Awanui Veterinary

03/09/2024

PATHOLOGIST SPOTLIGHT

Alice Fraser completed a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary, Edinburgh University and completed her pathology residency at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Liverpool University. She is a fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists.

Alice has many years of veterinary pathology experience here in New Zealand. Her interests include production animal pathology and herd health monitoring (particularly dairy and sheep/beef).

01/09/2024

BOVINE ADENOVIRUS

Bovine adenovirus raises its ugly head each autumn and winter in young cattle, 6 to 12 months of age (predominantly rising one year olds/R1s). Clinical presentation is usually acute scours (watery to haemorrhagic) and rapid death, or sudden death without preceding signs noticed. Occasionally, respiratory signs are noted. Usually a few animals in a mob are affected.

Awanui Veterinary laboratories saw several cases of this disease during the recent season, both in the North and South Islands.

Read the full article here:

Alice Fraser Bovine adenovirus raises its ugly head each autumn and winter in young cattle, 6 to 12 months of age (predominantly rising one year olds/R1s). Clinical presentation is usually acute scours (watery to haemorrhagic) and rapid death, or sudden death without preceding signs noticed. Occasio...

29/08/2024

FOR A BIT OF A LAUGH!

Bless 😸🐥

27/08/2024

UNEXPECTED EYE PATHOGEN

A four-year old male neutered Cavoodle was presented to a referral clinic with a three-month history of haemorrhagic colitis that had not responded to treatment with antiparasitics, antibiotics or dietary modification. He had been started on corticosteroids but over the weekend had developed acute blindness in one eye due to exudative retinal detachment and glaucoma (see photo) with emerging changes in the other eye.

Enucleation of eye was performed and was submitted to the laboratory along with vitreous humour collected pre-fixation, fresh and fixed colonic biopsies and re**al smears for cytology.

Cytology performed on cytocentrifuged preparations of the vitreous humour revealed mixed inflammation with numerous organisms consistent with 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙘𝙖 sp.

Read the full write-up of this super interesting case here: https://www.awanuivets.co.nz/disseminated-canine-protothecosis/

26/08/2024

BEWARE - POISONOUS TREES!

We have had a report from a client after a farmer lost a couple of cattle beasts after ingesting leaves/berries from a Cherry Laurel tree.

Unlike real laurels (e.g. bay tree and other 𝘓𝘢𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘭 sp.) the cherry laurel (𝘗𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘶𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘴) and the Portuguese laurel (𝘗𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘶𝘴 𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢) although morphologically similar to those of laurel, contain toxic cyanogenic glycosides (fruit) and prussic acid (leaves).

Consumption is toxic in humans, horses, cattle, cows, pigs, dogs, cats and small animals. Typical symptoms of poisoning are:

> Salivation
> Mucosal irritation
> Stomach and intestinal problems
> Breathing problems to respiratory paralysis

Veterinary treatment is recommended immediately if poisoning is suspected.

𝑁𝑜𝑡𝑒: 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑃𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑢𝑔𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑒 𝑙𝑎𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑙 𝑖𝑠 𝑓𝑎𝑟 𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑡𝑜𝑥𝑖𝑐 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑦 𝑙𝑎𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑙.

25/08/2024

BVD BULK MILK PORTAL

> Does your clinic help organise bulk milk BVD testing for multiple clients?
> Do you struggle keeping track of which farm needs testing when?
> Are you looking for the perfect testing options that can be adapted depending on your client?

Our BVD bulk milk Lab-Portal helps reduce the administration work load when carrying out bulk milk testing for your farmers. You can order bulk milk BVD, ostertagia and liver fluke testing, as well as our economical Herd Guardian packages through the Lab-Portal. The testing is all performed on dairy company sourced samples, so no on-farm sampling is required.

This system also provides visibility of all your clinic’s orders booked for the upcoming season; which farmers are about to be tested in the coming weeks; and whether the sample has been received at the laboratory.

“𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘉𝘝𝘋 𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘦. 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 60 𝘧𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰-𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦, 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘉𝘝𝘋 𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴𝘦.” 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱, 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗹𝗶𝗻 𝗩𝗲𝘁𝘀

We have received such great feedback about the Lab-Portal, we don’t want you missing out on the action. You can access the portal directly from our website and find user instructions here (https://bit.ly/3Aa2GG1) or contact your local laboratory for more information.

22/08/2024

FOR A BIT OF A LAUGH!

☕

20/08/2024

CADET BRAF SAMPLE CONTAINERS

We’ve had great interest in the CADET® BRAF testing since introducing it in June (read more about it here: https://www.awanuivets.co.nz/cadet-braf-testing/).

Sample containers can now be found on our website (in the shop) but are not available to purchase. Instead you will be directed to contact our Palmerston North laboratory to order them (they are free of charge).

· Specimen: 40 mL free-catch urine collected in CADET BRAF container
· Collection protocol: Urine must be placed in BRAF container within 15 minutes of collection and can be collected over multiple days.
· Special handling/shipping requirements: Do not freeze, store urine in BRAF container at room temperature

Please note: These containers only have a short shelf life and should only be ordered when required, they are not suitable to have sitting on the shelf in clinic.

– accurate canine bladder and prostate cancer test CADET® BRAF evaluates urine samples from dogs for the presence of cells containing a mutation for canine bladder/prostate cancer (TCC/UC). It’s cutting-edge technology that is accurate and convenient for both veterinarian and pet owner. Achie...

18/08/2024

DOWN THE SCOPE

These photos are from a blood smear made from citrated blood. The sample was sent in for a coagulation screen.

The large pale blue structure surrounded by neutrophils is a platelet clump. The platelets and neutrophils have clumped, and platelets appear larger and degranulated – all as a result of citrate artefact.

This is a good example of why we use EDTA anti-coagulant as our preferred sample for CBC/blood film reviews and why we ask you to send us an EDTA as well when you send a citrate for coag 😀

16/08/2024

15/08/2024

FOR A BIT OF A LAUGH!

LOL! 😂

13/08/2024

SAMPLES WE GET

We thought this was pretty special (despite being a blood smear that went a bit funny), and definitely worth sharing! Thanks Petfirst ❤️

12/08/2024

BODIES FOR POST-MORTEM

There is nothing worse than us receiving dead bodies and being unable to post-mortem them in a timely fashion. As stated on our website and in our price book, 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁-𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗢𝗥 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 the cadavers to the laboratory.

This 'head's up' enables us to manage the workload to ensure we provide you with the best service possible.

NOTE: Please ensure bodies are packaged appropriately when being shipped. They are classified as a biological sample, even if they are a very small animal. We appreciate bodies can be difficult to package, but they need to be leak-proof and pose no danger to couriers or laboratory staff. At least double-bagging is recommended. Please see our website for packaging guidelines.

11/08/2024

OVINE PARASITOLOGY TOOLBOX

August is a great time to be getting on top of ovine parasites. Find a link to our fabulous ovine parasitology toolbox booklet online - it covers testing options and detailed recommendations for best practice: https://bit.ly/3Sxjo8Q

- Targeted drenching - is drenching required?
- Drench review - is the current drench working?
- Investigation - is anthelmintic resistance present?

Make sure you're operating at peak efficiency and aren't wasting good money on drenches that aren't required or don't work. Talk to us today 0800 474 225.

08/08/2024

FOR A BIT OF A LAUGH!

Perfect! Happy Friday🌼😆

06/08/2024

WINTER WELLNESS

August is the coldest month of the year, but at least it means spring is just around the corner. It is also a great time to get animals checked over – a pet warrant of fitness! 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝘁𝘀?

Health screening plays an essential role in disease prevention and general wellness assessments promote the overall wellbeing of our pets. Early detection of disease and other health conditions facilitates more effective management, leading to a happier and healthier life for our pets.

Awanui Veterinary offers a range of specific wellness testing aimed at senior pets, overweight pets and pets requiring anaesthesia. We have information about wellness testing on our website which you can provide to your clients. It covers the why, when and what, so your clients understand the benefits of testing and what is involved.

To compliment this wellness information, we have discounted biochemistry panels for general wellness checking, senior animals, pre-anaesthetic testing and more. Check out the Companion Animal section of your price book for details. Or if you prefer, we can create custom panels for your clinic.

If you’d like more information or would like to organise custom panels for your clinic, simply visit our website or give us a call today.

04/08/2024

DOWN THE SCOPE

This is an interesting finding from the cytology of a canine re**al mass.

The large basophilic central structure comprises a short branching chain of cylindrical organisms (5-7 µm diameter wide, 15-20 µm long) with a thin clear cell wall, bright blue cytoplasm and a central darker region.

This large structure, which somewhat resembles a balloon animal, has characteristic features of 𝘾𝙮𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙢𝙮𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙜𝙪𝙩𝙩𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙨, a gastrointestinal yeast of rabbits. In dogs, this yeast can be found as an incidental finding after ingestion of rabbit faecal material. The yeast has also be found in cases of canine chronic diarrhoea, although causation has not yet been proven.

The background of this image shows myriad small pleomorphic bacteria and amorphous debris consistent with the presence of faecal material in the smear.

01/08/2024

FOR A BIT OF A LAUGH!

We know the summer Olympics are currently underway in France, but since it's winter here, we thought this event was more appropriate! 😻

The 2006 USA Cat Curling team square off.We hope you enjoy this!http://kzfilms.com(Made by Zachary Bennett in 2006)No cats were harmed during the making of t...

31/07/2024

WHAT'S YOUR DIAGNOSIS ANSWER

No cheating! If you haven't had a look at our post from yesterday, go check it out now before reading any further.

DIAGNOSIS:
Dermatophilus.

Histologically, the horizontal laminated sheets corresponded to keratin and crust, containing numerous bacterial colonies which were filamentous and occasionally appeared beaded. On examination of the scab material by Gram’s stain, revealed characteristic Gram-positive septate branching filaments which were longitudinally as well as transversely divided to form spherical or ovoid cocci in multiple rows, with the typical ‘tram-track’ appearance suggestive of 𝘋. 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴 (see photo).

30/07/2024

WHAT'S YOUR DIAGNOSIS?

A monthly spot quiz - test your skills with this gross photo:

This 18-month-old heifer had conical “horn” like plaques over the majority of her body. She was pyrexic.

What’s your diagnosis?

(Answer will be posted tomorrow)

28/07/2024

Cytologic grading of canine mast cell tumours - UPDATE

Diagnosis of MCTs is commonly achieved by routine cytology. The typical cytological features of these neoplastic cells are easily recognised in aspirates from these masses.

The prognosis of canine cutaneous MCT is highly variable and depends greatly on histopathologic grading. Currently, there are two systems that are used for predicting prognosis in the evaluation of biopsy samples. The Patnaik three-tier system classifies the tumour in three grades, depending on tissue invasion, presence of cellular atypia, granularity, nuclear features, mitotic count, and multinucleation.

READ THE FULL UPDATE:

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 high...

25/07/2024

FOR A BIT OF A LAUGH!

Classic! 😹👨‍🍳

23/07/2024

WHAT'S UP DOC ANSWER

No cheating! If you haven't had a look at our post from Monday, go check it out now before reading any further.

DIAGNOSIS:
Thyroglossal duct remnant and ectopic thyroid tissue.

READ THE FULL CASE WRITE UP: https://www.awanuivets.co.nz/good-news/

21/07/2024

WHAT'S UP DOC?

A 10-yo male neutered Tonkinese x Rex cat, presented for an ulcerative lesion on the dorsal surface of the tongue (Photo1). He had a history of self-trauma and scratching at the face. The lesion was surgically excised and submitted for histopathological examination.

The submitted tissue consisted glossal mucosa (Figure 2A, arrow) and submucosa, with some deep skeletal muscle (Figure 2A, asterisk). In the superficial portion of the submucosa, there was a duct-like structure, lined by epithelium that was variably stratified squamous and parakeratinised, to pseudostratified columnar and ciliated (Figure 2B).

Expanding the submucosa adjacent to this was a multilobular aggregate of well differentiated epithelial tissue resembling thyroid gland. This was characterised by follicular structures filled with smooth, eosinophilic material resembling colloid and lined by a single layer of low cuboidal epithelial cells (Figure 2C).

What's up?

(Answer will be posted on Wednesday)

18/07/2024

FOR A BIT OF A LAUGH!

This is definitely a Dad-joke! 😬😂

16/07/2024

CADET® BRAF testing now available!

If you visited our stand at the NZVA conference you will know that we are very excited to be able to now offer CADET® BRAF testing. Samples will be referred overseas for testing.

CADET® BRAF evaluates urine samples from dogs for the presence of cells containing a mutation for canine bladder/prostate cancer (TCC/UC). It’s cutting-edge technology that is accurate and convenient for both veterinarian and pet owner.

READ MORE ON OUR WEBSITE: https://www.awanuivets.co.nz/cadet-braf-testing/

📷 Tadeusz-lakota Unsplash

11/07/2024

FOR A BIT OF A LAUGH!

Show us your creative side by finishing this picture! You can see our effort in the 2nd picture (we're calling this a Manx flower party cat)! Needless to say, we won't be taking up digital (or otherwise) art any time soon 🫣😬

Thanks Pakuranga Vet Clinic for the laughs while we tried it out on your FB page a few weeks ago! 🤣

09/07/2024

WHAT'S YOUR DIAGNOSIS ANSWER

No cheating - go check out the post from Monday before reading any further!

ANSWER:
There is bilateral cystic distension of the uterine tubes (hydrosalpinx). The uterine tubes (oviducts) are affected segmentally with parts unaffected. The one on the right is more severely affected. The lesions are presumably the result of inflammation in the uterus extending into the uterine tubes resulting in scarring and blockage of the ducts. What might cause this in heifers? We asked Rob Foster, a reproductive pathology expert, and he thought post breeding acquisition of infection with Ureaplasma, Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis, or Tritrichomonas foetus as the most likely causes.

07/07/2024

WHAT'S YOUR DIAGNOSIS?

Monthly spot quiz time . . . test your skills with this gross photo:

A group of dairy heifers failed to get in calf and 8 of them went to the works and their uteruses were collected. Two of the heifers had this issue and one had a uterus unicornis.

What’s your diagnosis?

(Answer will be posted on Wednesday)

04/07/2024

FOR A BIT OF A LAUGH!

😆🐻