Where can a tick taken from a dog be submitted for analysis? - briefly
You can send the specimen to your veterinarian’s office or to a state or county public‑health laboratory that processes arthropod samples. Many university veterinary or microbiology departments also accept ticks for species identification and pathogen testing.
Where can a tick taken from a dog be submitted for analysis? - in detail
A dog‑derived tick can be examined by several types of laboratories and public‑health agencies.
Veterinary diagnostic labs
- University veterinary schools (e.g., Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory).
- Commercial veterinary reference laboratories such as IDEXX, Antech, and VDL Pathology.
- State or provincial veterinary diagnostic services that accept wildlife or companion‑animal samples.
Public‑health and vector‑borne disease programs
- Local or state health department vector‑borne disease units.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – Arthropod‑borne Disease Laboratory, which provides a tick identification and pathogen testing service for clinicians and veterinarians.
- National or regional public‑health institutes (e.g., Canada’s Public Health Agency, UK’s Public Health England).
Entomology or research institutions
- University entomology departments that run tick‑identification services.
- Specialized research centers focusing on tick‑borne diseases (e.g., Rocky Mountain Laboratories, University of Rhode Island Tick Lab).
Submission guidelines common to most facilities
- Place the tick in a sealed, labeled container (e.g., a 1.5 mL microcentrifuge tube).
- Include the date of collection, the host species, the anatomical site of attachment, and geographic location (city, state, GPS coordinates if possible).
- Keep the specimen cool but not frozen; refrigeration (4 °C) is acceptable for up to 48 hours.
- Complete the required request form or electronic submission, indicating desired analyses (species identification, PCR for Borrelia, Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, Rickettsia, etc.).
- Ship via overnight courier or hand‑deliver to the laboratory, following any biosafety or transport regulations.
Contact information can be obtained from the respective institution’s website or by calling the veterinary clinic that performed the removal. Most labs provide cost estimates and turnaround times on request.