Laboratory testing has always been an important part of veterinary practice, and advances in technology have allowed veterinarians to bring more testing in-house. Each day’s flood of new product information brings with it still another supplier’s literature loudly trumpeting the ability of their products to provide veterinarians with the important clinical data needed for timely medical decisions.

There is one problem, however. Where we used to extract a tooth, we now perform a root canal. Where we used to remove a femoral head, we implant a gleaming artificial hip joint. Where we used to euthanize animals with cancer,