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APPROVE MOTION TO EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT WITH IDEXX LABORATORIES FOR DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $60,283 ANNUALLY AND $343,614 FOR A 6-YEAR TERM
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RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council approve a motion to:
1. Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute an agreement for diagnostic equipment not to exceed $60,283 annually and $343,614 for a 6-year term; and
2. Approve findings pursuant to Stockton Municipal Code section 3.68.070 in support of an exception to the competitive bidding process.
It is further recommended that the City Manager, or designee, is hereby authorized and directed to make any and all expenditures and appropriations on behalf of the City as appropriate and necessary to carry out the purpose and intent of this motion.
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Summary
IDEXX Laboratories is a nationally recognized leader in veterinary diagnostics, providing advanced equipment tailored for shelters, veterinary hospitals, and other high-volume animal care facilities. Their suite of analyzers functions as an interconnected system, delivering rapid and reliable results across a wide range of tests, including chemistry, blood counts, urinalysis, and disease-specific screenings. At present, the City of Stockton Animal Shelter has limited testing capabilities, restricted mostly to basic bloodwork, and must send out more advanced samples to outside laboratories. This reliance on external testing slows down treatment, adds costs, and extends animals’ length of stay, which increases the risk of illness spreading and adds pressure to already full kennels. By adding IDEXX analyzers on site, the shelter’s veterinary staff will be able to run more complex diagnostics quickly and efficiently, make faster and better-informed treatment and surgical decisions, and provide improved care that supports healthier animals, shorter stays, and higher adoption and live release rates.
DISCUSSION
Background
IDEXX Laboratories is a nationally recognized leader in veterinary diagnostic solutions, providing equipment specifically designed for high-volume animal care facilities, veterinary hospitals, and shelters. The IDEXX Analyzer suite of equipment was developed to function as an integrated system, where each analyzer supports the other by sharing data and delivering rapid, accurate results. These analyzers are designed to test routine chemistries, advanced diagnostics, complete blood counts, electrolytes, and urinalysis samples within minutes, reducing reliance on external laboratories.
For municipal animal shelters, access to timely diagnostic results is crucial. Unlike private veterinary practices, shelters manage a much higher volume of animals with a wider range of health challenges, often with limited resources and urgent timelines for treatment decisions. IDEXX equipment has been adopted by many municipal agencies and non-profit shelters across the country because of its reliability, comprehensive diagnostic capability, and seamless integration of test results into patient records. By investing in IDEXX diagnostic equipment, the City ensures that the shelter’s veterinary team can make faster, evidence-based decisions that improve outcomes for animals in care and maximize the efficient use of staff time and resources.
Present Situation
The City of Stockton Animal Shelter currently has only limited diagnostic capacity, restricted to basic Complete Blood Count (CBC) and Chemistry panels. While these tools are helpful, they do not provide the full spectrum of diagnostics needed to effectively evaluate and treat the diverse medical conditions presented by the approximately 8,000 animals admitted each year. Many of these animals arrive sick, injured, or with unknown medical histories, and timely diagnostics are essential to determining appropriate treatment, surgical candidacy, and humane outcomes.
At present, when tests beyond the shelter’s in-house capabilities are required, samples must be sent to external laboratories. This process delays treatment decisions, increases costs, and can compromise the ability of staff to respond quickly in urgent or life-threatening cases. In addition, delayed results often prolong an animal’s length of stay, increasing the risk of disease transmission and compounding capacity challenges within the shelter.
By expanding the shelter’s in-house diagnostic equipment through IDEXX, veterinary staff will be able to perform a wider range of tests such as advanced chemistries, electrolyte panels, urinalysis, and disease-specific assays directly on site. The analyzers’ ability to communicate with each other and provide consolidated results will streamline workflow, reduce turnaround times, and ensure more accurate treatment planning. This expanded diagnostic capacity will allow veterinary staff to identify and treat contagious diseases more quickly, make more informed surgical decisions, and manage high case volumes with greater efficiency, ultimately improving overall health outcomes for shelter animals and supporting higher adoption and live release rates.
Some specialty services related to each piece of equipment are listed below:
Catalyst One Analyzer
• Uses advanced optics and algorithms for each specific assay, ensuring quality results for every run.
• Dry-slide technology, which limits impact of interfering substances
• Chemistry results in as little as 8 minutes
• Clinically Advanced test-SDMA, total T4, Bile Acids, C-reactive protein, Fructosamine, Urine P:C ratio, Phenobarbital, Pancreatic Lipase & Cortisol
• Smart QC Control verifies optimal performance-once a month
Procyte One Hematology Analyzer
• Ease of use with load-and-go workflow and uses advanced technology, automated SmartQC and advanced HD laser, to deliver accurate results with little hands-on or maintenance time (automated quality control maintenance)
• Identify patterns in CBC results with interpretive aids, graphical dot plots for quick visual analysis
SediVue Dx UA Analyzer
• Leverages our proprietary Advanced Bacteria Detection solution to instantly confirm the presence or absence of bacteria in patient samples, ability to quickly determine next steps
• 3-minute run time
• Provides the equivalent of more than 45 HPFs-ensures excellent sensitivity for elements such as casts, epithelial cells and rare crystals
• Uses algorithms refined from a library of 1.0 billion fresh patient samples
IDEXX Vet Lab Station
• The Information Management System provides true two-way communication with your practice management system and transfers all patient information across all diagnostic analyzers from one single point of entry for staff efficiency
Snap Pro (2)
• Automatically activates, times and interprets your Snap test
Findings
Stockton Municipal Code section 3.68.070 provides for an exception to the competitive bidding requirements in cases wherein the City Council has made findings that support and justify the purchase via a single sole source.
Findings to support the purchase are as follows:
1. The Idexx equipment is compatible with existing equipment in the new Animal Services Clinic, on Fremont Street, coming online in November 2025. Continuing to streamline new purchases within Idexx portfolio provides for continuity of service across platforms.
2. The City does not have capacity to keep up with diagnostic demands within the shelter and clinic. Idexx provides a robust platform allowing the Animal Services Team to expand the portfolio of services available to its animals, with faster service delivery times, ultimately intended to lead to faster treatment delivery.
3. Expanding the Idexx equipment provided in-house is intended to eliminate the need for the City to outsource work to external laboratories, when the demand exceeds the capability, reducing expense and improving service delivery.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
The proposed cost is not to exceed $60,283 annually and $343,614 in total for a 6-year term with IDEXX Laboratories. Funding for these services is included in the FY 2025-26 Police Department’s Animal Shelter General Fund budget.
Attachment A - IDEXX 360 Agreement