Posted by Amy Bell on March 2, 2011 at 10:40pm in Health
I annually use my vet to test for CAE but this is starting to get a bit expensive. I would like to start doing this myself and would like to know where you would get the supplies. My vet sends the blood tests to Washington State, I believe. Also, how do you package and mail the tests?
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Julia Johnson, member, checked here with Oregon State University - and they do the test there. She was contemplating taking her goats there for the draw/testing - she said it was very cheap - maybe there is a university near you that has an ag dept. ??
Ruth, I'm pretty good with a needle so that doesnt really bother me. I'm sure that other people that I have shown with send the samples themselves directly to the lab. Thats a good idea to get the needles and stuff from my vet. I will check with them about mailing it also. Thanks, Amy
Amy, I had my 2 goats tested for CAE A couple of weeks ago. My vet came out to my place and demonstrated the blood draw on my first goat and then talked me through the procedure for the second one. He said he would supply the syringes, needles and vacutainers for me if I want to test for CAE next year. If I draw them myself that will save me the trip charge which is the bigest part of the bill IF you have only a few goats. My understanding is that the Labs will only accept the blood from a vet. So, I will deliver the blood to my vet and his office will take care of the packageing & mailing. I am an RN so I have had lots of practice drawing blood...it was just a matter of knowing "where" to go for the sample from a goat.
Drawing blood is not a very difficult skill to master, maybe your vet will do the same for you? Ruth
I have started to draw my own blood and send it to WADDL, although this lab also does the ELISA test, so I may send it to them next year, because I can also get pregnancy verification if it's at least 30 days after they were bred. They have instructions on there for drawing blood, but I bet you can also find some YouTube videos on how to do it. If you send blood to WADDL, you wrap the tubes with a rubber band, then wrap a few paper towels around them, then double bag them in ziploc baggies, so if the tubes get broken, the paper towels will absorb the blood, and the baggies will contain it. People freak out today if they see blood. Biotracking recommend writing all over the package, but WADDL never said to do it, and it wasn't a problem. And of course, use lots of packing peanuts or bubble wrap.
If you send it to WADDL, it is definitely cheaper if you use their FedEx account number, which they will give you over the phone if you call. If you send it via FedEx, and you tell them it's blood, they'll want it in a biohazard bag. I suppose that's only really a problem if they happen to be out of the bags at the moment, because you want the blood sent overnight ASAP. Don't know if the biohazard bag really matters one way or the other. It's goat blood, so it's not going to give humans anything, if it does break. And really, an elephant would probably have to step on the box to break it and the tubes. I know a vet tech who says she's dropped them plenty of times, and they've never broken. I don't even know where I bought my blood storage tubes. I just googled "red top blood" or something like that.
Replies
Forgot to give you the link for WADDL:
http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/depts_waddl/caefaq.aspx
I'm in Illinois, and I asked the lady at FedEx how much I would pay if I didn't use WADDL's account number, and it was 2-3 times as much!
Also forgot to mention that Biotracking sells supplies.
http://www.biotracking.com/?q=store/biopryngoat
Ruth Goode said:
Amy, I had my 2 goats tested for CAE A couple of weeks ago. My vet came out to my place and demonstrated the blood draw on my first goat and then talked me through the procedure for the second one. He said he would supply the syringes, needles and vacutainers for me if I want to test for CAE next year. If I draw them myself that will save me the trip charge which is the bigest part of the bill IF you have only a few goats. My understanding is that the Labs will only accept the blood from a vet. So, I will deliver the blood to my vet and his office will take care of the packageing & mailing. I am an RN so I have had lots of practice drawing blood...it was just a matter of knowing "where" to go for the sample from a goat.
Drawing blood is not a very difficult skill to master, maybe your vet will do the same for you? Ruth
This company does pregnancy and CAE testing from the same blood sample, so it is getting pretty popular with goat people:
http://www.biotracking.com/goats
I have started to draw my own blood and send it to WADDL, although this lab also does the ELISA test, so I may send it to them next year, because I can also get pregnancy verification if it's at least 30 days after they were bred. They have instructions on there for drawing blood, but I bet you can also find some YouTube videos on how to do it. If you send blood to WADDL, you wrap the tubes with a rubber band, then wrap a few paper towels around them, then double bag them in ziploc baggies, so if the tubes get broken, the paper towels will absorb the blood, and the baggies will contain it. People freak out today if they see blood. Biotracking recommend writing all over the package, but WADDL never said to do it, and it wasn't a problem. And of course, use lots of packing peanuts or bubble wrap.
If you send it to WADDL, it is definitely cheaper if you use their FedEx account number, which they will give you over the phone if you call. If you send it via FedEx, and you tell them it's blood, they'll want it in a biohazard bag. I suppose that's only really a problem if they happen to be out of the bags at the moment, because you want the blood sent overnight ASAP. Don't know if the biohazard bag really matters one way or the other. It's goat blood, so it's not going to give humans anything, if it does break. And really, an elephant would probably have to step on the box to break it and the tubes. I know a vet tech who says she's dropped them plenty of times, and they've never broken. I don't even know where I bought my blood storage tubes. I just googled "red top blood" or something like that.
Hope that helps!