Your experience with different in-house biochemistry blood machines to replace VetTest?

RE: Your experience with different in-house biochemistry blood machines to replace VetTest?

Dinu Catilina — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 10:41:38 GMT

We went with zoetis and had a very good deal, bought the machines and received meds back (list price) for the entire value. We also have a separate vidas that can run all the hormones but we only use it for progesterone. Cortisol, pheno, T4 are sent off. We're a 5 vets practice.

RE: Your experience with different in-house biochemistry blood machines to replace VetTest?

Richard Carter — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 12:26:26 GMT

Another advantage of remaining with idexx is being able to run single or bespoke tests. Also the tt4 and other special tests available in slides- phenobarb if remember correctly so a lot more screening in-house. You can also retire the vetstat- the dry slides much better, never run out of pressurised air.

But- idexx insist on you paying extra for machine cover even in the time you leasing and don’t own the machine.

I did like the catalyst 1

RE: Your experience with different in-house biochemistry blood machines to replace VetTest?

Rob Loxley — Tue, 12 Dec 2023 17:52:42 GMT

[quote userid="12930" url="~/f/clinical-questions/30823/your-experience-with-different-in-house-biochemistry-blood-machines-to-replace-vettest/243213#243213"]What are you using now if not he VetScan, and what was reason to change - cheaper, better or insisted upon by someone above you?[/quote]

Post acquisition we are now using a Fuji Nx500i, which is similar dry slide technology to a vettest (afaik). May be worth looking at, I’m not sure what the purchase/lease model is. Would also consider service/repair options in NI whatever you go with.

With logistical limits in sending out tests, so needing wider range in house, I wonder if the dry slide systems might be more flexible and comprehensive than those with fixed rotors?

RE: Your experience with different in-house biochemistry blood machines to replace VetTest?

Beats — Tue, 12 Dec 2023 15:56:37 GMT

Thanks Rob that's very helpful.What are you using now if not he VetScan, and what was reason to change - cheaper, better or insisted upon by someone above you?

We can send bloods out with DHL deliveries, but the only lab that does that reliably for us is currently... Idexx (though another is setting up a service that may also work for us), so we use them more than ever for external samples this last year already.

DHL is fine Monday to Friday before 3pm, but after 3pm on a Friday and no results until Tuesday - half a week with a sick dog not really on, so am looking to be able to do more in house, so perhaps the Catalyst should be favoured over the VetScan in my situation... I'm really torn here.

RE: Your experience with different in-house biochemistry blood machines to replace VetTest?

Rob Loxley — Tue, 12 Dec 2023 08:55:34 GMT

[quote userid="12930" url="~/f/clinical-questions/30823/your-experience-with-different-in-house-biochemistry-blood-machines-to-replace-vettest/243204#243204"]Royal Mail from Northern Ireland to England[/quote]

When we ran the vetscan we probably sent out over 80% of bloods and really only ran pre op and emergency bloods in house, if I was looking to be running most tests in house (so a higher volume and maybe more variety) I’m not sure vetscan would be top of my list. But it would take an awful lot of persuasion to sign a contract with idexx

RE: Your experience with different in-house biochemistry blood machines to replace VetTest?

Beats — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 23:09:23 GMT

Thanks guys.

I naturally tend to gravitate towards the cheaper option (would be VetScan by a reasonable margin, on yearly usage, for us), but I'm struggling to make a decision here. I think what is holding me back is that I like being able to run a blood sample mid-consult on the VetTest and the VetScan takes twice as long to run a sample so far as I can tell. I wonder if the annual economy of using a VetScan in preference to a Catalyst for me would seem not worth it compared to the reduced efficiency in run times and collating results.

I've spoken to the Idexx rep (at length) who makes a very good case for the Catalyst in our situation. I'm yet to speak to the Zoetis rep directly.

Is there anyone out there who has used both who can give me an unbiased opinion on their preference and efficiency of use in a moderately busy clinic?

I was running a sample mid-consult this morning and then later had to package up a CRP on same patient to post it off, and thought how convenient it must be to be able to slam a CRP slide in with the rest of the biochemistry on a Catalyst (is this how things indeed work?) Once I factor in the time to check for the result tomorrow, and phone the owner, a cost saving on the cheaper biochem machine per year doesn't seem so important? The Royal Mail from Northern Ireland to England is now abysmal (used to be so reliable), so we have to order couriers (DHL excellent) and again this is a lot of faff compared to running a sample in-house. If I trusted the in-house analyser, I can see I would use it more with T4 slammed into an old cat panel routinely on a Catalyst instead of sending out etc.

The idea of combining a VetScan with a VCheck to match a Catalyst still sounds a good alternative, but having to run a sample through two machines is inefficient and irrirtating, not to mention viewing results - things get missed that way.

For VS2 users: how many rotors do you run on non-fasted patients collected during consult that don't work due to lipemia?

RE: Your experience with different in-house biochemistry blood machines to replace VetTest?

Rob Loxley — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 18:28:29 GMT

Our vetscans were pretty bulletproof, loved the small sample volume, but you are limited to fixed profiles where catalyst (or Fuji nx equivalent) much more flexibility. Not dealt with Zoetis for a few yrs but we always purchased the machines (lots of second hand vs2 out there) and rotors from abaxis as needed.

RE: Your experience with different in-house biochemistry blood machines to replace VetTest?

Morna Lincoln — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 18:07:57 GMT

I am a sole-vet PR1 twice so use lower numbers than yourself, Zoetis was too expensive for us as required either a large payment or orders of high volumes of consumables. We have IDEXX Catalyst and Procyte 1 on lease over a five year period and our external lab fees count towards the payment.