This issue of Clinics in Laboratory Medicine provides approaches and diagnostic techniques relating to the assessment of small and exotic animals. Topics covered include: Clinical Approach to Advanced Renal Function Testing in Dogs and Cats; A Laboratory Diagnostic Approach to Hepatobiliary Disease in Small Animals; Diagnosis of Small Intestinal Disorders in Dogs and Cats; Practical Interpretation and Application of Exocrine Pancreatic Testing in Small Animals; Using Cardiac Biomarkers in Veterinary Practice; Use of Lactate in Small Animal Practice; Diagnosis of Disorders of Iron Metabolism in Dogs and Cats; Making Sense of Lymphoma Diagnostics in Small Animal Patients; Hematology of Domestic Ferret; Hematological Assessment in Pet Rabbits: Blood Sample Collection and Blood Cell Identification; Hematological Assessment in Pet Rats, Mice, Hamsters, and Gerbils: Blood Sample Collection and Blood Cell Identification; Hematological Assessments in Pet Guinea Pigs: Blood Sample Collection and Blood Cell Identification; Avian Hematology; Reptile Hematology; Fish Hematology and Associated Disorders; Evaluation of the Blood Film.

Topics in this clinically focused publication devoted to Cardiac Markers include: Overview of cardiac markers in heart disease; Methodologies for measurement of cardiac markers; Natriuretic peptides in HF and ACS; Tropoinins and high sensitivity troponins; Point-of-care testing for cardiac markers; ST-2 and galectin 3 in patients with heart failure; Cardiac markers following heart surgery and percutaneous coronary intervention; Cholesterol, lipoproteins, high sensitivity CRP and other risk factors for atherosclerosis; Myocarditis and cardiac transplant and rejection; New molecular genetic tests in the diagnosis of heart disease; Biomarkers for cholesterol balance.

This issue presents topics of importance in current point-of-care testing for laboratory medicine professionals. Topics such as POCT: An overview and look to the future; Fine needle aspiration biopsy: POCT in cytopathology; Drugs of abuse; POCT and disaster response; POCT regulatory affairs; Fecal occult blood testing; Tight Glycemic control;Molecular POCT; Information management and connectivity; Alternate QC and EQC; Managing POCT; and Coagulation and D-dimer