MU Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory

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FAQs


What if the test I want is not listed?

Contact the VMDL at 1-800-862-8635. Not all tests are listed in the fee guide.  Tests that are not performed at the MU VMDL can be subcontracted to other accredited laboratories.


What sample do I collect? How do I send it?

The type of sample to send is indicated in the Tests and Fees section.  For information on collecting and mailing samples, please refer to “How to Submit a Sample.”


Does the lab receive samples on weekends and holidays?

The VMDL is officially closed, no Fedex/UPS deliveries are received on weekends and the following holidays:  New Year’s Day (January 1), Martin Luther King Day, Memorial Day, the 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the Friday after, and Christmas Day (December 25).  Post office mail is picked up Saturday morning and some lab sections will work on specimens.   Make sure that packages are shipped to arrive Monday through Friday.  Testing on samples that arrive immediately before a holiday may be delayed.


Does the lab run tests on weekends and holidays?

A small number of employees working on weekends and holidays to complete tests. A pathologist is available on Saturdays from approximately 9:30-11:30. For emergency necropsy, please call at 1-800-UMC-VMDL (1-800-862-8635). A veterinary student assigned to emergency duty will respond. For emergency lab tests, please make prior arrangement with VMDL sections that run the tests.


Many of the tests require overnight shipping of samples. This is expensive. Is there a way to decrease the cost?

Yes.  There is a mechanism to ship packages overnight by FedEx at a significantly reduced cost.  Please call the VMDL at 1-800-UMC-VMDL (1-800-862-8635) or 573-882-6811 to learn how you can save money on sample shipping.


Does the VMDL bill clients directly?

The submitting client (a veterinarian, animal owner or business owner) is responsible for payment of all services provided by the VMDL. Call to set up an account.


Turnaround times are listed in business days. What does that mean?

Business days refer to Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.  A ‘day’ means 24 hours.


Can I obtain supplies needed to collect and submit samples from the VMDL?

Yes.  Please refer to the Client Supplies Order Form.


Message from the Director

The University of Missouri Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (VMDL) is a full-service veterinary diagnostic laboratory and Missouri’s only laboratory accredited by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians. The VMDL is a Level I Lab of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, Tier I Lab of the FDA Veterinary Laboratory Response Network, and a National Poultry Improvement Plan authorized lab. The VMDL maintains an effective quality assurance and quality control program.

The VMDL has formal anatomical pathology, clinical pathology, and clinical microbiology training programs. The VMDL faculty hold academic appointments in the Departments of Veterinary Pathobiology and Veterinary Biomedical Sciences. The director is administratively responsible to the dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine for the overall operation of the laboratory and its multiple missions of public service, teaching, research and continuing education/extension.

The VMDL faculty and staff work diligently to provide relevant, timely and cost-effective diagnostic services to our clients and to create a positive learning environment for our students and residents. In 2024, veterinarians, animal owners and researchers from 103 Missouri counties and cities, as well as from 51 states and provinces outside Missouri, continued to rely on the Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory’s (VMDL) diagnostic services. The lab performed approximately 63,500 total cases and conducted nearly 204,500 tests.

About the MU VMDL

The VMDL is a full-service laboratory accredited by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD). The VMDL provides in-depth laboratory diagnostic support to veterinary practitioners, livestock and poultry industry interests, companion animal interests, wildlife conservationists, scientists utilizing animals in their research throughout the university, state and regulatory officials, and clinicians of the MU Veterinary Health Center.

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901 E. Campus Loop
Columbia, MO 65211

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