The Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) offers digital toxicology to account-holding clients. Digital toxicology provides evaluation of photos taken with smart phones, or other digital cameras, and an official report identifying items photographed (where possible) including an attachment with labeled photos for later reference – an advantage over shipping items to the laboratory for evaluation.

Subjects for identification or comment:

  • Potential toxic plants
  • Potential toxic mushrooms
  • Potential blister beetles
  • Potential blue-green algae (will require a microscopic image. Image can be taken on a smart phone over eye-piece of microscope)
  • Material observed in pet ingesta, unknown baits
Image Acquisition

Photos for material ID can be taken using your cell phone or digital camera as ‘medium’ size / reduced files. Images should be saved as JPEG or PNG files. 

Images for Identification

The number of images per item will vary depending on the subject and its identifying characteristics. Following your initial submission, we may need to request additional photos. 

  • Plants: entire plant, entire leaf, leaf margin, leaf attachment to stem, flower, fruit, seed, root
  • Blister beetles: entire beetle topside, entire beetle underside, close-up of mouth parts
  • Mushrooms: entire mushroom with a coin or other scale marker, cap topside, cap underside, cap margin, cross-section of cap including stipe (stem) attachment, cross-section of stipe, if available multiple of same type at different growth stages
  • Blue-green algae: drop of suspect water on microscope slide, focus on suspect item, photomicrographs at 2 different magnifications
  • Ingesta / bait: Entire sample, close-ups of objects of concern; if bait, cross-section
Submission of Images
  • Submit via the TVMDL Mobile App or email images to digitaltoxicology@tvmdl.tamu.edu.
  • If submitting by email, please include the digital toxicology submission form as a pdf or an image file.
  • There are multiple options for form submission:
    • The form can be filled out on a computer and included as an attachment.
    • The form can be printed, completed by hand, photographed and submitted as the first photo.
    • Or, all the pertinent information can be entered directly into the body of the email.
  • Images should be saved as ‘medium’ sized / reduced file size JPEG or PNG files.
  • Total number of images should be noted on the submission form, especially if multiple emails are sent.
Results

Turnaround time for this test is 1 – 5 days, as if the item had arrived at the lab. A confirmation email will automatically be sent when we receive your submission, and if needed we will contact you requesting additional photos.