Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC / UIBC) & Transferrin Saturation
This test shows how much iron the blood's carrier protein, transferrin, can hold (TIBC), how much space is still free (UIBC) and how full it is (saturation). Read with serum iron, it helps a vet look at iron status and anaemia.
- Sample
- Serum (plain)
- Quantity
- As advised
- Report
- Confirmed when you book
- Collection
- Free in Bhopal
What this test checks
- TIBC: the total amount of iron that transferrin can carry
- UIBC: the part of transferrin that is not yet carrying iron
- Transferrin saturation: how full the iron carrier is, as shown on the report
When your vet may advise it
- When serum iron is low and your vet wants to know why
- Anaemia in a dog, cat, cow or buffalo where iron shortage is suspected
- Anaemia in an animal with a long-term illness or inflammation
- Rechecks to follow iron status over time
About this test
Iron travels in the blood attached to a carrier protein called transferrin. TIBC (total iron binding capacity) shows how much iron transferrin could carry, UIBC (unsaturated iron binding capacity) shows the unused space, and transferrin saturation shows how full the carrier is. These values are read with the serum iron test. Together they can help your vet tell whether low iron is more likely from a real shortage, such as long-term blood loss, or from long-term illness, where the body holds iron back in storage. A registered veterinarian compares these values with serum iron, the blood count and the animal's history.
How to prepare
A plain serum sample is used, and broken red cells in the tube can disturb the result. Ask your vet about any food or medicine instructions before sampling. The lab confirms the method, sample needs and reporting time when you book.
Questions about TIBC
What is the difference between serum iron and TIBC?
Does low iron in the blood always mean iron deficiency?
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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TIBC: 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