a separate instrument for pancreatic lipase. Before the sample is analysed, the presence of lipemia and hemolysis is examined to ensure that this does not affect the test results. For some analyses, the animal must fast before sampling, please see our referrals for which analyses apply.

New marker for renal tubule damage in dogs: Cystatin C in urine

Cystatin C is formed from broken down cells and filtered out into the primary urine in the glomeruli of the kidneys. Normally, almost all Cystatin C is reabsorbed via the renal tubular epithelial cells and healthy animals have a low concentration of Cystatin C in the urine. When the renal tubular epithelial cells are damaged, this leads to a failure of reabsorption, which results in an increased concentration of Cystatin C in the urine. This means that Cystatin C in urine can be used as a marker for renal tubule damage, i.e. a high urine concentration indicates renal tubule damage. However, renal tubule damage cannot be ruled out at a low concentration of Cystatin C.

The acute phase protein serum amyloid A (SAA) can be analyzed in samples from many animal species

Analysis of SAA is used to diagnose and monitor systemic inflammation. The most common animal species where SAA is used diagnostically are horse, cat, dog, cattle and rabbit. Our current method also works for many other animal species. Please contact the laboratory veterinarian (+46 18-67 16 19) for questions about analysis of SAA in animal species other than those listed above.