Question 1

Should I clean the ear before collecting a sample for analysis?

Accepted Answer

Do not clean the ear prior to collecting a sample. The more material collected on the swab the better. Ideally, collect as much material as possible using the QSM™ swab before collecting samples for any other test or removing debris from the ear to inspect with an otoscope.

Question 2

What does it mean if test results are positive or abnormal?

Accepted Answer

A positive or abnormal result means that there is potentially a health issue with your pet. You should review the results with a veterinarian to determine if it something that should be monitored or if treatment is needed.

Question 3

What if my dog won't let me touch its ear?

Accepted Answer

If your dog will not let you touch its ear, this is a sign that the dog is experiencing a lot of discomfort and/or pain. Please take your dog to the veterinarian to have them collect the sample for you.

Question 4

My cat will not use the non-absorbent litter or hydrophobic sand. What should I do?

Accepted Answer

Cats are very particular about where they go to the bathroom. If your cat urinates next to the litter box when you are using our supplied material, you can use the dropper to collect the urine and put it in the collection tube to ship to us. Our test distinguishes environmental bacteria on the ground from pathogenic species that cause infections. 
If your cat refuses to urinate anywhere, then the only option is to take your cat to the veterinarian to have them obtain a sample using cystocentesis.

Question 5

My pet's cytology or urinalysis report shows bacteria or yeast are present, but the culture and sensitivity report says that there was no organisms found. What does this mean?

Accepted Answer

Cytology and urinalysis samples are inspected under a microscope to determine if microbes are present. These tests cannot differentiate if the cells that are seen are dead or alive. The first step of the culture test determines if the cells in the sample are alive. So a result that is positive for bacteria on cytology, but negative on culture generally means that the bacteria in the sample are dead. You may see this set of test results when your pet has been taking an antibiotic. It means the medication is working.

Question 6

What is a Wee Sponge and how do I use it to collect a urine sample?

Accepted Answer

The Wee Sponge is our patented urine collection system that makes it easier to collect a sample. It is particularly helpful if you have a small dog or a dog that gets very low to the ground when they are doing their business. The sponge is sterile and designed so that urine can be extracted back at the lab without affecting the test results.

The sponge needs to be fully wet for the lab to be able to extract the sample for analysis. If you do not collect enough sample from one attempt, leave the sponge on the Wee Wand, slide it back into the Ziploc bag, and place it in the refrigerator until the next time you go out to collect a sample.

Make sure that you package the sponge correctly for shipping to ensure that the sample does not leak or evaporate during shipping. 1. Freeze the ice pack that is included in the kit. 2. Put the fully wet sponge into the Ziploc bag. You can pull it off of the Wee Wand or unscrew the sponge support. 3. Make sure the Ziploc bag is sealed and put it into the specimen transport bag along with the frozen ice pack.

Peel the adhesive liner from the 95kPa specimen transport bag and fold the adhesive portion on itself at the area of the opening as shown in the image below. Now you can put the transport bag inside of the kit box and send it back to QSM Diagnostics for testing.