Direct Coombs Test (DAT)
A Direct Coombs Test (DAT) looks for antibodies or complement, parts of the immune system, stuck to red blood cells. It can help your vet see if a dog or cat's anaemia is caused by the immune system destroying red cells (IMHA); a negative result does not rule this out.
- Sample
- Whole blood (EDTA)
- Quantity
- As advised
- Report
- Confirmed when you book
- Collection
- Free in Bhopal
What this test checks
- Antibodies stuck to the surface of red blood cells
- Complement, another part of the immune system, attached to red blood cells
- Whether the immune system may be marking red cells for destruction, as in IMHA
Benefits of this test
- Can help your vet find out whether anaemia has an immune cause.
- Uses an EDTA blood sample, the same kind of tube used for a routine blood count.
- Helps your vet decide which other tests are needed, such as checks for blood parasites.
- Adds evidence when IMHA is suspected but the blood does not clump on its own.
- Can be read with the CBC and reticulocyte count for a fuller picture of the anaemia.
When your vet may advise it
- Pale or yellow gums, weakness or tiredness in a dog or cat.
- Dark red or brown urine, which can happen when red cells break down inside blood vessels.
- A blood test shows anaemia and your vet suspects red cells are being destroyed.
- A blood smear shows small, round red cells called spherocytes, which can be seen in IMHA.
- Fast breathing, collapse or sudden weakness with pale gums, which needs a vet urgently.
About this test
Red blood cells carry oxygen around the body. In immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia (IMHA), the body's own immune system attacks and destroys its red cells. Anaemia means too few red cells, so the animal becomes weak and its gums may look pale or yellow. IMHA can be very serious in dogs and cats, so vets try to find it early.
The Direct Coombs Test, also called the direct antiglobulin test (DAT), looks for antibodies or complement stuck to the red cells. Antibodies and complement are parts of the immune system that can mark cells for destruction. In the test, a special reagent made for the animal's species is added to its red cells. If the cells are coated, they clump together. The sample is whole blood in an EDTA tube, which stops it from clotting. Some medicines and a recent blood transfusion can change the result, so tell your vet about them.
A positive result supports an immune cause. IMHA can start on its own or be triggered by another problem, such as a blood parasite, a medicine or a tumour. So your vet may add tests like a Complete Blood Count (CBC), a reticulocyte count or a blood parasite smear. If the red cells already clump in a simple saline agglutination test, the vet may decide a DAT is not needed. A negative result does not rule IMHA out. A registered veterinarian reads the result together with your pet's signs, history and other tests.
How to prepare
No fasting is usually needed, but tell your vet about every medicine your pet has had and any recent blood transfusion, because these can change the result. The lab confirms the method, sample needs and reporting time when you book.
Reading the result
A registered veterinarian reads the DAT together with your pet's signs, history, blood count and blood smear. A positive result supports an immune cause of anaemia but does not show what triggered it. A negative result does not rule IMHA out, so your vet may repeat tests or add others.
Questions about DAT
What does a positive Coombs test mean in a dog?
Can a dog or cat have IMHA with a negative Coombs test?
Is the Coombs test the same for cats and dogs?
What are the signs of IMHA in dogs and cats?
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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DAT: 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
Read more
Immune-Mediated Anaemia: Coombs Test and Saline Agglutination
Immune-mediated anaemia (IMHA) means a dog's or cat's own immune system is destroying its red blood cells. The saline agglutination test and the Direct Coombs test look for antibodies on those cells, and a negative result does not always rule IMHA out.
18 Oct 2026