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.

Canine brucellosis is an infectious and zoonotic disease caused by a bacterium called Brucella canis which is highly contagious between dogs. This disease is uncommonly encountered in the UK and is a reportable disease. Due to the increase in numbers of dogs being imported into the UK from Eastern Europe, where the infection is endemic, the risk of this disease in the UK is increasing, and the first reported case of dog to human transmission has now been reported. Brucellosis in dogs can cause reproductive signs including abortion and infertility, but many animals may be asymptomatic. The greatest risk of exposure is contact with aborted tissue or reproductive fluids. This short webinar discusses the clinical presentation, available diagnostic tests and treatment options for this emerging infectious disease. This webinar is provided by BSAVA Education Partner IDEXX. A collection of IDEXX ‘topic of the month’ webinars is available here.

Canine lymphoid leukaemia is a relatively common lymphoproliferative disease in dogs. A definitive diagnosis and classification based on degree of cell maturation is crucial to stablish appropriate therapy and providing an accurate prognosis. Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) has a very reasonable prognosis with survivals ranging from 1-3 years with minimal therapy while acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) has short lived responses to multiagent chemotherapeutic protocols, with survivals of barely 3-5 months. The diagnostic process is much more straightforward these days as after an initial haematology and blood smear evaluation, flow cytometry often allows diagnosis in peripheral blood if high circulating numbers of neoplastic cells are present. This technique aids in differentiating acute from chronic leukaemia and even provides prognostic information for CLL as B cell types have shorter survivals as well as those dogs with leukemic immunophenotypic aberrant profiles. 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.

A short overview of the pathophysiology of canine hypothyroidism with a focus on the commonly associated laboratory tests including test/diagnostic performance. Emphasising a few key points to help improve your confident in a diagnostic classification. This webinar is provided by BSAVA Education Partner IDEXX. A collection of IDEXX ‘topic of the month’ webinars is available here.

This webinar gives an overview of differential diagnoses for canine lymphadenopathy, the technical and diagnostic challenges of lymph node cytology and how to approach further testing in cases of lymphoma. Tips to help avoid non-diagnostic samples and a brief overview of the spectrum of canine lymphoma should equip you to tailor the diagnostic approach for your patients. 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.

Antimicrobial susceptibility test (AST) results are commonly used in practice to help guide antimicrobial therapy. AST results are reported qualitatively (S/I/R) and quantitatively, more commonly expressed as MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration). This webinar explains MICs, what is a clinical breakpoint, how the numbers are obtained and how to interpret these using examples from IDEXX reports. It also discusses why you might not receive an MIC result for every antimicrobial-organism-site combination, limitations of clinical breakpoints and limitations with interpreting these results. The choice of antimicrobial should not be based on the MIC at face value, but should also consider how that value relates to clinical breakpoint, site of infection, patient factors, etc. Difficult cases may still require a discussion with the microbiology lab and specialists, repeat sample testing and expanded antimicrobial testing. 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.

This talk summarises occasional situations where histopathology reports on lymphoid pathology can be difficult to understand for practitioners, what to expect from their histopathology reports depending on diagnostic scenarios and how to address any remaining confusion. This webinar is provided by BSAVA Education Partner IDEXX. A collection of IDEXX ‘topic of the month’ webinars is available here.

Antimicrobial resistant infections are an increasing challenge in both human and veterinary medicine. Various multi-drug resistant organisms have emerged in healthcare settings and are no longer an uncommon finding in small animal practice. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is driven, at least in part, by antimicrobial use (both appropriate and inappropriate). Every time we prescribe an antimicrobial we may be contributing towards development of AMR, so we have the responsibility to do so only when appropriate – by selecting the optimal drug regime, dose, duration of therapy and route of administration and, when possible, ensure this is supported by culture and antimicrobial susceptibility results. Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) aims to improve and facilitate the appropriate use of antimicrobials. It should be a continuous improvement cycle, not an end point exercise. In this short webinar we will point you to different and varied resources that will help you start or further develop an antimicrobial stewardship programme in your practice. 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 Bill Saxon discusses aspects of preventative healthcare for dogs and cats. He covers the importance of establishing baseline diagnostic profiles, the statistical evidence in favour of preventative healthcare and guidance on specific abnormalities. This webinar is provided by BSAVA Education Partner IDEXX. 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.

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.

Emi Barker discusses how infectious diseases present in imported dogs, how we can test for these diseases, where screening should be considered, and how to communicate with clients on this sometimes difficult topic. 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.

Raquel Trevail focuses on meningoencephalitis of unknown aetiology, including SRMA, eosinophilic meningoencephalitis, ideopathic cerebellitis, and covers clinical investigation, diagnosis and treatment options. 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.