How do veterinarians collect nasal and rectal samples from pets?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Nadu. Sometimes a respiratory disease panel can be submitted to a reference laboratory. A swab is generally taken from the throat and eye. This will use PCR to test for a variety bacterial and viral infections. If the nasal discharge is thick, green or yellow, this typically indicates a bacterial infection. The can start as a viral disease and have secondary bacterial overgrowth or as a primary bacterial infection. I hope this information helps!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Flojo. A simple upper respiratory tract infection can sometimes be diagnosed by a physical exam and the patient's history. In more complicated cases, blood work and x-rays of the chest are used. Swabs can also be collected from the nose and throat for laboratory work analysis. Other times, the patient is anesthetized and fluid samples are collected from the lungs. There are a variety of diagnostic testing options depending on the case specifics. I hope this information helps!

This kind of lump/growth needs to be ideally assessed by your veterinarian to have a definitive and specific answer. Usually there are two ways your vet can do that a part from examining it directly during physical examination. A biopsy can be taken under local or general anesthetic, otherwise a smaller sample through a fine needle can be aspirated (this technique is called FNA= fine needle aspiration). Differentials include skin cysts, infections, benign or more sinister type of tumors. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Fresher is always better for accuracy. At room temperature, bacteria may multiply or the sample may degrade in as little as a few hours. You can use a small, leak-proof plastic bag or ask clinic staff for a container to collect a small sample. Only about a teaspoon is needed.

Although a picture of it would help to determine the underlying cause more specifically, this presentation could be either due to an infection or possibly to a mass which is creating some sort of obstruction and secondary infection. Usually there are two ways your vet can do that a part from examining it directly during physical examination. A biopsy can be taken under local or general anesthetic, otherwise a smaller sample through a fine needle can be aspirated (this technique is called FNA= fine needle aspiration). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Hi, and thanks for your question. This kind of lump/growth needs to be ideally assessed by your veterinarian to have a definitive and specific answer. Usually there are two ways your vet can do that a part from examining it directly during physical examination. A biopsy can be taken under local or general anesthetic, otherwise a smaller sample through a fine needle can be aspirated (this technique is called FNA= fine needle aspiration). Differentials include skin cysts, infections, benign or more sinister type of tumors. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would be happy to help and give you an idea of what may be going on, but would need a photo or description. You can try attaching a photo to a newly submitted question or request a consultation for a one-on-one conversation with a vet.