I'm wondering if anyone knows why a blood sample that is spun down would result in a very thick, gel like serum portion? The dog being tested was last fed 12 hours prior to the blood draw; also, a full blood panel done a week before came back completely normal. TIA !
Probably related to high fibrin/fibrinogen or possibly high protein levels in the serum. How long was the sample spun in the centrifuge and for how long?
Maybe the serum separator tube was defective or expired. I would say if the blood test results come back questionable I would re-draw the blood and re-submit to the lab.
The serum can also "fibrinate" if the blood is not allowed to fully clot in the tube before its placed in the centrifuge. This is an in vitro occurrence and has nothing to do with the health of the dog. We see this happening to with human serum also in the Laboratory.
Agree with Diane...let it sit a bit longer(up to 30 min)to fully clot...your getting clotting protein artifact in the serum...nothing to do with your dogs health, we call it a "chicken fat" clot-nasty to look at but no biggie.
Good luck!
Lisa
