The Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) is committed to assisting the Texas deer industry. To expedite submissions and ensure accurate reports, clients should consider the following practices prior to submitting samples for testing. Samples submitted in less than ideal condition may result in delays.
Not Ideal
Tissue is not flat. Folded tissues increase technician process time. Place tissue between two sponges to reduce folds.
Ideal
Tissue is clean and flat, not folded. Technicians can easily and quickly process this tissue.
Not Ideal
Cassettes are not labeled with TWIMS ID. Cross referencing farm or ranch IDs with TWIMS IDs increases technician process time.
Ideal
Each cassette is labeled with a TWIMS ID that matches the IDs on the jar. All jars and cassettes should only be labeled with TWIMS IDs.
Other Practices to Consider
- For large submissions, package no more than 4 cassettes per specimen jar. This allows TVMDL staff to easily manage and organize submissions as they process samples.
- Do not label samples with farm or ranch IDs. TVMDL only needs the official TWIMS IDs. Cross referencing other IDs with TWIMS IDs increases process time.
- Paperwork should be shipped in a bag separate than specimen jars. This ensures paperwork is clean and readable if the jars were to leak during transit. Please only submit an official TWIMS form. Herd spreadsheets and TVMDL submission forms are not needed for submissions.