Heartworm is a serious problem that has several negative impacts on an animal's health and can ultimately lead to death. Fortunately, Idexx Laboratories has developed the SNAP test kit that allows veterinarians to determine whether an animal has been infected with heartworms. Although the test takes only eight minutes and the result is easy to read, conducting the test involves the collection of a blood sample and so is best left to a veterinarian or certified veterinary technician.
Things You'll Need
- Blood sample
- Conjugate
- Sample tube
- SNAP test kit
Instructions
Put three drops of the animal's blood and four drops of conjugate into a sample tube.
Close the cap on the sample tube and invert the tube five times to mix the blood and the conjugate.
Place the test on a flat surface.
Open the sample tube and empty it into the round sample well on the end of the test.
Hold the sample well end of the test still with one hand and snap the test with the other by pressing firmly on the activator until it is level with the base of the test. Do this as soon as the activation circle starts to change color. The activation circle is the small window located next to the activator.
Wait eight minutes.
Read the test results. If only the positive control dot has turned blue, the animal is heartworm-negative. The positive control dot is the dot opposite the circular end of the result window. If there is a blue dot to the left or right of the positive control dot, the animal is heartworm-positive.
Repeat the test if the negative control dot turns blue. This is the dot located in the circular portion of the Results window.