About Us
The Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) is a member of the Texas A&M University System and one of four agencies within Texas A&M AgriLife. TVMDL is the only state agency entirely dedicated to protecting animal and public health through diagnostic testing.
Mission and Vision
The mission of the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) is simple – promote animal health and protect agricultural, companion animal and public health in Texas and beyond through excellence in veterinary diagnostic services.
TVMDL’s vision is to be the global leader in providing innovative and state-of-the-art veterinary diagnostic services.
Our Clients
Although TVMDL serves clients across Texas, our reach stretches far beyond the state’s borders. Annually, TVMDL receives samples from all 50 states and over 17 countries.
Most of our clientele are veterinarians, however TVMDL is unique in that we are one of the few public diagnostic labs that can accept submissions from non-veterinarians. With our service mission in mind, TVMDL works alongside animal owners, livestock producers, government agencies, zoos, and other animal health stakeholders to provide important testing services that serve a variety of animal species.
Our Services
TVMDL’s focus is strictly testing. This focus allows TVMDL staff across 11 testing sections to provide timely, accurate, and personable service to all clients.
Ever keeping the customer in mind, we strive to make our services easy to use and valuable. TVMDL’s goal is to offer a large array of affordable testing options, bilingual staff, 24/7 access to results and invoices, and a robust quality assurance system that ensures consistent, accurate, and reliable results.
Although our work is complex, TVMDL’s services can be pared down to three categories – routine diagnostics, disease surveillance, and specialty services.
Routine diagnostics
The majority of TVMDL’s 650 test offerings are dedicated to what we consider routine diagnostics. These tests assist clients in the detection of pathogens, health conditions, and evaluation or maintenance of animal health. Most often, tests are requested to aid in a veterinarian’s diagnosis of a specific disease or illness or to confirm the health of animal for sales or shows.
Disease Surveillance
When it comes to protecting Texas and the southwest from an animal disease outbreak, TVMDL plays an important role. Each year, we perform thousands of tests to aid in the early detection of high-consequence pathogens that affect public health, animal health, and the agriculture economy.
TVMDL’s commitment to animal health is highlighted through our membership in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN) and Level 1 membership in the USDA’s National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN). These memberships require TVMDL to maintain higher standards of training, testing, and equipment that solve tomorrow’s animal disease issues through today’s testing.
Specialty Services
A smaller, yet still important subset of our efforts fall outside traditional testing. TVMDL offers customized testing for public and private researchers and animal health companies. We also work alongside some of the largest wildlife preserves and specialty animal operations during disease investigations for animals of all species. Our professionals also dedicate efforts to export testing and drug testing for livestock sales and shows, ensuring animals of all kinds can safely cross borders and competitions are fair. TVMDL strives to continually expand upon our mission of service to ensure all animals are protected from disease.
