QSM Diagnostics is a company that provides pet owners with easy, fast, and accurate bacterial testing services for their pets, both in-clinic and at-home. We offer a wide range of testing kits that can be used by pet owners or veterinary professionals to quickly and accurately identify potential health issues in pets.

The benefits of using QSM Diagnostics' testing services include fast and accurate results, easy-to-use testing kits, and unparalleled support and service. By partnering with us, pet owners and veterinary professionals can access the latest in testing technology to help identify and address potential health issues in pets early on, before they become more serious.

QSM Diagnostics' testing services are highly accurate, providing reliable results that can help identify potential health issues in pets early on. Our testing kits are designed to be easy to use and provide fast results, ensuring that pet owners and veterinary professionals can make informed decisions about their pets' health quickly and confidently.

Testing kits can be purchased directly from our website or you can register your clinic to allow clients to purchase on FetchDX. We offer a range of testing kits to meet the needs of pet owners and veterinary professionals, and our customer service team is always available to answer any questions or provide additional support.

Veterinary professionals can partner with QSM Diagnostics by registering their clinic or purchasing test kits to sell in-office. By partnering with us, veterinary professionals can access accurate and reliable testing that can help them identify and address potential health issues in pets early on, before they become more serious.

QSM Diagnostics offers a comprehensive line of bacterial testing services for pets, including testing for urinary tract infections, respiratory infections, ear infections, and more. Our testing services are available both in-clinic and at-home, making it easy for pet owners to get fast and accurate results.

3 years.

Kits should be stored at room temperature in a dry location.

As long as a veterinarian prescribes or tells a pet owner to purchase a kit to help diagnose an animal, yes insurance will reimburse the cost the same way that it does for tests performed at the clinic.

Our kits are more expensive than competitor products because our kits automatically reflex to run a Culture ID & Sensitivity if any signs of infection are observed. Having the results of a Culture ID & Sensitivity allows you to select the most appropriate antibiotic for you patient. For cost constrained pet owners or if C&S results are already known, veterinarians can purchase Urinalysis ONLY or Cytology ONLY kits. We do not offer these kits to pet owners, they must be dispensed by the veterinarian.

A: It gives you a higher chance of false negatives. If you go halfway, that’s fine. If you’re going all the way to the bottom, you have a higher chance of missing Pseudomonas.

We receive hundreds of samples, and there is no noticeable difference between swabs collected by a pet owner and clinic staff.

We use the Idexx Bioanalytic testing lab, the reference lab for Idexx, and Ellie Diagnostics. Both labs test for contamination.

Our team of scientists has rigorously validated every aspect of the collection, transportation, and testing process used in our FetchDx kits. Many things need to be clarified about diagnostic testing due to many misconceptions. FetchDx Urinalysis results are accurate even after the sample has been sitting at room temperature for 48 hours, including microscopic crystal analysis [data on file]. Accurate culture ID and sensitivity results can be obtained from free catch samples. C&S helps determine if bacteria detected during urinalysis are pathogens or contamination. Commensal bacteria found on animals’ fur and skin generally differ from pathogenic strains that cause infections. The number of bacteria in contaminated urine samples is below 10,000 CFU per mL of urine.

Yes. If you suspect that the sample result that your client collected is incorrect, have the client bring their pet to your clinic, and your staff can collect a sample, and we will reimburse you for the testing costs when the new sample analysis is complete (we will send kind-for-kind kits).

3 years.

The FetchDx ear kit contains a medium tube with agar material suitable for 18 months. We will replace the agar tube (culturette) in the kit if the medium expires.

As long as a veterinarian prescribes or tells a pet owner to purchase a kit to help diagnose an animal, yes – insurance will reimburse the cost the same way if a test was performed at the clinic.

QSM uses a centrifugation process; float is no longer recommended and has been determined to be not as accurate.

The fecal sample is tested for the presence of Giardia antigen by ELISA.

If any of the following criteria are true: 1. >5 WBC/HPF (High Powered Field) are observed on microscopic examination 2. >5 Bacterial cells/HPF are observed on microscopic examination 3. Specific gravity is <1.015

QSM does microscopy in addition to dipstick. Dipsticks are not sensitive and often miss bacteria and white blood cells. Crystal analysis is a critical component of urinary tract health. A dip stick test does not provide any information about crystals. ALL FetchDx Urine kits automatically include a UPCR (urine protein to creatinine ratio) test. Dipsticks do not measure protein accurately and do not detect creatinine at all. Knowing both the protein value and the UPCR are important indicators of urinary tract health.

The cartridges have a 24-month shelf life from time of manufacture. An expiration date is printed on the shipping package and it is coded into the cartridge. The instrument will not run the test on an expired cartridge.

No. If you run out of elution buffer tubes, contact QSM Diagnostics to order additional tubes.

Do not clean the ear prior to collecting a sample. The more material collected on the swab the better. Ideally, collect as much material as possible using the QSM™ swab before collecting samples for any other test or removing debris from the ear to inspect with an otoscope.

The USB cable that is hard-wired in your OTTER EQ acts both as a power supply and for data transfer. Plug the Otter into a USB port on your computer – the Otter must be attached to a computer with the Otter QSM Software installed for you to see your results. You will need to install the software, prior to running your 1st test.

No.

The elution solution has a 24-month shelf life from time of manufacture. An expiration date is printed on the shipping package and it is coded into the cartridge.

No. It is critical that you use swabs provided in the cartridge package. If you run out of QSMTM swabs, contact QSM Diagnostics to order additional swabs. Containers of QSMTM swabs are available for order separately to have available in examination areas.

No maintenance or calibration is required for the OTTER EQ. Each cartridge has an internal reference calibration. If your practice performs regular instrument validation, a reference sample kit is available for purchase from QSM Diagnostics. If you suspect that your instrument is not performing correctly, please contact technical support at QSM Diagnostics.

The graph is a scan of the current being measured by the instrument when QSMs react with the sensor surface on the cartridge. The software analyzes the graph to determine the concentration of the QSM in the sample. The graphs are individual measurements being completed by the instrument to determine the concentration of the QSM in the sample.

The Pseudomonas cartridge will only detect the presence of Pseudomonas in your sample and quantify the amount of QSM that is produced. The presence of a mixed infection will not affect Otter’s ability to identify Pseudomonas. At this time, Otter will not identify other pathogens. QSM is currently developing other tests that will expand the number of species detected by a single cartridge.

Due to the stability of pyocyanin (the QSM produced by Pseudomonas), if there is bioactive Pseudomonas present, even if medications are in the sample, the device will detect the bacteria. The medication does not interfere with the quantification. This makes the device a good choice during recheck exams for monitoring response to therapeutics.

As long as the swab is still wet, you can use it wet the sensor on the cartridge and perform the test as normal. If the swab is dry, you will need to open a new elution solution tube and wet the swab in it before wetting the sensor on the cartridge.

10k cartridges without issue.

Yes – it is recommended that the dry bath remain turned on at 37 C.

You shouldn’t run sensitivity for the ear test because values do not translate from oral (systemic) to topical medications. Most experts agree that you don’t need to run a sensitivity for first-time infection for UTI either. Vets should refer to the latest local antibiogram, which provides suggestions for treatment based on the ID. Antibiotic stewardship committees compile and update these documents at referral hospitals. Soon, these antibiograms will be provided in the Otter dashboard. From the most recent research and dermatologists' discussions, running a culture with sensitivity is not recommended. The culture ID alone is what is recommended, but most reference laboratories do not offer the two tests separately and most of the time and cost is in the culture ID.

Clean the Otter with a wet wipe or a cloth wetted with ethanol or similar disinfectant.

We recycle the Otter cartridges for you! Each case of tests includes a bag with a pre-paid UPS return shipping label. As you use the cartridges, just toss them in the bag. When it is full send them back to us for recycling. (Used swabs, buffer tubes, and agar tubes should be disposed with the biowaste at your clinic.)

A: There is no software to install A: The clinic creates an account on the Otter website and registers their Otter via a serial number on the bottom of the instrument. A: The clinic registers patients in the website, thus having a record of all performed Otter testing

A: Yes, the sticker peels off of the cartridge to reveal the sensing area where the sample is applied.

One offer per clinic = Otter, 60 cartridges with growth medium, and incubator = $600.00 Afterwards, you can buy 30 or 60 packs of cartridges; 30-pack = $12.00 per cartridge, and 60-pack = $10.00 per cartridge.

There is no expiration date on the cartridges. The elution buffer and growth medium have an 18 month shelf life.

Sensitivity = 92%, Specificity = 96%, and Accuracy = 94%

Two minutes. Make sure that it heats up to around 37 C. The temperature is shown on the front.

No – it makes it even more sensitive; time increases the sensitivity. The bacteria make 90% of the QSM during the first 12 hours of incubation.

The growth medium lasts 18 months; however, we can provide new growth medium tubes if they expire before the cartridges are used.