Blood Culture & Sensitivity
A blood culture checks whether bacteria are growing in an animal's bloodstream and, if they are, which antibiotics may work against them. It is used for suspected sepsis in dogs, cats, cows and buffaloes.
- Sample
- Blood in a culture bottle
- Quantity
- As advised
- Report
- Confirmed when you book
- Collection
- Free in Bhopal
What this test checks
- Bacteria growing from blood collected into culture bottles
- Which antibiotics the bacteria are sensitive or resistant to
When your vet may advise it
- Fever that does not settle and has no clear cause
- A very weak or collapsing animal when your vet suspects sepsis
- A suspected infection of the heart valves
- Infection that may be spreading from a wound, the womb or the gut into the blood
About this test
Healthy blood has no bacteria growing in it. Having bacteria in the blood is called bacteraemia, and the body's harmful reaction to such an infection is called sepsis. A veterinarian cleans the skin and draws blood with strict sterile care into special culture bottles. The bottles are incubated, which means kept warm so any bacteria can grow, and any germ that grows is tested against antibiotics. Bacteria may enter the blood only now and then, so vets often send more than one sample. A culture can stay negative if antibiotics were already given. A registered veterinarian interprets the result with the animal's signs, other tests and treatment so far.
How to prepare
Only a vet should collect blood for culture, using sterile bottles. If possible, the sample is taken before antibiotics start. The lab confirms the method, sample needs and reporting time when you book.
Questions about Blood Culture & Sensitivity
Why might my vet take more than one blood culture?
What does a negative blood culture mean?
Before you book this test
Why this notice: so you know, before you book, how a test is done, what its limits are and who is responsible.
- Where it is tested. Some tests are done wholly or partly by an independent partner laboratory. The lab tells you before booking if this test is sent out, and the report names the laboratory that did it.
- What a result can and cannot tell you. No test is right every time. A normal result does not rule out every disease, and an abnormal result does not prove one. A registered veterinarian should read the report with the animal’s signs and history before any treatment is started, changed or stopped.
- The sample. A sample that is clotted, too small, wrongly labelled, leaking or too old may be rejected or reported with a note, and the lab may ask for a fresh one.
- Reporting time. Confirmed when you book. Times are estimates, not guarantees, and the lab confirms the time when you book.
- Emergencies. A booking or a pending report must not delay urgent care. If an animal has collapsed, struggles to breathe, has fits or bleeds heavily, call a veterinarian at once.
Please read our Terms of Service, Medical Disclaimer, Privacy Policy and Refund and Cancellation Policy. Pashupatinath Vet Lab is operated by Duaji Healthcare and Tech Private Limited. This page is general information and does not replace a veterinarian’s advice.
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Blood Culture & Sensitivity: Bhopal and the big cities of Madhya Pradesh
Free sample collection anywhere in Bhopal. From the other cities, send the sample by courier, bus parcel or through your local veterinarian, and the report comes to you online.
Free collection in these Bhopal areas