BattLab

🐰 RHDV1 & RHDV2 PCR Testing

Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) is a highly contagious and often fatal viral disease affecting both domestic and wild rabbits. Clinical signs may include sudden death, lethargy, anorexia, neurological signs, dyspnoea, nasal discharge and, in some cases, haemorrhage.

Performed in-house, BattLab’s RHD PCR assay detects and differentiates RHDV1 and RHDV2, with a 1–3 day turnaround from receipt of suitable samples.

Suitable samples include conjunctival swabs, urine, faeces, EDTA blood, bone marrow and tissue samples (e.g. liver).

If you’d like to discuss testing or sample submission, our team is always happy to help. 😊

🎉 Day 2 at BVA Live 2026! 🎉

We’re ready for another great day at Stand B31 and looking forward to meeting even more veterinary professionals!

📍 Stand B31, NEC Birmingham
📅 Day 2 – BVA Live 2026

Come and say hello to Brendan, Milli, Felicitas, and Julia, who are on hand today to chat about how we can support your practice with our veterinary diagnostic services.

🐾 Discuss your testing requirements
🐾 Learn more about our services
🐾 Find out how we can help support your team and patients

🎁 Don’t forget to enter our giveaway for your chance to win a luxurious spa day for two!

Whether you’re already working with us or would like to find out more about what we do, we’d be delighted to welcome you to the stand.

We look forward to seeing you at BVA Live 2026!

🎉 We’re at BVA Live 2026 Today! 🎉

Come and visit us at Stand B31 at NEC Birmingham today and meet the team!

📍 Stand B31
📅 11-12 June 2026

Stop by and say hello to Brendan, Felicitas, Julia and Momin, who are on the stand today and ready to chat about how our diagnostic services can support your practice.

Whether you’d like to discuss your testing requirements, learn more about our services, or simply catch up with the team, we’d love to see you.

🎁 Don’t forget to enter our giveaway!
You could win a luxurious spa day for two.

We look forward to welcoming you to Stand B31 today!

🦜 Parrot Awareness Week

Parrots often present with subtle or non-specific clinical signs, making laboratory diagnostics an important component of the avian work-up.

At BattLab, we support veterinary professionals with a broad range of avian diagnostic services, including:

🔬 Cytology - no species surcharge

🩸 Clinical pathology - including haematology, biochemistry and serum protein electrophoresis (SPE)

🧫 Microbiology

🦠 PCR and serology testing for key avian pathogens - including Chlamydia psittaci, Psittacine Bornavirus, Circovirus (PBFD), Polyomavirus, Herpesvirus (including Pacheco's disease) and many others

🧬 Avian s*x determination

Whether supporting routine health checks, quarantine protocols or complex clinical investigations, laboratory diagnostics play an important role in avian medicine.

🐢 New Diagnostic Tests for Fish and Reptiles

At BattLab, we're committed to expanding diagnostic options for exotic species.

Our latest article highlights new testing capabilities for important pathogens affecting fish and reptiles, including:

🔬 Flavobacterium columnare – a significant bacterial pathogen in ornamental and pond fish

🔬 Emydomyces testavorans – a fungal pathogen associated with shell lesions in freshwater turtles

Early and accurate diagnosis supports better treatment decisions, improved animal welfare, and healthier aquatic and reptile populations.

Read the full article here:
https://battlab.com/new-diagnostic-tests-for-fish-and-reptiles/

🎉 We're Exhibiting at BVA Live 2026! 🎉

We're excited to be exhibiting at BVA Live 2026 and would love to meet you!

📍 Stand B31, NEC Birmingham
📅 11–12 June 2026

Come and chat with the team about how our diagnostic services can support your practice, discuss your testing requirements, and discover how we can help you deliver the best possible care to your patients.

🎁 Don't forget to enter our giveaway for your chance to win a fantastic prize!

Whether you're an existing customer or would like to find out more about what we do, we'd be delighted to welcome you to the stand.

We look forward to seeing you at BVA Live 2026!

🐾 When the Nose Won’t Stop Running… It Could Be More Than “Just a Cold”

Chronic nasal discharge in dogs and cats can be a sign of serious underlying disease — from infections and dental problems to nasal tumours or idiopathic rhinitis.

In our latest article, Dr. Sandra Franke explores:

• Common causes of chronic nasal discharge
• Key diagnostic steps
• The role of imaging, rhinoscopy & histopathology
• When to suspect fungal infections or neoplasia

Early investigation can make all the difference.

👉 Read more below and learn how a stepwise diagnostic approach helps uncover the cause: https://battlab.com/when-the-nose-wont-stop-running-chronic-nasal-discharge-in-dogs-and-cats/

Bank holiday weekend reminder ☀️🐾

Just a friendly reminder that BattLab will be closed on Monday for the bank holiday weekend.

If you need advice on how to store samples over the long weekend, please contact the office and the team will be happy to help!

We hope you all have a wonderful sunny long weekend 🌼💛

🔬𝐂𝐘𝐓𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒: 𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚, 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬
by Mario Cabezas-Calvo DVM, CSAVP

Did you know that not all bacteria stain — and some prefer to hide? Mycobacterium spp. are classic examples, often appearing only as subtle “ghost-like” structures within macrophages on routine cytology. This was exactly the finding in a conjunctival mass aspirated from a tortoise.

Cytology revealed numerous large vacuolated macrophages, many of them multinucleated. This is a common finding in granulomatous inflammation often associated with long-standing infections or foreign body reactions. Within the cytoplasm of several macrophages, clear unstained linear structures were identified. Although subtle, these structures were suspicious for Mycobacterium spp.

Mycobacteria can be challenging to recognise on routine Romanowsky-type stains because of their lipid-rich cell wall, which prevents normal stain uptake. For this reason, organisms may appear as negative structures within inflammatory cells. To further investigate, a Ziehl–Neelsen acid-fast stain was performed. This special stain takes advantage of the same lipid-rich wall: once stained, the organisms retain their characteristic bright red-pink colour even after exposure to acid-alcohol, unlike surrounding cells.

The clinical and cytological appearance of mycobacterial infections are often similar across species. Clinical presentation, progression, affected species, and zoonotic potential vary depending on the Mycobacterium species involved. Definitive identification of the Mycobacterium species generally requires additional testing such as culture or molecular diagnostics (PCR).

Cytological evaluation of skin masses is a rapid and valuable tool for identifying inflammatory processes and, in some cases, the causative agents, thereby supporting timely clinical decision-making and therapeutic planning. This case also highlights the value of special stains, such as Ziehl–Neelsen stain, in the further investigation of these types of lesions.

🔬 Have a cytology case you'd like support with?
Learn more about our cytology services by emailing us at [email protected]

✨ 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦 – 𝐃𝐚𝐰𝐧, 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 ✨

Over the coming weeks, we’re delighted to introduce more of the people who make BattLab what it is — and today, we’re shining the spotlight on one of the friendly voices behind the scenes.

If you’ve ever called or emailed BattLab, chances are you’ve already spoken to Dawn. As one of our Office Administrators, she plays an important role in supporting the day-to-day running of the lab, helping clients, managing admin tasks, and keeping things running smoothly behind the scenes — always with a friendly and approachable attitude. 😊📞

Born and based in Coventry, Dawn lives with her husband, three children, and many pets. She previously trained and worked as a Veterinary Nurse for 18 years before taking a career break to raise her young family. She also worked in practice when BattLab was first established, so was especially excited to have the opportunity to join the team.

Her role fits perfectly around family life while allowing her to continue using her veterinary knowledge to support clients and help ensure the best possible service.

One of Dawn’s favourite parts of working at BattLab is being surrounded by such a knowledgeable and supportive team, where she says she learns something new every day. She also loves seeing the huge variety of animals tested at the lab and enjoys knowing the work being done helps patients on their road to recovery. 🐾

At home, Dawn has two dogs and rabbits — her house is a bit of a menagerie, but she wouldn’t have it any other way! 🐶🐰

Always cheerful and full of laughs, Dawn brings a warm and positive energy to the office every day.

We’re very lucky to have Dawn as part of the BattLab team. ✨