BattLab

27/04/2026

📣 𝐓𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲

We’re looking forward to welcoming everyone to our BattLab session with Kathleen — an evening focused on the questions we hear every day in practice.

Expect practical discussion, evidence-based insights, and the chance to explore key questions together.

🗓 Tuesday 28 April 2026
🕖 19:00 – Refreshments & networking
🕗 20:00 – Seminar

📍 The Venture Centre, University of Warwick Science Park, Coventry

We’re still taking last bookings — email admin@battlab.com to join us.

Have a question you’d like covered? Send it in advance and we’ll do our best to include it.

23/04/2026

We’re at the VMG Congress in Stratford-upon-Avon today and tomorrow! 🎉

If you’re here, come and visit Brendan Cullingworth and Momin Abbas at the BattLab stand 👋
They’re on hand to chat about how our services can support your practice with fast, reliable diagnostics.

✨ Plus… don’t miss our giveaway!
Pop by the stand to enter for a luxury spa day for two 🧖‍♀️

21/04/2026

⏳ 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨…

A few snapshots from our last BattLab session with Kathleen — a great evening of discussion, practical insights, and plenty of questions from the floor.

Next week, we’re back — tackling the queries we hear every day, with clear, evidence-based answers you can use straight away.

🗓 Tuesday 28 April 2026

19:00 – Refreshments & networking
20:00 – Seminar

📍 The Venture Centre, University of Warwick Science Park, Coventry

Spaces still available — email admin@battlab.com to register.

20/04/2026

🔬𝐂𝐘𝐓𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒: 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐦𝐚 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐓𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬
by Mario Cabezas-Calvo DVM, CSAVP

Two patients. Two species. One cytological pattern.

The first case involved an 11-year-old male Chihuahua dog presented with a preputial mass. The second, a 1-year-old male Syrian hamster with a firm cutaneous nodule. Despite the obvious differences in species and age, cytology revealed remarkably similar findings in both cases.

Fine-needle aspirates were highly cellular, composed predominantly of individualised round cells. These cells displayed round, mostly eccentric nuclei and abundant basophilic cytoplasm, often with a clear perinuclear zone, which is a prominent feature of plasma cells. Moderate degree of atypia was noted, including anisocytosis (cell size variation), anisokaryosis (nuclear size variation), binucleation and multinucleation.

In dogs, cutaneous plasmacytomas typically present as solitary, alopecic, pink to reddish nodules, and are mostly seen in adult/old subjects. Although they often exhibit marked cytological atypia, their biological behaviour is usually benign when confined to the skin. Particularly, they often present with multinucleated cells and sometimes large nuclei. Correctly classifying these cells as plasma cells is an important diagnostic consideration, as this degree of atypia in other tumour types could raise significant concern for malignancy. In some studies, cutaneous plasmacytomas have been reported among the most common neoplasms in Syrian hamsters. They showed low recurrence rate after complete surgical excision, demonstrating similar benign behaviour to that observed in dogs.

Cytological evaluation of skin masses is a rapid and valuable tool for identifying neoplastic processes and distinguish them from inflammatory conditions. Recognition of this benign neoplasm with minimally invasive techniques supports clinical decision-making and helps guide therapeutic planning across different species.

🔬 Have a cytology case you'd like support with?
Learn more about our cytology services by emailing us at admin@battlab.com

17/04/2026

✨ 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦 – 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐚 𝐓𝐢𝐤𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐯𝐚, 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭 ✨

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 Lisa.

Lisa has been part of the BattLab team for over five months and plays a key role in our microbiology department. Her work includes culturing samples to identify microorganisms, screening for parasites, generating antibiotic sensitivity results for bacterial infections, and processing uroliths. 🧪

She takes particular pride in her ability to problem-solve when identifying different organisms, using a range of techniques to narrow things down and reach accurate results. For Lisa, it’s all about piecing together the puzzle.

Lisa was drawn to BattLab by the opportunity to work in an independent lab with a close-knit team — something she values highly in her day-to-day work.

One of her favourite parts of the role is inoculating culture plates, carefully creating streaks — something she finds surprisingly satisfying. A great day in the lab for Lisa is one with beautifully separated colonies, making it easier to isolate and identify organisms.

Outside of work, Lisa enjoys cooking and trying out new recipes, as well as bouldering, which she recently took up and is really enjoying. 🧗‍♀️

While she doesn’t currently have pets of her own, her family has two ginger cats, Peach and Bingo — who you can see in the photos below — and she’d love to have a cat of her own in the future. 🐱

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

15/04/2026

This year, FECAVA and Laboklin will award 2 scholarships of €1,000 to support veterinarians traveling across Europe 🌍

Whether it’s attending a conference, visiting a specialist centre, or collaborating with colleagues in another country—this opportunity is designed to help you grow beyond borders.

🎥 To apply:

• Proof that you are a European veterinarian
• A 30–60 second video about yourself and your travel plans

Application deadline: 18 August 2026

Recipients will be announced at the WSAVA–PSAVA–FECAVA World Congress 2026 🏆

Learn more & apply: https://www.fecava.org/schoolarships/

This year, FECAVA and Laboklin will award 2 scholarships of €1,000 to support veterinarians traveling across Europe—whether it’s for a conference, visiting a specialist centre, or collaborating with colleagues in another country.

Plan ahead: Applicants will need to send proof that they are a European veterinarian, plus a 30–60 second video about themselves and their travel plans.

Application deadline: 18 August 2026
Recipients will be announced at the WSAVA–PSAVA–FECAVA World Congress 2026.

Start thinking about your 2026 veterinary journey across Europe!

https://www.fecava.org/schoolarships/

07/04/2026

“𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩…..” 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐝𝐚𝐲!

It’s been a while since our last seminar, so we’re really excited to be back with our 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐋𝐚𝐛 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫! 🎉

Every day, our admin team, technicians, and pathologists receive a wide range of queries – many of them recurring, and some that still make us pause and revisit the evidence.

In this free session, we’ll explore some of the most common questions we’re asked, sharing practical, evidence-based insights to support best practice in your day-to-day cases.

💡 𝐓𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞:
• What should I do with samples over a long weekend?
• Boric acid in urine samples – yes or no?
• IFAT vs ELISA – what’s the difference and which should I request?

Have a question you’d like us to cover? Send it in advance and we’ll do our best to include it on the night.

📅 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟖 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

🕖 19:00 – 20:00: Refreshments & networking
🕗 20:00 – 21:00: Seminar

📍 Venue: The Venture Centre, University of Warwick Science Park, Coventry, CV4 7EZ.

To register, please email the following information to: admin@battlab.com

• Names of attendees
• Practice name
• Dietary requirements

✨ Join us for a relaxed evening to meet the BattLab team and catch up with colleagues.

We’d love to see you there!😊

05/04/2026

Happy Easter from all of us at BattLab 🌷🐣

Wishing you a relaxing Easter weekend full of celebrations — and hopefully a bit of spring sunshine too! 🌼 🐾

02/04/2026

✨ 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦 – 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢 𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫 ✨

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 our Office Manager.

If you’ve ever called BattLab, chances are you’ve already spoken to Milli — one of the friendly voices behind the scenes.

Milli has been part of the team for just over a year and plays a key role across the business. From admin and accounting to marketing, she does a bit of everything and helps keep things running smoothly day to day. She thrives on being busy and is always onto her next task or project — usually with a big cup of coffee in hand. ☕

Before joining BattLab, Milli built up over eight years of experience in administrative roles, mainly within the NHS, alongside experience in accounting.

Her favourite part about working at BattLab is the friendships she’s made along the way, both in the lab and over the phone. She describes the team as incredibly kind and supportive, which makes even the busiest days enjoyable. 💜

Outside of work, Milli has four dogs — including two very energetic five-month-old puppies, along with their mum and auntie. 🐶

She’s also a regular at car boot sales, always on the lookout for unique finds for her small reselling business, where she focuses on vintage and reworked clothing — she’s rarely one to sit still.

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

31/03/2026

Reminder: Easter Opening Hours 🐣

Just a quick reminder ahead of the weekend — please check our previous post for full details.

Wishing you all a fantastic Easter 🌸

🐣 Easter Opening Hours 🐣

We’ll be closed on Good Friday and Easter Monday, but open as normal on Thursday and Tuesday (including courier collections).

Please feel free to pre-book your collections, and if you need advice on storing samples over the weekend, feel free to contact the office.

We hope you have a great Easter 🌸

26/03/2026

✨ 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦 – 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡, 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 ✨

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 Brendan.

Brendan works in sales at BattLab and brings with him many years of experience in sales and business development across a wide range of industries, including pharmaceuticals, veterinary diagnostics, FMCG, IT, and commercial property.

Since 2019, his focus has been on the veterinary sector, working closely with practices across the UK and representing BattLab (and Laboklin) at congresses — a great way to stay connected with veterinary professionals across the country.

Outside of work, Brendan enjoys travelling, watching sport, and spending time with family and friends. Whether it’s football, rugby, or motorsports, he’s always up for a great game on TV.

Brendan is married to his wife Bronwyn, who many may know from Laboklin Ireland. Together, they have four grown children spread across the world — in London, South Africa, New Zealand, and near the Virgin Islands — as well as two grandchildren. At home, they also have a 13-year-old Cocker Spaniel, Duke, who is very much a cherished member of the family. 🐶

We’re delighted to have Brendan as part of the BattLab team. ✨

25/03/2026

🧪 Acute-Phase Proteins in Dogs & Cats – Clinical Insights for Practice

Inflammatory processes often begin before changes are visible in routine diagnostics. Acute-phase proteins (APPs) provide an earlier and more specific indication of inflammation and disease activity.

🐕 In dogs, C-reactive protein (CRP) is a key marker for detecting inflammation, monitoring progression, and assessing response to therapy.

🐈 In cats, serum amyloid A (SAA) and α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) are particularly relevant—especially in the context of infectious and inflammatory diseases such as FIP.

Combining positive and negative APPs can enhance clinical interpretation, supporting more informed decision-making and improved monitoring of complex or chronic cases.

Read more about current insights and clinical relevance: https://battlab.com/acute-phase-proteins/

To learn more about these services, please contact admin@battlab.com 📩