Sandra Bulla An update: Mast cell tumours (MCT) are the most common skin neoplasia in dogs, shown to occur with a frequency of approximately 20% of all canine skin tumours. Although it can occur in any breed, the prevalence is consistently reported in many studies from different countries to be higher in some breeds. Some […]
We occasionally receive cytology submissions with large numbers of smears. These cases take a huge amount of time to process, stain and examine. In order to better reflect the cost involved in these cases (>10 smears) we have changed the descriptions and pricing for cytology testing. The options marked with an asterisk below have been […]
We’ve had some ‘interesting’ histology submissions lately, so we thought it was a good time to remind you of how samples should be packaged to avoid disasters and to best preserve the samples for examination. Please do: > Submit histology samples separately from any specimens for cytology (don’t put sample containers in the same specimen bag […]
Rebecca Allan Clinical history An otherwise well, 9-year-old male neutered domestic medium-hair cat, presented to the veterinarian after his owner discovered he had swollen crusted toes on one front foot and both back feet. Clinical examination revealed that affected toes were swollen, malodourous, with a necrotic appearance around the nail base (photos 1 and 2). […]
Arefeh Ravanbakhsh Pelger-Huët anomaly (PHA) is a genetic condition reported in numerous species characterised by nuclei hyposegmentation of granulocytes (neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils). Nuclei of granulocytes can appear oval, kidney-shaped, bean-shaped, band-shaped or bilobed.1 This anomaly has been described in dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, and humans.1 It is thought that a defect occurs at the […]
Karen Bailey In our February newsletter we advised you of a recent update to the interpretation guidelines for canine serum Trypsin-Like Immunoreactivity (TLI) test results. These changes were provisional pending further studies to refine the clinical cut-off limits for diagnosis of canine exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI). More information has recently become available confirming the original […]
Geoff Orbell Sometimes knowing which gel swab to use for a given sample type or pathogen can be confusing. ESwab® are quickly becoming popular in veterinary medicine as they are extremely versatile and can be used for a variety of cultures including: · Aerobic and anaerobic culture· Fastidious bacteria e.g. Nocardia sp., rapidly growing Mycobacteria and Chlamydiaceae· Gram […]
Sunao Fujita Clinical history An 18-month-old, spayed, American Staffordshire Terrier recently presented at the veterinarian for lethargy and inappetence. Pale mucous membranes and pyrexia (39.9°C) were observed on physical examination. In-house CBC and chemistry revealed marked anaemia and mild hyperbilirubinemia, respectively. An EDTA sample was sent to Awanui Veterinary for a full CBC including blood […]
Beef+Lamb NZ – Facial Eczema Three-Year Research Study Facial Eczema (FE) costs the New Zealand economy a staggering $332 million dollars a year and is a challenge farmers are facing across the country. B+LNZ, along with our partners, are working to produce new solutions to tackle this devastating disease, but we need your help. It […]
Michael Hardcastle It has been said that “dogs never die from skin disease, but only itch forever”, however there are a few dermatological conditions that are linked to serious systemic lesions. One of them is a rare syndrome seen exclusively in Miniature Schnauzers, a case of which was recently suspected at Awanui Veterinary, Auckland. Clinical […]