Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Blood Sample Shipped

Thyroid problems seem to be more an more common among dogs these days. I have read about quite a few Shiba Inus that have hypothyroidism, and a few also showed symptoms of itchiness. I seriously thought about the possibility many times that maybe Maya also have thyroid disorders, but somehow always dismissed the idea. Our past few vets have never brought it up as well. 

During our first appointment with Dr. M, she noticed a few symptoms that could be related to thyroid issues and wanted us to get a blood test done. If it really is hypothyroidism, it could be an easy fix with one pill. If not, at least we can rule it out. Though most vets can run the test, she suggested us to send the blood sample to Hemopet, which is also recommended by many forum members, since they have a much more complete and breed specific database. 

Because Dr. M only does house visits and she doesn't have the equipment, we had to go back to our regular vet to get the blood drawn. Unfortunately, it's been over a year since our last visit, so we had to go in for a formal office visit. After 10+ minutes of not-that-useful chat with the doctor, he agreed to help draw the blood. The good news is that they didn't charge me anything extra. As always, Maya took it with a stride and I was off with two small vials of blood/serum after a short wait. Even though the receptionist told us before the appointment that they will package the samples for me, they only provided a small box and an ice pack. I had to do some DIY packaging on my own.

At the FedEx store, the guy was shocked when I told him I'm shipping dog blood. It took him a while and a few phone calls to make sure it's something they can accept. However, it was my turn to be surprised when he quoted me $59 for over-night shipping. After some debate, I opted for the $9 2-day shipping instead. Fingers crossed that Maya's precious blood will arrive safely at Hemopet tomorrow.

[Edit 5/1/2013 10:40] Just got an email from Hemopet. Looks like the samples have arrived with no problems.

Whole blood and serum samples

Wrapped in bubble wrap

Printed forms and blood sample in a ziploc bag

Added an ice pack

Wrapped in a towel and in another ziploc bag

Tucked in a box


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