IDEXX services

Re: IDEXX services

Vikki Moran — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:22:48 GMT

yes i think as we get busier we will certainly keep liver and t4 rotors in, very early days yet for this practice, we only opened in december so we're still trying to keep our sitting stock levels for everything as low as is practical.

i think the reason we have both comps and prep in stock though is because it's hard to justify the additional cost to owners when they are comparing our prices to the other local practices. it would be great if they appreciated the value of a comp rather than a prep, but very few clients really do!

Re: IDEXX services

Rob Loxley — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 21:23:24 GMT

[quote user="Vikkivet"]the VS2 has a wide range of profiles available - though as a startup practice we are currently only stocking the comprehensive and the pre anaesthetic ones[/quote]

Would suggest the T4 rotor for all those hyperthyroid cats. We stock a couple of liver rotors, mainly for bile acids and pheno monitoring but can accept that these can as well be sent out. Given the price difference between comprehensive and pre-anaes, and what the pre-anaes misses out, why not just stock the comps?

0.1ml of whole blood is just great, having previously faffed with a Vettest...

Re: IDEXX services

Vikki Moran — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 08:27:24 GMT

Tim I am now using the vetscan VS2 biochemistry analyser, and the associated haematology machine.

the VS2 has a wide range of profiles available - though as a startup practice we are currently only stocking the comprehensive and the pre anaesthetic ones for biochem - http://www.abaxis.com/veterinary/vetscan_vs2_profiles.html there's a list of available ones.

one of the really good features of this machine is that it uses a really small amount of whole blood. which is great for stroppy cats, just a few drops will do it.

we have had a few set up issues regarding interface with our practice management software - mostly related to the software provider actually - who have been particularly poor - but the after sales care we have had has been brilliant.

Re: IDEXX services

ms1083 — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 09:47:43 GMT

We had great problems with the snap test, and catalyst, machine to start with. Lots of very angry nurses. Eventually after threatening to send it all back to idexx and several batches of free replacement cartridges, it got sorted. The internal software supplied with it was out of date, I think we were one of the early practices to get the system. Until Idexx came to the practice and tried to use it themselves they kept telling it was our fault and we must be doing something wrong! For a while I just sent samples to their external lab with a little note in the clinical info section saying something along the lines of "do it for free, your in practice machine does not work" - they did normally!

Now it is working it is very nice, I tend to use the T4 for confirming my clinical diagnosis of hyperthyroidism in cats and then use their external lab to tailor the drug doses at repeat checkups. It is nice for the client to get a result whilst they wait. Is it financially viable? I don't know, I’m only an assistant. We don’t do bile acids, these tend to be bile acid stim tests and waiting overnight for an accurate result is not a problem.

The catalyst is definitely improved from the vettest, it can also run electrolytes. Easy to use as you can put whole blood in it, and run 2 samples at once. I do find it useful to have electrolytes in house especially for blocked cats, possible hyperkalaemia, GDVs, critical patients etc when an instant result is required.

It may be worth posting your question on the vetnurse.org website, I’m sure the nurses have plenty to say.

Re: IDEXX services

Anthony Todd — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 06:58:01 GMT

Dunno, We've just changed to IDEXX at two sites, more to follow, who have installed all their on-site kit [comes on a pallett!] without any hitches at all. Tutorial given and techniques picked up easily and reliably. Trying to think of something to moan about; can't.

Ah yes, the reference guide applies to their external lab, not in house, and they have non-scientific names for some of their profiles such as "under the weather" which, when invoiced, sounds a bit non-specific.