Preanalytical factors in the clinical pathology of wildlife

Laboratory tests play an important role in the study of wildlife animals, providing information concerning the physiological aspects of the patients. Laboratory tests follow standardized protocols, producing reliable results. The processing of biological samples is divided into preanalytical, analytical and postanalytical stages. The preanalytical phase has the highest chance of error, resulting in equivocal information. The clinical pathology of wild animals is still a growing or even unknown area by many practitioners. There are several factors prior to laboratory analysis that must be standardized in order to obtain correct results. The aim of this paper is therefore to review the main factors related to the pre-analytical phase in the processing of wildlife specimens in the area of clinical pathology.