Spring 2005 Issue

Turn to IDEXX Laboratories for your veterinary educational needs

"IDEXX's goal is to be not only involved in the continuing education of veterinary professionals—offering courses, seminars and workshops for CE credits—but also in continuous education, with timely offerings on every aspect of veterinary medicine made accessible to every member of the veterinary clinic."

From research publications and online newsletters (with over 7,600 subscribers) to seminars and educational brochures for your clients, IDEXX impacts nearly every aspect of education in veterinary clinics. Through a bureau of speakers, featuring some 50 experts in veterinary medicine, IDEXX facilitates bringing you the latest and most helpful information on best practices and new technologies. Speakers share their knowledge on topics such as detecting early renal disease, evaluating endocrine disorders and the latest advances in the diagnosis and management of Lyme disease.

IDEXX has invested over $1 million a year in veterinary education, providing programs to local groups, state veterinary associations, and, nationally, sponsoring educational tracks, symposiums and luncheons at veterinary conferences. One of IDEXX's most popular luncheon talks, "The Most Commonly Misdiagnosed Diseases in Veterinary Medicine", presented by Drs. Fred Metzger and Peter Kintzer, is an interactive event, recently attended by more than 650 people at the Western States Veterinary Conference.

Dr. Michelle Kahn, Medical Affairs Manager at IDEXX, explains that "IDEXX focuses a significant portion of its resources on education, assured that knowledge itself is the best diagnostic tool for the practicing veterinarian. The more you know, the better your ability to diagnose and effectively treat your patients."

IDEXX representatives regularly provide education in your practice, helping your staff educate clients; providing training in the use of instruments and tests; and sharing the best methods for handling, submitting and processing samples and interpreting results—all critical in supporting you in making the best diagnoses and planning the most appropriate treatment. IDEXX programs on senior care, preanesthetic testing and long-term medication monitoring provide educational materials and protocol guides to help your entire team learn the benefits of, reasoning behind and protocols for complete case management.

Jennifer Mazjanis, LVT, MBA, spent many years in practice before joining IDEXX as a product manager. "I see the value that IDEXX's education initiatives bring to all staff members in the clinic. For example, IDEXX Lunch-and-Learns are full-staff training programs that not only explain the medical reasons for testing, but also provide real tools to help receptionists and technicians educate pet owners."

In the future, IDEXX will work toward an even greater, worldwide impact on education through the continuation and expansion of current programs and a greater emphasis on electronic education. Our goal is to provide timely and convenient educational opportunities for your entire staff.

IDEXX's commitment to education begins at the top, with CEO Jon Ayers. "Our educational support of the veterinary community is an essential element of our dedication to helping our customers practice what's possible."

For more information and locations of upcoming educational opportunities from IDEXX, including a current calendar of events and a complete list of seminars, visit www.idexx.com/education.

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Meet IDEXX's Chief Educator
Dennis DeNicola, DVM, PhD, DACVP

To implement our educational goals, IDEXX brought Dr. Dennis DeNicola on board in 2002 as our Chief Educator. Dr. DeNicola completed his DVM and his PhD at Purdue University and has spent more than 20 years as an educator in clinical and surgical pathology. He directed the primary cytology and surgical pathology service at the veterinary school laboratory and ran a private pathology service for 15 years. He has spoken at more than 150 national and international educational symposia and authored or co-authored more than 150 publications on various aspects of veterinary clinical pathology.

Personally committed to having a greater impact on veterinary education, Dr. DeNicola sees an opportunity at IDEXX to create and participate in quality programs with global impact. He notes, "There is a tremendous amount of apprenticeship and mentoring involved in veterinary medicine. We want to provide opportunities for veterinarians and veterinary technicians to learn to apply the diagnostic methods and tools we provide in their day-to-day casework."

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did you know? by Michelle Kahn, MS, DVM

The Gestalt of Glucose
There is a good deal of angst out there concerning various methods of measuring blood glucose. While handheld glucometers are inexpensive and easy to use, they often give erroneous results. If you want accurate results, use your IDEXX VetTest® Chemistry Analyzer. This is not to say that the glucometer shouldn't be used in veterinary practice, but it's important to understand its limitations.

At IDEXX, we often receive calls concerning discrepancies between VetTest results and the clinic's glucometer. It never fails to surprise callers that we expect there to be discrepant readings (we worry more if they are the same!) due to the very nature of the methodologies.

Glucometers were created for human medicine to serve as an early indication of hypoglycemia. They measure capillary blood samples (which are higher in blood glucose than to venous samples), and, therefore, report a lower number because they are calibrated to read approximately 10–15% less than the capillary sample to give a "true" blood glucose value. Since the glucometer assumes that all samples are capillary, it will automatically adjust the glucose value so that the result is modified. Because we use venous samples in veterinary medicine, this calibration is unnecessary, and therefore the glucometer result is inaccurate.

Glucometers, designed for home use, are most accurate for normal (human) blood glucose values. Remember, diabetic people are more tightly regulated than their little diabetic animal friends, so handheld glucometers are less accurate at very high (>350 mg/dL) and very low (<50 mg/dL) glucose measurements. While those glucose results may be rare in humans, we see them often in veterinary medicine. The VetTest® blood glucose slide accurately measures blood glucose from 0–686 mg/dL.

When desiding whether to use your VetTest analyzer or a glucometer, first define why you're running a blood glucose test. The glucometer may be useful for detecting trends or having a client test their pet at home, but for accurate and precise blood glucose results, you need to analyze blood glucose on your VetTest analyzer.

To contact Dr. Kahn, e-mail
Didyouknow@idexx.com.

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IDEXX VetLyte® Silver and Gold
Extended Maintenance Agreements (EMAs)
the proactive approach

				You depend on your VetLyte® analyzer for reliable results and performance, to keep your practice running smoothly and to deliver the best care to your patients.
	Fast analysis makes the VetLyte® analyzer ideal for emergencies, fluid therapy and general health checkups.			PURCHASE your EMA now and SAVE! Prevention is always less expensive than the cure—purchase your EMA while your VetLyte analyzer is in good working condition and save $100. Our Silver EMA includes: Loaner or replacement equipment delivered promptly, usually the next business day Two-way shipping at no cost to you Replacement of all covered parts with no hidden labor costs Access seven days a week to our highly skilled customer and technical service teams Automatic renewal for the lowest available prices Our Gold EMA includes: All of the above coverage, plus: Full parts replacement coverage, including electrodes, reference and transport housing, tubing sets, and cleaning and conditioning solutions IDEXX Extended Maintenance Agreements (EMAs) (118 KB)
	Call 1-800-340-4579 to learn about the benefits of having an EMA on all of your IDEXX VetLab® in-house analyzers or more information about the VetLyte rental program.
	Please refer to the IDEXX Companion Animal Group Extended Maintenance Agreement (EMA) for In-House Diagnostic Instruments for a complete statement of coverages, terms and conditions.

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frequently asked questions

Which printers are compatible with the IDEXX VetTest® Chemistry Analyzer?

Did you know that the VetTest® Chemistry Analyzer can print to an external printer? Simply hook up one of the printers listed below and choose the applicable printer setting in the Settings menu.

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Case Submission Contest
Calling All Qualified Urine Protein:Creatinine/Renal Disease Case Studies

Do you have a case study in which a urine protein:creatinine ratio helped you detect renal disease? If so, you could win a copy of Renal Disease in Dogs and Cats by Dr. Jonathan Elliott and Dr. Scott Brown, just for sending us a qualified submission! The case that best exemplifies how clinics can "practice what's possible" will be featured in a special edition case study booklet on renal disease and proteinuria. Qualified submissions must include: The patient's name, signalment, history, physical examination, bloodwork and a complete urinalysis (including an IDEXX Urine P:C Ratio result) A diagnosis of renal disease (either primary or secondary) The name, address and telephone number of your clinic; and the names of your veterinarians and veterinary technicians Pictures, if possible Submit cases to: Dr. Michelle Kahn Attention: UPC/Renal Disease Case Study IDEXX Laboratories One IDEXX Drive Westbrook, Maine 04092

Limit one case per practice.

Sample Case Study

Signalment
Annie, 10-year-old spayed female mixed-breed dog

Initial History
Annie has been acting a bit off and has a decreased appetite (very unusual for her). She is scratching at the door to go out more often than usual. Her owners are unsure if she is PU/PD (Annie tends to drink out of the toilets). She spends most of her time outside lying in front of the stairs. Currently, Annie is not finishing her breakfast, and will only get excited about eating treats. Her owners think she has lost a bit of weight, but are mostly concerned about her lack of energy.

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