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Rabies Blood TestingHow was the New Year for you bug free I hope. We had one computer that refused to roll over but was OK when manually reset. Other than that end/start of the millennium was bug free apart from Influenza and other viruses attacking the staff. Top Rabies - Blood testing service now available Pets Travel Scheme (PETS) is being introduced with a pilot scheme starting on the revised earlier date of 28th February 2000. This will test the new system and will apply only to pet cats and dogs coming into Britain from Western Europe. Guide dogs and hearing dogs coming from Australia and New Zealand may also be included in the pilot scheme. To qualify for entry or re-entry to the UK under the scheme, owners must have their pet:-
Laboratories used for blood testing must be on MAFF’s approved list. The only lab currently approved in the UK is CVL. They have a major capacity problem and tests may take some time to complete. Convenience For your convenience NWL has an arrangement with The Institute for Virology in Frankfurt, a MAFF approved laboratory, for Rabies Blood testing. By submitting your samples through NWL you avoid the problems and cost of making payment in foreign currency, customs forms etc. Charge The inclusive charge is £39 + VAT. Submission Form It is essential that samples sent via NWL are accompanied by the correct submission form, copies of which are available on request. Sample The sample required is 1ml serum, separated before despatch. Results Results are usually available within a week of the sample being received, this is dependant on demand. Advice To ensure a POSITIVE test result it is advisable to vaccinate twice within a fortnight to ensure an adequate level of antibody. Approximately 10% of single vaccinated animals fail the test. Further information An NWL leaflet on Rabies Blood testing is available on request. Further information for pet owners and veterinary surgeons is available from the following web sites:- The MAFF site at http://www.maff.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/index.htm Top CEM 2000
CEM Tip To minimise contamination when swabbing the clitoral fossa use mini-tip swabs. These have a much smaller tip than standard swabs. Mini-tip swabs are available FOC on request. Remember they have to be submitted in Aimes charcoal transport medium. Top NEW PRICE LIST A new price list will be on it’s way to you in the next few days (starting approx. 13th Jan). The price list will be effective from 1st February 2000. There are some moderate price increases but these are the first for over 2 years and in most cases are below the level of inflation. We have retained the popular
style of our price list with some subtle changes which we hope will make
it easier to search for and find the information you are looking for. In
response to popular demand we have included VAT inclusive prices as well
as net prices for your convenience when passing charges on to clients.
Due to the complexities of pricing Post Mortems we have dropped the global charge. We now advise contacting us for a quotation before despatching cadavers. The price list is available
in electronic format on a floppy disk, as a comma delimited file for mporting
into a database or spread sheet. Adobe Acrobat PDF format and HTML format.
If you would like a floppy disc, if you do not receive your copy of the
price list or if you require extra copies, please contact Client Services
on 01253 899215. We ask you to allow till the 21st January for delivery.
Tea, coffee and biscuits
will be available from 7.30pm. Food may be ordered from the Hotel.
If you have an interesting case you would like to present to the meeting please contact Jane Miller MRCVS on the above number. Top Improve your Thyroid Testing Results The test Free T4 by equilibrium dialysis (FT4D) has proved extremely valuable. It can be used for the clarification or confirmation of equivocal routine T4 results for both feline hyperthyroidism and canine hypothyroidism. We strongly recommend that you make a conditional request for FT4D when requesting a routine T4 test. Add the comment “Do FT4D if T4 is equivocal” If required the extra test will be charged at the special price of £19, a saving of £4. Typical situations where FT4D is proving useful include: cats with palpable thyroids which show a T4 result within the normal range or a dog with a low normal T4 and no other significant biochemical abnormalities. Top Earlier Canine Pregnancy Testing The sample date for the Relaxin Pregnancy test (CPTR) has been reduced from 35 to 21 days post mating. This has been made possible by following up submissions made over the past 12 months enabling us to reappraise the reference ranges. Please note this test requires a 0.5ml heparin plasma sample. Top Large Animal Lab Tests - Revised In response to popular demand we have reviewed our farm animal profiles. Since the centralisation of MAFF testing facilities we have seen a major increase in the amount of ruminant blood testing. For reasons of improved user friendliness we have reconfigured, renamed and competitively priced a number of our ruminant profiles. We can offer a rapid turnaround for most tests in the list. In addition contract and quantity discounts are available. If you have a farm practice please contact us to discuss your specific requirements. We can also offer rapid results for most of the routine large animal serological tests. You may also be eligible for a free courier collection. Top Sarcoptic Mange - Improved Test Since the introduction of the test for Sarcoptic Mange antibody last year the demand has soared. We have now managed to obtain a second generation test from a new source for use in house. This test is highly specific with much improved sensitivity. To enable us to offer a lower price samples are batched and tested on a Monday.
Tail End Amazing Bug …………… Which creature can survive heating to 125 degrees C, cooling to a fraction of a degree above absolute zero, dosing with high levels of x-ray, having an electron micrograph taken of it, pressure of 6000 atmospheres, cope for 120 years without water? A Tardigrade. This superhero is an animal less than a millimetre long with a cylindrical body 8 stumpy legs and claws and has been nicknamed, “water bear” and “moss piglet”. It is sufficiently unusual to have its own phylum - Tardigrada The secret of the Tardigrades ability to survive is because they can shut down their metabolism completely while maintaining their cellular structure. In most living creatures survival depends upon the presence of water in the cellular membranes. In the Tardigrades water is replaced by the sugar trehalose which contributes to their amazing survival abilities. About 700 species of the creature have been identified. Originating from the depths of the ocean to the peaks of volcanoes and also in the moss growing on your roof. They can survive the vacuum of outer space and use the stratosphere to move around the world. One day understanding how they survive may help man to travel through the vastness of interstellar space, maybe to the planet Tardigron the home of the Tardigrades? And for the curious:-
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Test Protocols || Disease Investigation Protocols || Sampling Guides || Newsletters || Interesting Links Print a Submission Form || Request a Price List || Veterinary Nurse Training North Western Laboratories Limited Lancefield House, 23 Mains Lane, Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, FY6 7LJ, England Telephone +44 (0) 1253 899215 Fax +44 (0) 1253 891934 |