# OK this is driving me nuts, BLOOD TESTING for dairy goats!



## littlequail (Aug 5, 2011)

:help: oh please!!!! i have 3 doe's that just kidded a few days ago, each one had 2,2, and 3 each... well am going to give it 2 weeks and then start milking...Yes am going to pasteurize my milk. but i would really love the peace of mind....and just having it when i do sell my goats that they are clean....what i found out is i need to test for is *CAE, CL, Johnes, TB, and Brucellosis*. and yes i want to draw my own blood. two sites i have found is http://www.pavlab.com/services/index.html or http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/depts_waddl/ which for the life of me i cant really find out a Firm price on all these testing with WADDL am in florida, and it seems there are alot of fees that go along with it....pavlab looks ok...websites a little cheesy and then when i tried to find reviews turns out.....Many people say they give false readings....:yuck:...GREAT...well my main question is...WHAT DO YOU DO? what did you use...how...how much....i feel like this is extremely hard but i have no idea what to do... help please!​


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## Ford Zoo (Jan 27, 2012)

I use PAVL, no accesion fees to drive costs up, if I remember right waddl had those extra fees for the simple testing. I missed the whole false reading thing. HAve been pleased with PAVL and their customer service.


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## littlequail (Aug 5, 2011)

how much was it, Did they seem helpful? how long did it take to hear back from them? how long ago did you use them? sorry for all the Questions!


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## Ford Zoo (Jan 27, 2012)

Their prices are one the website. I think it was less than $15 for three of those test, maybe an extra $4 for a fourth test. Results were back in about a week. I last used them a few weeks ago.Before I used them the first time this spring I had questions. A quick call to their number found a very helpful person. Shipping directions are also on their website, along with an order form you can print off. I sent my samples in the flat rate shipping box from the post office with a cooler pack for under $6.


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## Ford Zoo (Jan 27, 2012)

http://pavlab.com/services/index.html


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## CaliannG (Apr 29, 2005)

Before I found I can do it locally, I used WADDL. The ascesion fee is only a one-time deal, not per goat...so it is the same fee whether you send in vials for 1 goat or 100 goats. I like that there has been no problems that anyone I have ever heard of from WADDL.

Now, I use the Med Diagnostic Lab at my local University.

littlequail, what is the nearest Veterinary University to you? Is it within decent driving distance? University of Florida has a Diagnostic Laboratory in Gainesville that you cold drop off your blood samples to, if it is close enough.

You can pull blood yourself and send it in for CAE, CL, and Johne's disease. The Brucellosis blood test at any lab REQUIRES a vet to sign that they drew the blood, and it is, indeed, from that animal. TB is a scratch test, not a blood test, and has to be done by a vet.


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## lasergrl (Nov 24, 2007)

Just throwing this out there.
Last week I had a positive CAE on a new does through biotracking a high of 70. For confirmation I sent a sample to pan American. Was completely expecting it to say positive, just needed to hear it twice. Well the panamerican test is negative. Now I have to decide where to send a THIRD sample. Waddl is just too expensive and they want too much blood. Right now I'm not sure what lab is accurate yet!! Was suggested to try biotracking again but I think I'm going to try and find a third lab.


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## Lizza (Nov 30, 2005)

lasergrl said:


> Just throwing this out there.
> Last week I had a positive CAE on a new does through biotracking a high of 70. For confirmation I sent a sample to pan American. Was completely expecting it to say positive, just needed to hear it twice. Well the panamerican test is negative. Now I have to decide where to send a THIRD sample. Waddl is just too expensive and they want too much blood. Right now I'm not sure what lab is accurate yet!! Was suggested to try biotracking again but I think I'm going to try and find a third lab.


At this point, maybe ask your vet? Mine charges $35 total for pulling blood and testing fee. WADDL would charge, I believe, $16.30 for the test if you only tested the one doe for one test ($6.30 plus the $10). 

Make sure you are sending these samples overnight and I would always include ice, even this time of year.


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## Lizza (Nov 30, 2005)

We only use WADDL for testing (we do use bio-tracking for pregnancy testing). 

Like Caliaan said, the $10 fee is only per box sent, this isn't per goat. So $10 plus all your tests added together, out of state costs. I'm in Oregon, so I pay out of State too. 

http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/depts_waddl/fees.aspx

WADDL is very good about answering any questions via email or calling.


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## lasergrl (Nov 24, 2007)

I work at the vet, they would just use biotracking.
How much blood does waddl need?


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## CaliannG (Apr 29, 2005)

2 cc. Just a red-topped tube.


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## duckidaho (Dec 31, 2008)

I've used biotracking, they were good. I wasn't very good at drawing goat blood though. I got it done, but it was hard for a first timer.


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## harvestmoonfarm (Nov 24, 2012)

If your goats have already kidded and are nursing their kids, you're a little late on the CAE testing, or am I missing something?


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## littlequail (Aug 5, 2011)

yes they are indeed nursing their kids, i wanted to do the testing just so i know...i realized it would have been best to do testing months ago, but it was not possible for me... Now i really want to press on forward and get this done soon, As for a vet or even a Veterinary University...we are a hour away from the nearest town and even then its not that big, so i would say Online is my only answer.


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## harvestmoonfarm (Nov 24, 2012)

I use Biotracking.com, but you can also have them forward to WADDL for CL and other tests.


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## CaliannG (Apr 29, 2005)

If online is your only answer, then I would use WADDL. I have used then for years, and never heard of anyone having trouble with them or getting false results.

Pav is just too iffy. I have heard of too many people getting different results from Pav when they tested with another lab.


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## lasergrl (Nov 24, 2007)

Any opinions on AGID cae testing as far as accuracy?


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## littlequail (Aug 5, 2011)

Is there any test am missing that should be done for my dairy goats since am drinking the milk. from what i now see i should/can test for Johnes.....i have also found something called Q fever? is this something i should look into...i will also be testing for CAE, CL but that really isnt for milk its just to know if they have it or not.


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## littlequail (Aug 5, 2011)

am looking on WADDL there is "profiles" you can pick from one is 


Caprine/Ovine Biosecurity Screen:
-Small Ruminant Lentivirus (CAE/OPP) (ELISA)
-CL (SHI)
-Johne's (ELISA)

for $22.50.....is this what am looking for?


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## Happy Hogger (Jun 7, 2012)

lasergrl said:


> Any opinions on AGID cae testing as far as accuracy?


It is not supposed to be very accurate. ELISA is what you want.


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## CaliannG (Apr 29, 2005)

lasergrl, the ELISA test is what you want. The AGID test was the old style, and it wasn't very accurate.

littlequail; that is exactly what you are looking for. They only need one blood vial per goat to do all three tests. If you are doing it yourself, get the RED-TOPPED tubes for the blood. The other colors of tubes have sterilizers in them that are not good if you are trying to *test* blood.


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## Lizza (Nov 30, 2005)

As a side note, you can do a bulk tank test if you want but of course the milk test would be for that day only, doesn't guarantee anything down the road. I was going to do it for my cow and talked with WADDL about it but never did do it. I've never done it for the goats. 

With goats, basically start with a clean udder before you milk (I've used everything from wipes from Costco to hot iodine water), milk into a stainless steel bucket, come inside and strain with milk filters before putting it into an ice bath. I find goat milk tastes best going as fast as you can into the ice bath. Watch for mastitis, that will effect your milk. Besides that, you should be fine as far as drinking the milk. Or at least that is the most I've done. 

Keep healthy animals, decent housing with good nutrition & minerals is about 90% of keeping dairy goats and having good milk. Or at least that is my own opinion.


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## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

The golden rule is to *never* rely on just one test, be it negative or positive. Test at least twice. Human error is ALWAYS possible and its too important to stake your herd health and reputation on. So never assume from one test that a goat is negative or positive.
Me personally, I'd test twice with the same lab, then if I still doubted the results, try a second lab.
I switched back and forth between WSU and Biotracking for several tests to check the results against each other. Then when I was satisfied that Biotracking was reliable(I had used WSU before Biotracking came on the scene), I switched to just Biotracking. They are much more affordable and just as reliable.


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## GoatJunkie (Dec 26, 2012)

I paid a local vet to draw the blood ($25 per goat), then sent it overnight in a special biohazard container FedEx required ($75 for as many as would fit in the bio bag, though I only have three goats at this time), and the tests, which I had done at a Washington State WADDL ran me (I think it was) $57 total per goat. There may be price changes in the New Year, if so they should be mentions on the website.

The staff at WADDL was amazing! They answered all my questions, addressed all my concerns, and for no additional fee, called me every time a test result came in.


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## CaliannG (Apr 29, 2005)

Youch, Goatjunkie! You don't have to send it biohazard!

My vet charges $10 per goat to draw blood. I send it just like the instructions at the site says, each tube wrapped in enough paper towels to to soak up the blood if a tube breaks, put in a zip-lock bag, wrapped in more papertowels, and put in a larger ziplock bag. Then I write "Animal Specimen" on the large ziplock bag, and put it in a Fed-Ex box.

Then I call WADDL for the Fed-Ex number, and they give it to me. I write that on the box and take it to the Fed-Ex office. It costs me $10 for shipping, and it is added to my WADDL bill.

I have done it this way for the last 2 years.

I get the Brucellosis test done as well (which is why my vet draws the blood, so she can sign for the Bruc. test), and the whole kit and caboodle costs me $40 per goat.


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## Frosted Mini's (Nov 29, 2012)

Wow, you guys are paying unreal amounts for the testing. Biotracking charges $4 a sample, and WADDL/WSU I think for out-of-state is something like $6.50 plus an accession charge per shipment (so for however many tubes you send) of $10. The shipping usually runs me up to $5. You can use a flat rate priority mail box for $5.35. Drawing blood on goats is pretty simple-it does take practice, but is something everyone can learn to do and save a lot of $$. So, if I sent this blood for CAE testing to Biotracking with a flat rate box (btw, CAE blood does not need an overnight shipment), it would run me $9ish if I only had 1 sample, and WSU would be about $20 if I only had one sample. Per sample charges go down with more than one. My vet send brucellosis and TB results to the state lab and they don't charge for the tests here in Idaho, so it's only the vet fees.


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