Our long-standing resident pathologist, John Gill, will be retiring after more than 40 years as a veterinary pathologist. John began his career with the MAF Animal Health Lab in Mosgiel in the early 1980s. “I have had the privilege of working alongside John since 1993, and I will especially miss his sense of humour and […]
Sarah Riddy, Awanui Veterinary, Palmerston North This report details the analysis of data submitted to the Awanui Veterinary network for the season June 2024 to May 2025 for fully differentiated faecal egg count reduction testing (FECRT). Data was obtained from cases that clearly identified the test anthelmintic and sample groups with ≥ 10 animals per […]
We have recently experienced issues with histology samples leaking during transport, even when containers have been sealed with Parafilm or tape. In most cases, the cause is container lids not securely fastened before sealing. Please ensure that lids are tightened properly — no amount of tape or external sealing can prevent leakage if the lid […]
All of our laboratories will be closed on Monday 27 October for Labour Day. We will however be open normal hours on Saturday 25 October. Enjoy your long weekend!
Fond Farewells is opening a branch in Auckland from 21 July, offering Aquamation (water cremations) – a gentle, environmentally friendly end-of-life service for pets. This expands on our trusted traditional cremation service provided in Canterbury for almost 40 years, giving your clinic an opportunity to offer clients a compassionate and sustainable choice. Learn more here Why offer […]
As we approach the busy spring parasitology season, we’d like to remind all clinics to submit faecal samples in approved, leak-proof specimen containers. Recently, our Palmerston North laboratory received several samples packaged in plastic bags, some of which leaked during transport (see photo). Unfortunately, this led to contamination of other samples and the cardboard courier […]
Cathy Harvey Clinical history A dairy farm with 350 Friesian-Jersey cross cows had eight cows abort seven weeks early. The animals were being fed mouldy silage. Multiple fixed tissues were submitted along with fetal stomach contents for histopathology testing. Laboratory testing On histopathology of the placenta there were multifocal large areas of necrosis and haemorrhage, […]
Karen Bailey Greyhounds, like other sighthounds, have a tendency toward higher red blood cell mass, and lower white cell and platelet count when compared to other breeds. Recently, our canine haematology reference intervals were updated based on an extensive study of local New Zealand dogs. However, Greyhounds and other sighthound breeds were excluded from this […]
Calf screening in dairy herds aims to identify and remove persistently infected (PI) animals before they can infect any pregnant cows. An ideal time to sample calves is during tagging or disbudding. The antigen ELISA is a suitable test to use on ear notch samples for animals in this age group. PCR is a suitable […]
Jo Archibald is our IT Systems and Solutions Manager and has been an integral part of our laboratory for 33 years. There’s not many systems Jo doesn’t have a hand in and she has touched the lives of many staff, clients and suppliers in her time with the laboratory. After over three decades in the […]