Canine blood typing QuickTest and Feline blood typing QuickTest
Both the Canine blood typing QuickTest and Feline blood typing QuickTest (Alvedia) are easy-to-use in-clinic tests designed to determine the major immunoreactive blood types of dogs and cats. The tests use immunochromatography and monoclonal antibodies to DEA1.1 (dog) and the A and B blood group antigens (cats). These tests can be performed with as little as 10 microlitres of blood with results obtained within three minutes. Knowing the blood type of donors and recipients is important in transfusion medicine, in particular in cats where a mismatched blood transfusion can cause rapid death.
For further information on the importance of blood typing in dogs and cats please click download the PDF:
- Blood Typing Dogs
- Blood Typing Cats
For information sheets on these QuickTest products please download:
> Alvedia Brochure: Quick Test for Blood Typing In Cats & Dogs (PDF)
> Alvedia Quick Test users guide: Instructions for the Quick Test Procedure (PDF)
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The Gamma-Check tests provide a means for the rapid screening of immunoglobulin levels (mainly IgG) in colostrum, whole blood, or serum. The tests are based on the ability of glutaraldehyde to react with gammaglobulin. The occurrence of this reaction in blood, serum or colostrum causes a solid clot formation. This clot formation is the end point of the test and the time taken for the clot to form is inversely related to the amount of gammaglobulin present.
Gamma-Check®E
The Gamma-Check-E test is designed to be a rapid screening test for foals, using whole blood or serum. It was developed as a semi-quantitative means of measuring the foal's IgG level. This test offers results within 5 minutes and can be done "mare side". No special equipment is needed and the test can be run as early as 8 hours post-foaling allowing time for oral colostrum supplementation. A positive result indicates that the IgG level is greater or equal to 800 mg/dl.
CAUTION: False positive results are occasionally seen when samples are hemolyzed or when a foal has a high fibrinogen level. If the foal is not healthy, we do not recommend using the test. As false negatives do occasionally occur, we do not recommend transfusing a foal with plasma based only on the results of the Gamma-Check-E test. If the foal tests negative, we suggest repeating the test using the Foal RID test for qualitative results.
Gamma-Check®C
The Gamma-Check-C test screens equine colostrum for "adequate" gamma globulin. In doing so, it provides a simple means of selecting only high quality colostrum for supplementation and banking. This test works on both fresh and thawed colostrum and provides results in 10 minutes with a solid clot indicating an IgG of 3800 mg/dl or greater. The test results also aid in identifying foals at risk for FPT, allowing time to implement preventative measures to protect the foal.
Principles of Test
Single radial immunodiffusion tests are an accurate, quantitative means for measuring proteins in serum and other fluids. The Equine RID test has been developed to allow you to measure equine IgG easily, economically, and quickly. Serum is placed into wells in a radial immunodiffusion plate where it diffuses out into agar on the plate. This agar contains antibodies to the IgG in equine serum. After a few hours, because of antibody reacting with the IgG antigen, visible precipitation rings form in the agar. The diameter of these rings is related to the IgG concentration in the serum placed into the well. Using serum reference standards of known IgG concentration, the concentration of the IgG in a test serum can then be easily determined.
Contents of Kit
Each kit comprises: A) a radial immunodiffusion 24-well plate containing agar gel with antiserum to equine IgG dissolved in it, B) three equine reference sera of known IgG levels, C) graph paper with a measuring scale and instructions. (We do not include pipettes to measure out the 5ul test samples. Many laboratories and clinics have their own, but we can supply boxes of 100. These are capillary tubes with a plunger.)
Performance of the Test
When the kit is used for the first time, it is necessary to use the three reference sera to construct a graph from which future readings will be taken. This is done by allowing the plate to reach room temperature and, using the 5ul pipette, transferring 5ul of each reference sera and test samples to separate wells in the plate. After at least 5 hours, when the rings are visible, their diameters are measured using the mm scale. The best fit line is drawn through the three points from the reference sera and then the concentration of IgG in the test sample determined. In subsequent tests, it is not necessary to repeat all the reference samples. As long as one is used and the samples are left about the same amount of time, the results will be accurate if the reference chosen still lies on the graph line.
The Equine kit contains standards for IgG levels of: 2560, 1400, and 280. Used in combination with the Gamma-Check group of tests, the RID offers the ideal solution to accurately evaluate the foal with a low IgG level.
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