CAHFS Submission Form

California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System (530) 752-8700 PO Box 1770, Davis, CA 95617 or West Health Science Drive, Davis CA Email C A H F S cahfs@ucdavis.edu Site Links:: Home, About Us Links = Annual Reports, Board Members, Careers, Lab Locations, Lab Notes Publication, Mission Statement, Residency Program, Contact Us Links= Davis Lab, Branch Labs, Client Survey; Client Guide Links= Packaging Guide, Shipping Services, Lab Tests and Fees, Submission Forms, Lab Results, Disease Information,

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Use the POULTRY SUBMISSION FORM

Number of birds per submission: Poultry species, for the purpose of billing, include: chickens, turkeys, domestic waterfowl (ducks, geese), and squabs. It does not include pet birds, racing pigeons, wild waterfowl or game birds.

One to 8 birds per poultry submission are billed a single fee. Each additional bird over 8 is charged extra fees.

Submission of specimens

• Ideally, you should submit in person both live and dead birds. We are open Mon. to Fri. 8am-5pm. No appointment needed.

• Live birds: submit birds showing clinical signs of the problem. Do not just submit culls. Put the birds in a box large enough to allow movement and survival of the birds. Make sure that the box has sufficient air holes throughout to prevent suffocation.

• Dead birds: submit fresh, not frozen, dead birds.

• Ship specimens (dead animals only) by commercial courier service, U.S. Mail or Greyhound. Please pack the specimens according to our packing guidelines . Note: special arrangements must be made with the laboratory personnel for receipt of weekend shipments.

Complete the poultry submission form for commercial poultry to assure proper testing. The more information provided concerning the flock would give the laboratory better insight and direction in providing a diagnosis.

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Avian Submission Guidelines for Postmortem Evaluation

USE THE STANDARD SUBMISSION FORM

Number of birds per submission: Avian submissions include: pet birds, racing pigeons, wild waterfowl or game birds. It does not include poultry species, which include: chickens, turkeys, domestic waterfowl (duck, goose), and squabs.

Each bird is billed individually. Exceptions are birds from an commercial aviary that have similar clinical symptoms and are less than 1 year of age, then 1 to 3 birds per submission are billed a single fee (each additional bird over 3 is charged extra).

Submission of specimens:

• Live birds : submit birds showing clinical signs of the problem in a box large enough to allow movement and survival of the birds. Make sure that the box has sufficient air holes throughout to prevent suffocation.

• Dead birds :

Submit fresh dead birds within 24 hours of death.
If you cannot get to us within 24 hours after the death of the bird(s), then wet the feathers thoroughly with soapy water. Keep the bird(s) in a refrigerated area (39-50 o F or 4-10 o C) if you plan to submit within the next 5 days.
Freeze the carcass (less than 30 o F or under –2 o C) only if you cannot submit within 5 days of the bird's death.

Delivery of samples

• Submit live or dead birds to our laboratories (we prefer the specimens to be delivered by a veterinarian or clinical staff), during business hours (Mon. to Fri. 8am-5pm). No appointment needed. Note: Our laboratory in Tulare does not accept avian samples .

• Ship specimens (dead animals only) by commercial courier service, U.S. Mail or Greyhound. Please pack the specimens according to our packing guidelines . Do not use US Mail for Davis laboratory or Greyhound for Davis or San Bernardino . Note: special arrangements must be made with the laboratory personnel for receipt of weekend, holiday, and after hours shipments.

• Complete and sign the standard submission form to assure proper testing. Complete information concerning the bird(s) would give the laboratory better insight and direction in providing a diagnosis.

Reporting results

• We highly recommend having a veterinarian involved in the case. Our reports are technical and may be difficult to understand for a person without proper training. In addition, the surviving birds may need veterinary care, and CAHFS does not perform treatments or write prescriptions.

• Any significant postmortem findings will be communicated by fax, e-mail, phone, or US mail within 24 hours. Additional reports will be sent as soon as testing is completed. Bacteriology, serology, and histology results are normally complete between 3 and 5 working days of postmortem examination. Mycoplasma isolations are usually available 2 weeks after postmortem. Virus and fungus isolations are usually available 3-4 weeks after postmortem. Toxicology testing is performed in the Davis Laboratory and results are usually complete within 7 days of receiving the sample at the Davis Laboratory.

A completed specimen submission form must accompany samples submitted to CAHFS for testing. It is important to complete the form as thoroughly as possible. This form is comprehensive and asks for information that may not seem important but it is. Our goal at CAHFS has always been to provide the highest quality diagnostic laboratory support service to our clients. We appreciate your efforts to provide us with the information we need to accomplish this goal. The information below should help you properly complete the submission form.

General Guidelines for Completing the Submission Form

Submission Form Required Information

Complete Veterinarian and/or Owner Information

Species of Animal

Type of Specimen

Source Material (location on the animal) from which the sample was taken if the submission is for bacteriological culture.

Sample receipt and testing will be delayed if any of the above items are not present on a submission form.

Sign and Date the Submission Form

Please use a separate submission form for multiple species; i.e. do NOT submit samples for a llama and a horse on the same form.

All types of submissions, EXCEPT Commercial Poultry, should use the Standard Submission Form.

Commercial Poultry are flocks of 500 or more birds. This type of submission requires the Poultry Submission Form. Commercial poultry species include chickens, turkeys, domestic waterfowl (ducks, geese), and squabs (meat pigeons).

For avian (non-commercial poultry) submissions, consider the "herd" references on the standard submission form as synonymous with "flock".

In the section immediately below the Veterinarian and Owner information section, check the box that corresponds to the submitted sample. If the submitted sample is not indicated in the choices, check “ other ” and specify the sample type on the adjacent line.

If submitting a Psittacine or a Ratite, in addition to checking the corresponding box, indicate the breed on the adjacent line.

In the History section of the form, give a reason for submitting the sample(s) and provide as much background information as possible (e.g. clinical signs, nutrition, etc.). A comprehensive history provides information important to the understanding of conditions under which diseases occur, and allows the diagnostician to participate more effectively in finding solutions to disease problems.

If more than one sample is submitted on the same form and the client (veterinarian or owner) wants the results from each sample identified, be sure to fill in the "Specimen ID ” section of the Animal/Specimen Information table at the bottom of the submission form.

In the same Animal/Specimen table (as above), please also indicate the age and species of the animal as many of our tests are age- or species-specific. Also indicate the specimen type (e.g. blood, carcass, feed, a specific organ) as the assignment of tests depends on this information.

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Commercial Poultry Submission Guidelines for Postmortem Evaluation

**Remember to place the completed form in a zippered plastic bag to protect the form during transit.

See our Packaging Guidelines page for information on how to protect your sample and submission form information for safe and secure shipping to our CAHFS laboratories. We also have useful shipping information on our Shipping and Courier Services page. Back to Top

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Submission Forms

ATTENTION USDA & CDFA Personnel: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * For the Avian Health Group Surveillance program, click the links below for the AHM-appropriate submission forms.

Commercial Non-Commercial

If you have submitted specimens to one of our laboratories and would like to provide feedback on your CAHFS submission experience, please click this Client Service Satisfaction Survey link to participate in our survey.