Culture and Sensitivity ( C&S) - A culture is used to determine which bacteria are causing an infection. The sensitivity is a printout of antibiotics which can be used to treat the infection. A C&S takes a minimum of two days, although a preliminary report may be available sooner. Ideally a C&S is collected before antibiotics are prescribed. However, if the glider is not responding , it is necessary to collect a specimen while on antibiotics. The bacteria will grow because the proper antibiotic is not being used to treat the glider. In addition to prescribing an antibiotic that the organism is sensitive to, the vet must also consider the location of the infection. Some antibiotics cross abscess walls better than others, while other antibiotics concentrate better in the urine.

Gram’s Stain (gmst)- Material from the infected area is smeared on a slide and stained. It is looked at under the microscope to determine if there are white cells present, which groups of bacteria might be present, as well as yeast.

Urinalysis (UA)- This test consists of two parts, the dip stick and the microscopic. The dipstick has colored squares which change color when dipped in urine. Some of the tests include white cells, glucose, blood, pH, and bilirubin. The microscopic checks for white cells, bacteria, yeast, red blood cells, etc. If any of these are present, the urine should be sent out for a C&S. A urinalysis should be part of your glider’s annual vet visit.

CBC (complete blood count) This is a blood tests which measures the number of white cells present as well as the amount of blood present in the glider. An increased number of white cells might mean an infection is present. Some abbreviations include WBC (white blood cells), Hgb (hemoglobin), HCT (hematocrit). Hemoglobin and hematocrit have to do with the amount of blood present.

Differential (Diff)- this is the part of the CBC and is used to differentiate the types of white cells present. This is helpful in deternining whether an infection is viral or bacterial.

Fecal float and smear- this test is to look for parasites and should be done at least annually. If your glider is having diarrhea, the vet may request more than one sample as false negatives are possible. It is important to submit a fresh specimen for this test.

There are many different blood chemistry tests available! Some of the more commonly ordered include:

Na (Sodium)
K (Potassium)
CL (Chloride)
CO2 (Carbon dioxide)

Glu (glucose)
BUN(blood urea nitrogen)- kidney function test
Creatinin-another kidney function test
Mg (Magnesium)
Ca (Calcium)
P (Phosphorus)
TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone)