General Policies

The Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory is a full-service testing laboratory accepting a variety of veterinary species from companion animals, production animals, wildlife, and zoologic and aquatic animals.

Who may submit to WADDL:

Some testing may require a veterinarian to submit samples, generally regulatory disease testing. Please contact the laboratory if questions arise.

We strongly encourage utilizing veterinary services to submit to the laboratory, but we will accept direct submissions from animal owners.  Working with a veterinarian ensures that appropriate diagnostic testing is selected for the disease of concern, correct samples are collected, and test interpretation is performed in light of other pertinent clinical and farm data. Unless otherwise requested prior to submission, the veterinarian listed on the accession form will serve as the primary contact for communication of results and requests for additional testing. Owners will be asked to contact the veterinarian for explanation of results as this is best done in the context of case history and clinical data. WADDL will not provide treatment or specific management recommendations as we do not have a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship.

Non-human primate samples may be accepted on a case-by-case basis from zoologic collections by a veterinarian. Please contact the laboratory prior to shipment of samples to ensure we can perform the testing required.

Researchers may submit directly to the laboratory. Understanding of the scope of work, testing requirements and turn-around times are required before submission to confirm the work can be completed as expected. Please contact the laboratory for assistance.

Submission Policies:

Samples submitted to the laboratory become the property of WADDL.

Samples, excluding carcasses and specimens for food safety testing, are held for 30 days.

Cases may be delayed, or held, if paperwork is not completed or follow-up communication is needed to determine appropriate testing. Cases will be closed after 5 business days if there is no response from the submitter.

Carcasses submitted without accession paperwork are held for 72 hours. If we are unable to obtain paperwork within the specified timeframe, the carcass will be disposed of at the submitters expense.

For the safety of our staff, syringes submitted with needles attached or specimens submitted in containers containing sharps, like scalpels or broken glass, will be rejected for testing and immediately disposed of.

Leaking or damaged specimens will not be tested and will be disposed of to prevent hazards to staff and ensure only high-quality specimens are tested.

After-hours Submissions:

WADDL accepts afterhours drop offs of cadavers on a case-by-case basis with prior approval. There is an after-hours surcharge if a cadaver is accepted after business hours or on holidays. WADDL business hours are 8:00 am – 5:00 pm Monday to Friday, and 8:00 am – 12:00 pm Saturdays.

Confidentiality Policy:

Client information provided to WADDL and the test results from samples submitted to WADDL will be treated as confidential information consistent with the applicable legal standards. Such confidential information will not be released to third parties without consent of the client/veterinarian of record except when required by law. We require written permission from individuals or veterinary hospitals listed on the accession in order to speak with anyone else concerning the submission. Please note, some test results may require reporting to state or national authorities as required by law.

General Fee Policies:

Fees are subject to change without notice.

Use of fax, mail, or online access to WADDL results is currently provided at no charge.

A $10.00 accession fee is applied to each case regardless of numbers of tests or animals included in the case. The accession fee will also be applied if the case has gone through the accessioning process even if no testing occurs.  To reduce the likelihood of this occurring, confirmation of sample type, assurance of sample quality and determination of appropriate testing is needed prior to submission.

STAT fees are available for some testing and apply to testing requested outside of the routine testing schedule. Please contact WADDL in advance to check availability and arrange schedule and fees.

Additional fees are applied to cases that may result in legal action. Please contact the laboratory prior to submission if the case needs to be processed as a legal case.

An after-hours surcharge will be assessed if a cadaver is accepted after business hours or on holidays.

Sample processing fees may be applied in some cases. Common reasons in which this fee is applied is in cases submitted with multiple samples that are not labeled clearly, samples that require subsampling by pathologists, or samples that require additional processing time or reagents.

Testing Policies:

Cancellation of testing may occur if communicated prior to test set up. If the test has been set, a report will be issued, and the test charged.

WADDL reserves the right to send specimens to outside referral laboratories to perform testing not performed by WADDL. Submitters will be billed for any additional costs incurred. A shipping and handling fee (including postage) will be applied unless otherwise indicated.

Disposal Policies:

WADDL does not accept remains for disposal only.

Carcasses are disposed of within 24 hours of necropsy.

Private cremation provided by a third-party contractor is available and must be requested on the WADDL accession form or online client portal upon submission of case to WADDL. Payment is required before the body is released to the cremation service provider and must occur within 3 business days of submission of the cadaver to the lab. Payment can be made online or by contacting WADDL by phone. Routine disposal will be performed by default for all cases in which private cremation is not requested at the time of submission paperwork.

Animal remains will not be returned directly to animal owners, as there may be hazards, including infectious agents or chemicals (e.g. euthanasia solution), that could impact human, animal, or environmental health. Specimens/remains may be returned to state or federal agencies and veterinarians/veterinary hospitals on a case-by-case basis.

Billing Policies:

Payments can be made online through our secure portal, by mail, or by calling with bankcard information.   ACH/EFT payments are highly discouraged, as they may take many months before they are routed to WADDL to be applied to your account.

Payment is required for release of testing results.  Clinics may pay by invoice or by a monthly statement, but not both.

Payment is required for necropsy services at time of drop off if the submission is from an animal owner.

Feedback and Complaints:

We are committed to continuous improvement and your feedback is important. Please call the main WADDL number 509-335-9696. All complaints are captured in our Quality Management System and will be handled by the Directors of WADDL or authorized delegate.

Other Policies:

Specimens submitted for examination may undergo additional diagnostic testing for state or federal disease surveillance programs, particularly involving foreign animal diseases. Such testing may require mandatory notification of state and/or federal regulatory authorities.

Samples submitted to WADDL may be used for test development, teaching or other research related projects.