Tools of the trade: Microscope L1350B HBG

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Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

general purpose microscope

by Dr Kate Le Bars, Montague Vets, Narooma, NSW

A microscope is incredibly helpful in a veterinary practice. We use it to assess cells and to look for microorganisms, bacteria or fungi in body fluids. I have a particular interest in clinical pathology, so there are tests we perform that might not be done at other practices.

What’s good about it

We use it with a variety of conditions, from discovering if a lump is cancerous to discerning if a dog has bladder stones. When dealing with an older animal that shouldn’t be anaesthetised, I can take a needle biopsy of a lump and look at it immediately. It can make a big difference as to how I proceed with treatment.

Whenever a dog comes in with an itchy ear, we take a swab and have a look under the microscope. We can immediately identify if it’s an overgrowth of yeast, a bacterial infection, or ear mites. This allows us to tailor our treatment very specifically; not just use broad spectrum drops that might lead to problems down the track.

This microscope is very straightforward to use. There’s not many moving parts and the maintenance is simple. We use immersion oil to look at samples with 100X magnification. It’s important not to get oil on other objectives as it can make it difficult to see anything.

While this is a pretty basic microscope with 5X, 10X, 40X and 100X magnification, it’s a very useful tool that provides our vets with a wealth of information.

What’s not so good

The biggest negative with a microscope is that you need to be able to interpret the specimen correctly. All vets should have a good understanding of pathology and be trained in how to interpret slides.

Where did you get it

VetQuip

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