University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory

05/26/2026

Rabies Surveillance update:

Explore 37 years of Kentucky rabies testing data across 120 counties. Interactive dashboard with trends, geographic distribution, seasonal patterns, and county-level analysis of 39,967 specimens.

05/19/2026

UKVDL will be Open 9am - noon Monday May 25, 2026 for Memorial Day to receive animals for necropsy only. No testing available.

05/08/2026

Dear UKVDL Clients,

We are pleased to inform you that water service to the laboratory has been restored. As a result, we will resume our normal operations and regular schedule tomorrow.

Thank you for your understanding.

Sincerely,

Becky Wilkes

05/07/2026

Dear UKVDL Clients,
We want to inform you that we are experiencing an unexpected water outage that requires us to temporarily shut down operations effective immediately.
Due to this issue, we are unable to safely continue normal services at this time. We are unsure when the water will be back on, but we expect to resume normal services tomorrow morning. We will update you when we know more.
We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding.
Thank you,
Becky Wilkes


Rebecca Wilkes, DVM, PhD, DACVM (virology and bacteriology/mycology)
Director and Associate Professor
University of Kentucky
Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment
Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
PO Box 14125 (mailing)
1490 Bull Lea Road (shipping)
Lexington, KY 40512-4125
859-257-3373

04/24/2026

Dear valued UKVDL clients,

Beginning next Thursday April 30th, 2026 the UKVDL's IMMULITE 2000 which performs our endocrine assays (ACTH, Thyroid Panels, Cortisol, Progesterone, and Phenobarbitol) will be out of service for approximately 1 week as we relocate this machine and insure optimal performance. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope to return to normal testing as soon as possible. During this time, UKVDL will be routing any assays performed on the IMMULITE to Cornell University at no additional expense. Routing this testing to Cornell may result in an additional 1-3 day testing delay.

If testing is required in a timely fashion, please consider shipping samples directly to Cornell Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory during this period as they offer equivalent assays.

Sincerely,

Melissa Swan DVM, MS, Dip. ACVP
Assistant Professor of Pathology
Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences
College of Agriculture, Food & Environment
University of Kentucky
1490 Bull Lead Road
Lexington, KY 40511
O: 859-257-6917
[email protected]

04/10/2026

04/04/2026

Bring your pets & come see us at our pop-up clinic!

03/30/2026

Dear Clients,

UKVDL has initiated Brucella canis testing utilizing immunofluorescence assay (IFA) methodology. Testing will be conducted on Mondays, with results expected within one business day. In order to protect samples from extreme temperatures, please ship samples to the laboratory as soon as possible. Samples must be dropped off in the lab by 8:30 am Monday morning to be included in the Monday testing. If you have any questions, please call 859.257.8283.

03/02/2026

Dear UKVDL Clients,
We wanted to inform you that we are unable to run EIA testing this afternoon due to an unexpected staff illness.
All other laboratory services will continue as normal, and EIA testing will resume tomorrow.
If you have time‑sensitive samples, please feel free to contact the lab to make arrangements- 859-257-8283.
Thank you for your understanding, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

02/27/2026

Congratulations Dr. Prater!

02/26/2026

Dear Valued Clients,
We are writing to inform you that our laboratory will no longer be offering the Toxoplasmosis Antibody (Toxoplasma gondii) test, effective immediately. This decision is due to changes in testing demand.
We understand this change may cause inconvenience, and we are committed to assisting you in identifying alternative testing resources as needed. If you have any questions, please contact our laboratory at 859-257-8283.
Thank you for your understanding and continued partnership.