Diagnostic Services You Can Trust
Accredited for all species by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians and is a member of the United States Department of Agriculture's National Animal Health Laboratory Network and a member of Food and Drug Administration's Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network.
HOLIDAY SCHEDULE:
The AZVDL will be closed for these upcoming holidays, please plan your shipments accordingly.
Tuesday December 24th and Wednesday 25th for Christmas Holiday
Wednesday January 1, 2025
Our team of dedicated professionals provides accurate and timely diagnostic service in animal health to veterinarians, animal owners, university researchers, and state and federal agencies. The laboratory serves a diverse client base with submissions of wild animals, exotic zoo animals, pet animals, horses and food producing animals.
Serving All of Arizona
Veterinarians, researchers and government agencies around the state rely on AZVDL for timely and accurate test results when caring for pets, wild animals, livestock, zoo animals and more. We specialize in microbiology, cytology, histopathology, molecular diagnostics, and necropsy.
The Arizona Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory is a part of the Office for Research, Innovation and Impact at the University of Arizona.
The AZVDL is accredited for all species by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians and is a member of the United States Department of Agriculture's National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN), and a member of Food and Drug Administration's Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network.
Our Services
Bacteriology
Cytology
Histopathology
Molecular Diagnostics
Necropsy
Parasitology
Serology
Virology and Toxicology
Now offering Nitrate and Cynide testing
Submit a Sample
Thank you for selecting Arizona Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory to serve your diagnostic needs. A fillable submission form and a printable user guide are available for your convenience. Please complete the fillable submission form, print and submit it with your sample or email submission to RII-AZVDL@ag.arizona.edu
Updates
In late March of this year, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) was identified in dairy cattle in Texas. Infected cattle show a decrease in feed consumption and rumen motility, respiratory signs including nasal discharge, and an acute drop in milk production. Milk quality may also be abnormal. Some cattle remain asymptomatic. Infected cattle have now been identified in eight additional states: Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, and South Dakota.
By Federal Order, pre-movement testing is required for lactating dairy cattle being moved interstate, unless being transported directly for slaughter. In addition, lactating dairy cattle presented for unrestricted sale at Arizona livestock auctions must also have a negative HPAI test result, by order of the Arizona Department of Agriculture.
We have been working hard to onboard new PCR tests
- Bovine parainfluenza-3 (PI-3) can be run individually ($35). Also within our Bovine Respiratory Panel including BRSV, BVD, & OBR/BHV-1) ($60).
- Campylobacter venerealis can be run individually ($35).
And much more...
Excessive nitrates can be poisonous and severely devasting. It can cause death in affected animals within 30 minutes to four hours and nitrate poisoning can cause abortions. This process occurs when an animal, typically a ruminant, ingests greater than normal amounts of nitrates, the nitrates are broken down into nitrite. The nitrite then enters the bloodstream where it transforms hemoglobin into methemoglobin. Methemoglobin is an inadequate vector to transport oxygen, which causes oxygen deprivation to the tissues. Horses are not as susceptible to nitrate poisoning, however since they are monogastric, they are more sensitive to nitrate poisoning. Unfortunately, most of the time, there is no pre-mortem indication of this poisoning, and it can happen very quickly.
The AzVDL is now offering testing for nitrates using ocular fluid.
Nitrate levels can be tested using ocular fluid.
Ocular fluid: Entire eye or 0.2 ml of ocular fluid. Keep cold with either an ice pack or in a refrigerator.
*Best results if collected as soon as possible, postmortem.
Nitrates can be tested in the feed as well as in the water, which will be outsourced to another reference laboratory.