From:
<grape_apes@charter.net>
Date: 2007-05-12 23:16:32 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Tennessee Adrenal Panel
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
The TN Panel is expensive and is run only about
once a month so if this ferret clearly has adrenal
disease then go to surgery."
Actually, this test is now run once a week (you can verify this on the UTenn site). I've spoken with them in the past, and I believe it is run on Fridays-you have to ship it Mon thru Thurs., FYI.
The test itself is $65. That being said, it can be a lot of work to get blood on a ferret, so it is perfectly reasonable for you vet to charge for this. I am fortunate because I work for vets and just pay for shipping and send the stuff directly to UTenn (I also am often the one getting the blood).
Your vet may be also sending the test through another lab, like Antech (which is a lab my corporation owns, incidentally), but Antech and other labs then just send it on to UTenn, which is part of why it's so expensive-you are paying the middle man. See if your vet is willing to send the test directly to UTenn. This is what I do, and it doesn't violate any contract with Antech on my hospital's part.
The price difference between what you pay and what UTenn charges, aside from the costs of your vet doing the sometimes difficult work of collecting and preparing the sample and shipping, is often due to this indirect method of getting samples to UTenn.
Submission instrtuctions, info about how to collect and ship samples, and a submission form can be gotten at the UTenn website at
http://www.vet.utk.edu/diagnostic/endocrinology
Good luck.
-April (vet tech and ferret owner)
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