IDEXX topic of the month

 Yvonne McGrotty from Idexx Laboratories Ltd presents notes on bile acids.

Paul Mahoney from Idexx Teleradiology discusses radiographic positioning, including patient preparation, routine views, special techniques and alternative modalities. This one-hour webinar was first broadcast as part of BSAVA’s Learn@Lunch series. Learn@Lunch broadcasts are available to BSAVA members only and are free to attend - visit the education page of the BSAVA website for details of future Learn@Lunch webinars. Recordings will be available for 3 years via the BSAVA Webinar Library.

This webinar will guide us through the diagnostic approach of the ‘yellow cat’, mentioning some of the fascinating particularities of the feline species. Whilst icterus can be a very noticeable clinical sign that is straightforward to identify, it is not pathognomonic of a specific disease. Understanding bilirubin metabolism is indispensable in classifying icterus and building the differential diagnosis list which will guide the investigations. As we all are very aware, cats are not small dogs! Their metabolic and anatomical characteristics impact the type of pathology we observe in practice. Amongst other differences, cats are strict carnivores and are less adaptable when protein intake decreases. Their common bile duct joins the pancreatic duct before entering the duodenum, which may increase the risk of ascending bacterial infection. Feline characteristics are also important to bear in mind when interpreting blood and urine laboratorial analysis. This webinar is provided by BSAVA Education Partner IDEXX. A collection of IDEXX ‘topic of the month’ webinars is available here.

Chiara Piccinelli discusses the basics of in house analysers technology and its applications, plus understanding the significance of leukocyte parameters provided by automated analysers. She also covers how to interpret pattern of changes, integrating information provided by dot plots and guide blood smear reviews. 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.

In this webinar Alex Draper discusses some of the ancillary tests that are available as additional tools to cytology/histopathology in the diagnostic workup of canine lymphoma/leukaemia. Reviewing the principles of clonality testing (PARR), immunocytochemistry (ICC), and flow cytometry, and which type of information each of these tests provide. She also covers which ancillary test may be most appropriate to confirm a suspicion of lymphoproliferative disease, or to further characterise a lymphoma based on initial cytological findings, and review 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, Brigitte Wilkens takes us through the case of Alima a female, five-year-old, Rhodesian Ridgeback suffering from polyuria/polydipsia (PUPD). Over the course of this lecture, Dr Wilkens touches on how to confirm PUPD using a urine specific gravity test, the pathophysiology of PUPD, the role of ADH, performing a modified water deprivation test and potential courses of treatment. This case-based webinar is provided by BSAVA Education Partner IDEXX. A collection of IDEXX ‘topic of the month’ webinars is available here.

Vets in the UK are seeing an increasing number of animals imported from mainland Europe, and consequently are being faced with having to consider many more exotic diseases in this population of patients . Screening is important to avoid these diseases becoming established in the UK and to protect owners, other animals and of course vets, from risk of transmission. In this webyte we will discuss the various testing options for several of these diseases including Heartworm, Leishmania, Brucella, Babesia, Ehrlichia, Anaplasma and Hepatozoon.

The use of blood smears or cytology combined with in clinic antigen or antibody tests will be discussed alongside laboratory testing. The aim is to provide the practitioner the tools they require to confidently choose the right testing option for travelled patients. This webinar is provided by BSAVA Education Partner IDEXX. A collection of IDEXX ‘topic of the month’ webinars is available here.

Urolithiasis is an all too common concern in companion animal practice, with identification of urolith type proving key to management recommendations that reduce recurrence in dogs and cats. IDEXX Internal Medicine Consultant, Michelle Evason, says that patients with urolithiasis frequently present with signs of lower urinary tract inflammation (e.g. haematuria, dysuria), due to urolith mucosal irritation and often concurrent infection, with the most common urolith types being struvite and calcium oxalate. Initiation of timely therapy plans based on diagnostics, urolith analysis, culture and susceptibility, and the latest research, aids immediate management and targets ongoing prevention. IDEXX offers cutting edge urolithiasis analysis, with expanded services in 2022 to include urolith culture and susceptibility testing. This case-based webinar is provided by BSAVA Education Partner IDEXX. A collection of IDEXX ‘topic of the month’ webinars is available here.

IDEXX Internal Medicine Consulting team has seen an increased call volume relating to cats in the UK with pancytopenia; this surge is currently being investigated by specialist vets at the Royal Veterinary College in London. IDEXX Internal Medicine Consultant Dr Yvonne McGrotty states “Affected cats may present with signs of inappetence, lethargy, pallor, pyrexia and spontaneous mucosal bleeding. The mortality rate associated with this condition is high and an effective treatment is currently unknown. Clinicopathological findings usually include severe leucopenia, thrombocytopenia and anaemia.” The cause of this spike in cases has not been fully elucidated to date, but a potential link to mycotoxins (naturally occurring toxins produced by some types of fungi) in certain foodstuffs is being investigated further, along with other possible toxins. Pancytopenia cases have so far been linked to a single food manufacturer and three brands of food have been recalled as a result. Full details of the recall are available on the Food Standards Agency website, however the FSA have recently stated that they have been unable to establish a causative link between the recalled foods and the pancytopenia outbreak. Sick cats, or cats that are known to have eaten any of the recalled foods, can be screened by performing a complete blood count, including film examination. Vets who believe that they have identified a potential case are being urged to complete a survey on the RVC website to help vets there to identify common factors, which might ultimately assist them in determining the underlying cause. BSAVA Education Partner IDEXX has provided this webinar by Yvonne McGrotty to explain more about anaemia in cats. A collection of IDEXX ‘topic of the month’ webinars is available here.

This webinar is a brief overview of the types of dermatology cases that are appropriate for biopsy submission, and the methods for taking skin biopsies for histopathology, with specific reference to alopecia cases. A brief description on how to differentiate inflammatory and non-inflammatory causes of alopecia is given and where biopsy might fit into the work up for these different causes of alopecia. There is guidance on biopsy submission to the laboratory and a summary of information needed by pathologists to make the most of skin samples. This is followed up with a case example where biopsy was the final step of the work-up for a patient. This webinar is provided by BSAVA Education Partner IDEXX. A collection of IDEXX ‘topic of the month’ webinars is available here.

Paul Mahoney is a veterinary surgeon employed with Idexx Laboratories as part of their Teleradiology team.