IDEXX topic of the month

Even with the most sophisticated haematology analysers, there are instances where evaluating the blood smear provides us with helpful and actionable clinical information that will have an impact on patient care and would otherwise not be detected. Following from the previous webinars: “Breaking down the haematology…”, in this session we will review a very basic approach to examination of the blood smear. We will address the examination of the blood smear in a systematic way and cover the most common changes that can be detected, or have an impact in que quality of the haematology analyser results. This webinar is provided by BSAVA Education Partner IDEXX. A collection of IDEXX ‘topic of the month’ webinars is available here.

In this second part of the webinar about automated haematology results, we will focus on white blood cells. We will start by briefly reviewing the different methodologies of analysis, then we will discuss the relevance of the white blood cell parameters and some common pattern of changes. We will review through examples the importance of the information that dot plots can provide, and how to integrate them in interpretation of results, with some guidelines for blood smear review. This webinar is provided by BSAVA Education Partner IDEXX. A collection of IDEXX ‘topic of the month’ webinars is available here.

In this webinar Dr Sarah Sweet discusses chronic kidney disease (CKD) and acute kidney injury (AKI) discussing diagnostic challenges and the characteristics of each condition. This webinar is provided by BSAVA Education Partner IDEXX. A collection of IDEXX ‘topic of the month’ webinars is available here.

Canine leishmania is a vector borne disease caused by the protozoan parasite Leishmania infantum and transmitted by sand flies. Leishmania infantum is endemic in many parts of southern Europe. The sand fly vector is not currently present in the UK, but despite this, the disease is being identified more and more frequently, due to the large number of imported dogs being brought into the UK from mainland Europe. Clinical disease results from an inappropriate and ineffective immune response to the parasite. A wide variety of clinical signs can be present which may include exfoliative dermatitis, lymphadenopathy and weight loss. In this webinar we will focus on the clinical approach to the patient with suspected Leishmaniasis and provide a brief overview of treatment options and recommendations for monitoring response to treatment. This webinar is provided by BSAVA Education Partner IDEXX. A collection of IDEXX ‘topic of the month’ webinars is available here.

Feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) is a retrovirus of domestic cats worldwide. Cats lacking strong FeLV-specific immunity and undergoing progressive infection commonly develop fatal FeLV-associated disease. Many aspects of FeLV infection pathogenesis have been elucidated, some during more recent years using molecular techniques. It is recommended that the FeLV status of every cat is known, since FeLV infection can influence the prognosis and clinical management of every sick cat. Knowledge of a cat’s FeLV status is of epidemiological importance to prevent further spread of the infection. The question is… how often are you testing for this important disease? Diagnosing FeLV infection remains challenging due to the different outcomes of infection, which can vary over time depending on the balance between the virus and the host’s immune system. Furthermore, testing for FeLV infection has become more refined over the years and now includes diagnostic assays for different viral and immunological parameters. The question is… which test is best and when? This webinar presents recent knowledge on FeLV pathogenesis, key features to be determined in FeLV infection, and frequently used FeLV detection methods, and their characteristics and interpretation. This webinar is provided by BSAVA Education Partner IDEXX. A collection of IDEXX ‘topic of the month‘ webinars is available here.

Infectious diseases are common differentials for many of our clinical cases. While most are caused by obligate infectious agents, some can be caused by opportunistic infections. Different infectious agents means that different diagnostic tests may be appropriate to diagnose them (e.g. not all infectious agents are easily cultured); stage of infection, burden of infection and host factors may also influence choice of tests. More than one test my be required to confirm infection, and screening tests may require confirmatory tests or auxiliary tests to confirm infection. This creates a myriad of choices of tests that may be challenging to navigate, and to interpret when conflicting results are obtained from different diagnostic tests for the same patient. Optimal diagnostic outcome also depends on the quality of the submitted sample. In this overview webinar we will briefly discuss different laboratory tests available for diagnosis of infectious disease, general interpretation guidelines and sample requirements. This webinar is provided by BSAVA Education Partner IDEXX. A collection of IDEXX ‘topic of the month’ webinars is available here.

In this webinar Rebekah Mack gives an update on developments in the diagnosis and management of feline CKD. In particular, she focuses on, applying the foundational understanding diagnosis of CKD to clinical practice, recalling secondary diagnostics and understanding the application of IDEXX FGF-23 in early-stage feline CKD. This webinar is provided by BSAVA Education Partner IDEXX. A collection of IDEXX ‘topic of the month’ webinars is available here.

Feline oral lesions are usually challenging. Inflammatory and neoplastic oral diseases might be similar at clinical examination: a proliferative lesion not always is a neoplasia. For this reason, for making a definitive diagnosis, and meeting client’s expectation, a holistic approach is advisable. In this presentation, the most common feline oral diseases, with special attention to feline chronic gingivo-stomatitis and proliferative oral diseases, are reviewed. You will understand how important the collaboration between clinician and pathologist is and will learn how clinicians might help pathologists in making a definitive diagnosis. Finally, you will understand why you should take biopsies from feline oral lesions, and when to do that. This webinar is provided by BSAVA Education Partner IDEXX. A collection of IDEXX ‘topic of the month’ webinars is available here.

This webinar is provided by BSAVA Education Partner IDEXX. A collection of IDEXX ‘topic of the month’ webinars is available here.

Urinalysis can be a time-consuming job in-house, requiring a functional microscope, a centrifuge, and staff with both the time and expertise to perform a sediment exam. Ideally urine samples should be analysed with 1-2 hours of voiding to increase confidence in results. Delay in analysis can lead to changes in temperature or pH which can lead to precipitation of crystals, which can subsequently lead to potential misdiagnosis and inappropriate decisions regarding case management. This webinar will help you become more confident in your interpretation of urine sediment examination (including identification of crystals, epithelial cells and casts). This webinar is provided by BSAVA Education Partner IDEXX. A collection of IDEXX ‘topic of the month’ webinars is available here.