Testing Information

TVMDL clients must be the veterinarian, authorized submitter, designated caretaker, or owner of the animal from which the sample was derived. If TVMDL suspects the client does not meet this requirement, TVMDL will attempt to confirm the owner has granted permission to test samples.

Please carefully check the list of tests offered by TVMDL to ensure we provide the test you have requested. With your written instructions, TVMDL may be able to ship your specimen to another laboratory offering tests that TVMDL does not provide. Although the Agency will only ship specimens to laboratories the Agency believes to be using good laboratory practice, TVMDL cannot provide assurance of the accuracy of another laboratory’s results or validation data for that laboratory. Billing for the charges from the referred laboratory and shipping / handling charges will apply.

TVMDL’s College Station lab ships samples to reference labs across the country. Availability is subject to change at the referral laboratory. All reference test information is available to view through our test search. A fee of $26.75 is assessed for each referral and covers preparation of the sample and associated paperwork, as well as sample packaging and shipment.

Routine samples are normally held for 2 weeks to allow for supplemental testing, as may be requested by the submitter. After that 2 week time period, samples will be discarded according to TVMDL protocol. Exceptions include, but are not limited to, legal cases and state/federal testing requirements. Please notify the laboratory if a submission is related to a legal case or may be held for legal purposes. Long-term storage of specimens cannot be provided by TVMDL and those specimens must be transferred to the submitter. Poultry samples at the Gonzales and Center labs will be kept for a minimum of 5 working days.

The Texas Veterinary Licensing Act prohibits TVMDL from releasing any case information to persons other than the TVMDL Client (Submitter) without prior approval from the Client.

All samples and accompanying documentation submitted to TVMDL for testing become the property of the agency and may be tested as part of state/federal surveillance programs, utilized for research and educational purposes, and/or development of new assays. TVMDL is unable to return samples to the client unless prior arrangements are made and approved by the agency Director or designee.

We understand that the need for diagnostic services may be stressful: losing an animal, seeking help for sick animals, testing required for movement and business, and various other scenarios can be trying. TVMDL staff work to provide diagnostic services with courtesy, compassion, and respect. We ask that you treat our team with the same courtesy, compassion, and respect so that we can accurately and properly provide the testing you need. Visit the Clients Rights and Responsibilities page to learn more.