Hi

I am trying to figure out how to send a blood sample to Hemopet in the US. I have spoken with UPS and they say as an individual can't send a blood sample.  FedEx are charging over £100 for 2 day delivery.  Does anyone here know how to send a blood sample to Hemopet?  Which company do I use for shipping??  What info do I need to put on the customs label?  Is there someone in the UK who can ship the sample for me for a small fee?

Many thanks for any advice given

I assume you have read all this although not sure it helps your exact question.

https://hemopet.org/shipping-instructions/

https://hemopet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/International-Shipping-Instructions-2020.pdf

I think FedEx is your best option and will also ensure it gets there with all paperwork done correctly and trackable. I'd definitely fork out the FedEx fee...

I had not seen the 2nd link so thank you very much for that.....

If I was sending 1 sample once I agree FedEx seems best.  But testing has to be done every 6 weeks until the perfect dose is found so that could cost a lot after a few tests....  UPS is about £24 but won't let me send as an individual.

Have you spoken to Parcel Force at all? Might be worth checking with them as they can do overnight delivery from UK to USA.

I've just been on USPS website and as an individual it allows for booking, pick up and delivery service from UK to USA.

@suejaw apologies I don't know how to tag people on here!  Yes you can book a UK to US delivery with UPS BUT you cannot send a blood sample with them as an individual.  You need to be a business and have preapproval from them.  We have an email reply from them stating this.  There are restrictions on sending blood samples with all postal carriers.

I think blood falls into a special category and needs specialist shipping treatment. I only know this because I looked into sending blood to a lab in the US when my bitch was pregnant, to get nomographs for the puppies and know when to vaccinate (as per Avidog recommendations).

I decided not to in the end, but I did get as far as discovering that blood needs specialist shipping...

Could the vets book it as a business and you pay them the fee?

@suejaw they don't ship to the US.  Very few vets do.

When I was going to do this my vet was happy to do everything except arranging shipping that would have been down to me .
Is it worth having a chat and seeing how helpful your vet could be as I assume u will have to use them to take the bloods
After reading the links again its  not just whole blood u are sending it needs to go through other processes which would be something your vet would need to do

When I've done it a few times in the past, fedex was the only company suitable for it.  That may have changed as it has been quite a long time now.  I'd stick with them though - they were always reliable for me.

> I think blood falls into a special category and needs specialist shipping treatment.

Hemopet requires separated serum, not whole blood, so it's a little easier on that front.

It's not as daunting as it seems, as long as you're prepared, so get your shipping stuff together ahead of time (postal box and bubble wrap - no packing peanuts or shredded paper, they don't like it!), and print instruction for the vet to follow too.  They need a particular amount of serum that needs to be centrifuged in specific coloured tubes.