How long does it take to get the results from dog lab tests?

It depends on the veterinarian you use and what test that veterinarian runs. All the things I keep mentioning time and again, CBC chemistry, urinalysis, all of that. Many veterinarians now have those kinds of machines or equipment in-house in their clinic. The average turnaround time is probably 10 minutes for CBC chem and urinalysis. If I'm doing fecal and heartworm, it's a little less than that. It's probably more like six to eight minutes to have those two back. If I have to submit a larger test, like an ACTH stim test or thyroid panel or level or a bunch of other things I don't list, I don't have those in-house. So those have to be pulled and sent to an outside laboratory. And depending on what test it is, it's either 24 hours to perhaps 48 to 72 hours for some of the longer taking tests. It’s completely variable and depends on what it is and the lab test. But anywhere from minutes for point-of-care diagnostics or a few days for some of the bigger, harder-to-find tests.

It depends on the test, and it depends on where we run the tests. We offer a lot of in-house or in-clinic lab tests so that we would get those results immediately. Some might take 30, 45 minutes, but they are essentially immediate. And then, if we send those out, some have a 24 to 48-hour turnaround, and some might have a two-week turnaround. So, it depends on the test.

It's a great question. It depends on what panel we run. If we're running a mini young wellness panel, I typically have results back in one to three days. If we're running a bigger panel that includes your full thyroid panel that can take up to four to five days, so it's a little bit variable. Most labs will be back within the same week that you pull it, unless it's on a Friday in which it'll come back the next week.