Finding Work-Life Balance as a Mobile Veterinarian

“Struggling to balance work and life as a mobile veterinarian? You’re not alone. Our demanding, unpredictable days often leave us overcommitted and burnt out. Discover practical tips to prioritize, delegate, and say “no,” fostering a healthier work-life harmony while providing exceptional care.”

Finding work-life balance as a mobile veterinarian can feel nearly impossible.

Despite the loving patients, supportive community, and medical mysteries that keep us returning for more – we often find ourselves overexerted and burnt out.

We’re no strangers to long, demanding, unpredictable workdays and patient needs.

We’re also no strangers to neglecting or compromising pieces of our personal lives for the job.

Chronically overcommitting is our forte. And a patient in need is our kryptonite.

As veterinary professionals, we’re naturally type-A, empathetic folks who aspire to make life a little better for our patients and their owners/parents.

Although we don’t like to admit it, the imbalance between work and home life is something we’ve normalized but not something we must continue to settle for.

So, how do you break the cycle?

Let’s not pretend it’s easy to do – it’s certainly not. But it is doable.

It helps to start small. We don’t have to eat the whole watermelon at once.

Making drastic changes can inadvertently have the opposite effect, causing added stress and overwhelm.

One of the most impactful and, inadvertently, most challenging things we can do is to say “no.”

Raise your hand if you struggle using this word …

If that’s you, you’re not alone

You may have heard the phrase “No is a full sentence”. It’s time we start using it as one.

Regrettably, veterinary professionals want to help in any way we can.

We hate to disappoint or feel like we’ve let someone down.

By saying “yes” to one thing, you may not realize that you’re saying “no” to another in that same breath.

For example, by saying “yes” to that last-minute, non-emergent appointment, you’re saying “no” to eating dinner with your family.

Saying “no” starts to become a little easier when you have a good grasp on your priorities and can delegate appropriate tasks to others.

If you could use a little boost in these areas, Try starting here:

• Prioritizing: Give this a try - find 15 minutes to sit down and intentionally think about your routine priorities.

• Start by taking a sheet of paper and drawing a line down the center.

• Label the left side “Professional” and the right side “Personal.”

• Take 5 minutes to brainstorm your professional priorities (patient appointments, inventory, etc.).

• Use the next 5 minutes to repeat the same exercise for the personal side.

• Take a look at your list. With a highlighter, highlight the ones that bring you joy.

• If by the end of this exercise, you're alarmed by the lack of joy you experience daily. It’s a good sign that it’s time to make some tweaks.

Delegate: Ask yourself: what tasks can I have someone else take over? These can be work-related tasks or personal ones. Do you have a team member looking for opportunities that you can empower to take on something new? Believe it or not, most of us find it easy to overfill our plates but struggle to take something off.

Let’s look at some ways to disconnect after a long day.

Use the alarm on your phone

You can wrap up your day by using the alarm feature on your phone.

Set an alarm for 30 minutes before you’re scheduled to finish and another for 30 minutes after.

When the first alarm goes off, start planning your exit.

If you’ve not started making your way home by the time the second alarm goes off… it’s time to go.

There will undoubtedly be days when you cannot abide by this rule, but for most days, try to make this a new personal rule (apply the 80/20 rule if you can)!

On the car ride home…

Whether just around the block or an hour-long trek back, it can be the perfect space to start disconnecting.

Consider this…

Listen to a podcast: find a podcast that helps you to switch your brain off from work mode. Do you love a good mystery, some comedy, or personal development? You can get a recommendation from a friend or search for topics you're interested in.

A quick hello: Use this time to connect with friends and loved ones. It doesn’t have to be lengthy, but you’d be surprised what a friendly voice can do to boost your spirits. Try to avoid work-related topics.

In your free time, if you haven’t joined one of the many online communities of veterinarians through social media sites, consider joining. (This can also be a small but helpful way to break up your day between appointments.)

Sometimes, just having a brief conversation (or even reading conversations) with those who wear similar shoes can be validating and relieving.

Remember…Your community needs you. 

Not only for the world-class veterinary care you provide but also for all the value you bring to the world outside of working hours.

Our selfless ambition to improve the lives of pets and their parents is often an unintentional bend toward perfectionism, which can negatively affect our mentality.

If you, or someone you know in the veterinary community, are struggling with ongoing overwhelm, burnout, anxiety, or depression, rest assured you have a shoulder to lean on. Here are just a few of the many resources committed to our well-being:

· NOMV (Not One More Vet): https://www.nomv.org/

· Vets4Vets: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/vets4vets/

· BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com/

8 Things to Know about Being the Spouse of a Veterinarian

So, you married a veterinarian…

Veterinarians usually don’t work a 9-to-5 job, and the unique demands of their career may sometimes interfere with home life. Not to mention, your spouse may come home talking about weird things like abscesses and parasites.

Here are some things to consider when it comes to understanding and supporting your partner…

1. Veterinary Medicine Tends to Attract Empathetic, Caring Individuals

For a job that pays less than their human medicine counterparts, along with long hours and other demands of a vet’s day, it’s safe to say that veterinarians are definitely not in it for the money.

Instead, clinical practice veterinarians typically choose their career because they love animals and want to help them. These caring individuals have big hearts and give a lot of themselves in the process of caring for their patients.

Maybe these are some of your favorite qualities about your partner. 

2. But, All That Caring Can Take a Toll…

Because veterinarians care so much about their patients, it’s easy for them to experience an emotional roller coaster each workday, as some patients have happy visits while others may be severely ill or euthanized.

This can lead to compassion fatigue, where a person begins to feel burnt out and drained due to the emotional impact of their work. Compassion fatigue, along with many other factors unique to working in veterinary medicine, contributes to the fact that veterinarians have a higher suicide rate than many other professions.

While this can be scary, awareness goes a long way toward supporting your spouse. 

You can help them by lending an ear or a shoulder to cry on when they need it after a tough day, by helping them find a psychological professional to talk to, or by referring them to a helpful resource such as NOMV (Not One More Vet) or Vets4Vets.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255, or text “Home” to 741741) is also a life-saving resource.

3. Many of Veterinarians are Introverts

While there are also extroverted vets, being an introvert is a common trait when it comes to veterinarians. 

And yet, a veterinarian’s job involves a lot of interaction with people—both coworkers and lots of clients during a busy day.

For this reason, your partner might not always be up for social events after work. They may need time alone to rest and recharge.

If this sounds like your spouse, remember that they aren’t avoiding people to be difficult or limit your social life. Instead, they may just need to “refuel” before they’re ready to be social.

4. Vets Often Work Long or Irregular Hours

This can create logistical challenges for tasks such as picking up the kids from school. 

And a vet may be reluctant to make plans for right after work, in case they need to stay late.

If your job is more flexible, this problem may be hard to relate to. But open discussions can help both of you know what to expect and plan accordingly.

5. A Vet’s Job is Physically Demanding

Animal patients may be nervous, energetic, aggressive, or wiggly. They don’t hold still for their examinations the way human patients do.

Your partner probably spends a large portion of the day crawling on their hands and knees to palpate a dog on the floor, hunching over to get a better look at a skin mass, or even lifting and restraining a patient on the x-ray table if extra hands are needed for the task.

Plus, vets are on their feet all day.

So, don’t be surprised if your partner comes home and collapses onto the couch. Helping them with the little things (like laundry and cooking) can go a long way toward letting them recharge.

6. Veterinarians Are Used to Talking about Gross Stuff

Gross stuff—such as anal glands or draining pus from an abscess—are a normal part of the day for vets. As such, it’s something they’ve grown very comfortable seeing and talking about.

If your partner brings these things up at dinner and makes you gag while you’re eating, they’re not trying to be insensitive. 

They’re just so acclimated to these things that they might not realize how it affects others to hear about them. A polite reminder is all that’s needed if it bothers you.

7. Lots of People Ask Veterinarians Questions Outside of Work

In addition to being introverted, there’s one more big reason why vets might want to avoid social situations… 

That is, they often don’t get to enjoy themselves because people ask them all sorts of questions about their pets, or tell them sad stories (such as the time they had their pet euthanized), once they find out that person is a vet.

While veterinarians can be passionate about what they do, they still need a break sometimes. It’s not healthy for anyone to take their work home with them to this extent.

You can help your spouse by establishing boundaries with well-meaning friends and family members, being understanding if your partner doesn’t feel like going out, or at least rescuing them if you see someone’s got them cornered at a party.

8. Many Vets Graduate with Significant Student Loan Debt

Since finances are the most common cause of divorce, it’s important to confront all financial issues head-on—and student loans are a part of that.

Being open and honest with each other, exploring options for repayment, and talking to a qualified financial professional can all help make student loans more manageable and less stressful.

These steps will help you feel like a team as you tackle your financial future.

Supporting Each Other

While veterinary medicine carries its own unique stressors, it’s important for YOU to feel supported in your job and relationship, too.

Open and compassionate communication can help both of you establish what you need from each other and maintain a healthy, happy relationship. Talking to a counselor or other professional can also help with big issues or stressful times.

Having each other’s backs will ensure you work together toward your goals and have a lot of fun along the way.

Written by: Dr. Tammy Powell, DVM

Selling Your First Practice as a Veterinarian

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As a veterinarian, the decision to sell your practice can mean a mix of emotions and a very long to-do list, but it can also result in satisfaction and cash flow with which to start your next venture in life.

Starting your first veterinary practice is no easy feat. You put a lot of time and energy into it, whether you bought into an existing business or built it from the ground up. And you poured yourself into gaining clients and patients.

When it comes time to sell, it makes sense to put in due diligence to ensure you’re getting a fair price after all the work you put into growing the business. Here are a few things to consider…

The Decision to Sell

Maybe you’re ready to retire. Maybe you’re ready for a change in career path, such as going back to school for a specialty, starting a larger hospital, or trying a new career altogether.

Maybe your spouse got a job out of state, or you want to spend more time at home with your children. Or maybe you’d just like a break from all the responsibilities of owning a business.

Whatever the reason, you’ve decided that it’s time to sell your first practice. This isn’t necessarily an easy decision, especially since your first practice represents a lot of hard work and many special memories.

So, it’s only natural to take your time.

Mull it over.

Build lists of pros and cons and goals for the sale.

And discuss it with non-work friends and family that you trust.

Creating a Gameplan

Once you make the decision to sell, the next step is to create a plan.

The first decision is probably when to sell. Of course, this isn’t entirely within your control, as it will depend on when you find a buyer.

But to start, do you want to sell right now?

Or, are you planning ahead for five years from now—and investing to grow the practice’s value in the meantime?

Are you hoping to stay on at the practice a few more years, even if it’s just part-time? Or are you planning to exit after the sale?

If you had your preference, who would you sell to?

Maybe there’s an associate at your practice who’s interested in ownership and could work up to it over the next few years by buying in gradually. And maybe you have a strong preference for a private buyer versus a corporate buyer.

While there may be some need for flexibility depending on the offers received, it’s good to have goals in mind to help steer your decisions.

Also, how much money would you like to make in the sale? This is probably the hardest question. In addition to the need to carefully consider personal, ongoing financial requirements, many practice owners find it difficult to guess what their practice could actually sell for. 

That’s not surprising, considering that the calculations are very complex. The old way of thinking (i.e., one year’s gross income) is often not accurate.

Fortunately, there are many professionals who can help with these specialized aspects of the sale.

Gathering Your Team

As with any other professional venture that requires expertise, it’s good to consult specialists in each area of the sale. This could include…

• A practice/valuation consultant.

• A CPA.

• Attorneys (for business, real estate, etc.).

• A broker (if needed—in general, they are of the most value when finding a buyer is challenging).

• Any other experts that could be helpful.

These professionals can help with a myriad of issues—everything from minimizing taxes paid on the sale, to advising on provisions such as a non-compete clause for current employees (something that can affect the perceived value of the practice). 

Be sure to ask about their charges, but don’t be scared to pay a reasonable rate.

As tempting as it is to save money and try to do everything yourself, these experts can really save a lot of headaches and prevent costly mistakes.

Many vets prefer professionals who charge a flat fee rather than a percentage of the sale, but this depends on your inclination and the specifics of your sale.

Taking Care of Your Staff and Clients

Many experts advise not talking to your staff about the sale until the paperwork is finalized. The worry is that, although a sale may take years, team members may grow worried and begin to look for another job.

However, when the time comes, it’s a good idea to spend time discussing what they can expect. Inform them of your confidence in the new owner, and answer questions if you can (although don’t guarantee anything such as job security unless you know for sure).

So far as your patients and clients, you have probably grown close to many of them.

A letter or email sent to current clients, informing them of the change and your confidence that they will love the new doctor/management, can do a lot to help them during the transition, as well as set up the new practice owner for success. Some clients may also wish to say goodbye before you leave.

What’s Next?

It can be normal to have a period of feeling lost or even grieving, after the sale of a practice.

After all, it’s a big change.

You’re probably excited for whatever comes next. Or, if you haven’t found your next venture yet, spend some time exploring your curiosities and interests.

Do things that light you up, and eventually, you’ll figure out what’s next for you.

While selling a practice is no easy feat—just like starting a practice wasn’t easy—it can also be a rewarding experience.

Hopefully, the sale will help fund whatever is next for you in life, whether that’s a new professional venture or a more relaxed pace in life.

Either way, you can always look back with satisfaction on what you created, and all the pets you helped along the way.

Written by: Dr. Tammy Powell, DVM

Stress Management and Resources for Veterinary Professionals

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To be the best caregivers to dogs, cats, and other patients—it’s important for the caregiver (i.e. veterinary professional) to be cared for, too!

Many veterinarians have dreamed of a career working with animals since they were young children. And veterinary professionals may feel joy or fulfillment from their careers.

However, a busy veterinary job can put a number of different stressors on veterinarians and their team members. Over time, these stressors can decrease job satisfaction, and even lead to feelings of isolation, depression, or suicidal thoughts. 

For all these reasons, wellness and work-life balance are very important for veterinarians and veterinary team members. Even though bad days happen, having the right tools to handle stress and challenges can really help. 

Check our last article for tips on finding activities that bring you joy (and finding time to do them) and setting boundaries. And, try these tips and resources…

Stress Management for Work and Beyond

There are many strategies and schools of thought on how to best deal with stress in work and life. So, this list is by no means comprehensive and does not represent every technique or philosophy available.

We mention this because it’s important to find what works best for you personally, rather than trying to force a strategy or philosophy that doesn’t resonate with you.

However, this list does incorporate some “tried and true” methods that can work for many different people and that are fairly simple to begin with.

So, these tips may be a great place to “dive in” if you’re looking for something new…

• Find healthy ways to process challenging emotions or stress, rather than pushing them down. A few examples include journaling, talking to a trusted friend or therapist, exercising to upbeat music, or even simple breathing techniques.

• Explore a spiritual practice that works for you. Many people find that turning to a higher power can help put day-to-day worries into a new and less significant perspective.

• Try meditation. While once considered “woo-woo,” the prevalence of meditation—including scientific studies that indicate its mental and physical benefits—is hard to deny. That being said, meditation can take many different forms. It can mean sitting in silence, listening to guided relaxation, or even a walking meditation—to name a few. Try a few methods to see what you enjoy most. Practice by starting with just a few minutes at a time, then work your way up slowly.

• Keep a running list of positive work experiences and memories. As humans, we have a natural tendency to remember negative experiences more than we remember positive ones. Looking at a list of things that make you smile could help put things into perspective if you’re having a bad day.

• Delegate at home—not just at work! Veterinary professionals are smart and capable. And they’re used to multitasking. As such, it’s easy to take that drive to “go-go-go” home after the workday ends. However, it’s important to find time to rest and recharge. That’s where time-saving delegation can help.

• If it’s reasonable for your budget, consider things like hiring someone to clean your home or pick up/look after your kids after school, using a meal delivery service rather than cooking from scratch, sending out your laundry, etc. Or, talk to a partner or roommate about dividing chores.

Resources and a Support System are Beneficial

While learning to process stress and emotions is important, there’s no reason anyone needs to feel alone in the process. Feelings of isolation are common in the veterinary profession, perhaps because friends with different careers can’t relate to what a veterinary job is really like, or because of the long working hours. Whatever the reason, there are many resources and caring people available to help, including but not limited to…

• The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or text 741 741 to speak to a trained crisis counselor. 

• Vets4Vets, a caring, confidential, and free of charge group for vets that meets online for supportive discussions: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/vets4vets/

• Not One More Vet, a caring and helpful organization for veterinary professionals that offers resources, connection, and support: https://www.nomv.org/

• Online therapy available to everyone regardless of insurance:

  • Talkspace: https://www.talkspace.com/

  • BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com/ 

Also, look for apps (many of which are free) for meditation, and check out books, life coaches, financial advisers, and any other resources that resonate with your current needs and goals.

Staying at Your Best Physically Can Help with Stress Management

Physical health and wellbeing can help us stay at our strongest and most capable when it comes to dealing with life’s challenges.

After all, think about how you feel dealing with a difficult client when you’re well rested versus sleep-deprived. And consider how a long workday may feel worse if our legs and back are sore afterward, too.

For all these reasons, it’s good to do as much as we can to stay physically ready for work. Some strategies include…

• Sleeping enough each night.

• Regular exercise or physical activity.

• Stretching with exercise or after a work shift.

• Eating nutritious meals to “fuel” us through the day.

It’s not typically necessary to be a perfectionist about these things. We don’t need to be elite athletes or give up chocolate cake forever to start reaping the benefits to our energy and mental stamina. Instead, as with all new habits, it’s often best to start with small, achievable goals. Small changes to our habits can result in very real benefits. 

We hope these tips and suggestions have sparked some ideas. Remember to consult a medical or another professional to receive the best advice for you as an individual. Also remember, you’re never alone. Please reach out to someone who can help (such as one of the resources listed above) at any time.

Written by: Dr. Tammy Powell, DVM

Well-being & Work-Life Balance for Veterinary Professionals

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Despite the wonderful aspects a career in veterinary medicine offers, there’s no denying that the field presents its own unique challenges.

This may include long work hours, demanding appointment schedules, emotional ups and downs, and difficult clients—to name a few. 

All of these factors and more contribute to burnout and stress amongst veterinary professionals. These factors are part of the reason why the suicide rate is higher in veterinarians and vet techs/nurses than in the general population.

So even though veterinary medicine can be an amazing career—one where many professionals find joy and meaning by helping animals—work-life balance is very important for veterinary professionals. 

Here are a few ways to start finding that balance…

For Better Work-Life Balance, Think About What Matters Most to You

There are many different aspects of life from which we can derive joy, purpose, and a sense of connection. The specifics will look different for everyone, depending on their individual needs and interests.

But some examples include:

• career

• friends

• family

• dating or marriage

• spirituality

• hobbies

• curiosity/learning new things

• staying active

• time for resting

• volunteering

• and more. 

Imbalance can easily arise when a person puts too much focus on just one of these aspects of life.

For example, if a person’s life is dominated by work, it’s easy to feel disproportionately upset when the workday is stressful or difficult.

On the other hand, if a person has nurtured several of these areas of their life, a bad workday might not hit so hard. There’s a stronger foundation of other meaningful things in life on which to stand.

So, which things matter most to you? Which parts of your life would you like to nurture more?

Trying to do too many things at once can lead to burnout and giving up. So it’s important to start making positive changes by focusing first on the things that bring you the most joy, energy, and sense of connection.

To Change Your Life, Start With Small, Achievable Goals

After choosing which areas of your life you’d like to nurture more right now, think about practical ways to start making positive changes. 

Trying to do too much at once, or setting huge goals that are unrealistic, can cause procrastination, a sense of discouragement and frustration, and giving up altogether. On the other hand, small changes can add up to surprisingly big results over time. 

Try these techniques…

• Follow your interests and curiosity. For the time being, forget about what you “should” be doing. Of course, do necessary things, like paying bills. But for your mental wellbeing, focus on what makes you smile and gives you more energy—such as a new hobby that seems impractical but fun.

• Set realistic, small goals. For example, read 10 pages per day rather than trying to finish a book on a weekend, start meditating for 5 minutes rather than 30 minutes, or walk for 15 minutes rather than doing a long hike right away if you’d like to spend more time outdoors.

• Nurture connections while honoring your boundaries. No one can be all things to all people. So if a friend or family member takes up too much time with negative phone calls or unreasonable obligations, think about ways to give them time without giving too much energy if you’re already tired from work. It’s okay to sometimes say no to events or phone calls and still have a healthy relationship or friendship.

• Create more time for your priorities by keeping a “time journal” to see where your time truly goes each day. Figure out where you could make changes to do more of the things you love. 

• Combine mundane tasks with something more meaningful or fun. For example, listen to a podcast while cleaning or driving, or meet up with a friend for socialization while exercising.

• Set boundaries at work, too. Of course, this will depend on the specific workplace environment. And sometimes, a change of employment is necessary to have a healthier workplace. But often, discussions with bosses and colleagues allow new ideas to be integrated. 

For example, “buffers” in the schedule (for walk-ins, emergencies, catch up, and even taking a short break) can help employees perform at their best and avoid mistakes. Pre-arranging patient care with colleagues can help avoid unnecessary phone calls on a person’s day off. And considerations for the well-being of all employees can contribute to a positive workplace with less staff turnover. 

These and other strategies and be mutually beneficial for employers and employees alike.

Finding the best work-life balance can take time. And a person’s needs may evolve throughout the course of their career and life—so it’s important to reassess and make “course corrections” as our needs and interests change.

Set aside time each month to assess how things are going and where you’d like to make changes.

The time spent on personal care and work-life balance isn’t time wasted—and wellbeing is a necessity, not a luxury.

Life goes by quickly, so it’s important to think about the things that make life happy and meaningful. In addition to helping us live our best life, “filling our own cup” also allows us to be better caregivers for our patients and spark new enjoyment in our careers.

For veterinary professionals who are feeling stressed or overwhelmed, there are many people and resources who would like to help. Here are a few:

• Vets4Vets: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/vets4vets/

• Not One More Vet: https://www.nomv.org/

• Talkspace: https://www.talkspace.com/

• BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com/ 

• The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or text 741 741 to speak to a trained crisis counselor.

Written by: Dr. Tammy Powell, DVM

In-House Pancreatic Lipase Immunoreactivity (PLI) Tests.

Pancreatitis is a disease that’s common in both dogs and cats. But despite its prevalence and its potential seriousness, unfortunately, the condition is often not straightforward to diagnose.

There’s no one, single test that can definitely confirm pancreatitis. Instead, it requires looking at the whole picture of clinical symptoms, signalment, history, and different diagnostic tests.

So, where do in-house pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity (PLI) tests fit into this picture? And how useful are they? Here are some things to know…

Which Diagnostic Tests Can Be Used to Help Diagnose Pancreatitis?

Signalment, history, and the physical exam may lead a veterinarian to suspect pancreatitis. And in many cases, supportive care and treatment may be initiated based on this information alone, especially if a pet owner can’t afford diagnostics or if a patient is very ill but results of the tests can’t be obtained right away.

Assuming a client pursues diagnostic testing, the following modalities are commonly used…

• Bloodwork and urinalysis. A CBC, chem panel, any other relevant blood panels, and a urine analysis can provide valuable information. But unfortunately, general bloodwork panels (even ones that include serum amylase and lipase) have limited utility for diagnosing pancreatitis. 

However, these tests can be crucial for ruling out other conditions that may be causing a patient’s symptoms, evaluating overall health, and determining hydration status and electrolyte balance that must be addressed during treatment.

• Radiographs. Like bloodwork/urinalysis, radiographs help rule out other conditions—especially surgical conditions like a GI foreign body obstruction. However, although some radiographic changes can be seen with severe pancreatitis, many times x-rays won’t show appreciable changes specific to the pancreas.

• Ultrasound. Ultrasound is more sensitive than x-rays in terms of detecting changes (like inflammation) associated with pancreatitis. However, it’s user-dependent, and even this modality can’t detect pancreatitis 100% of the time.

• PLI tests. This is one of the most valuable options for testing specifically for pancreatitis, but limitations of the tests must be recognized. See the next section for more details.

• Biopsy. A pancreatic biopsy may be the most accurate way to diagnose the condition. However, this option is often not practical (and may even be harmful) for acutely ill patients.

Which PLI Tests Are Available to Veterinarians?

Serum amylase and lipase are often included on blood chemistry profiles, especially in patients who are exhibiting GI signs. However, many experts agree that these values are not good indicators of pancreatitis unless SIGNIFICANTLY elevated (3-4 times the normal range). That’s because these markers can be elevated with non-pancreatic disease and may be normal in dogs and cats with pancreatitis.

Trypsin-like immunoreactivity (TLI) is also not considered diagnostic for pancreatitis, as it can increase with azotemia, and it doesn’t remain elevated consistently and thus may be normal even in a patient with pancreatitis.

Another test, the PLI test, was designed to be specific for serum concentration of lipase of pancreatic origin. Both canine (cPLI) and feline (fPLI) versions of the test are available. 

The PLI test was originally developed at Texas A&M University. Idexx later developed a similar test (SpecPL). These two tests are performed at the respective laboratories, so samples must be sent out.

Idexx also developed a point of care version of the test: the SNAP cPL (canine) and SNAP fPL (feline). And Zoetis offers the VETSCAN cPL rapid test. These tests are available for in-house testing in veterinary practices.

How Well Do PLI Tests Work?

The sensitivity and specificity of any diagnostic test depend on many things, including cut-offs for an abnormal reading, which population of pets are being tested (healthy versus ill), and other factors.

In a nutshell, the cage-side (SNAP cPL and fPL) are considered a sensitive test, which means they’re less likely to have false negatives, but more likely to have false positives. In other words, they’re a good tool for screening symptomatic patients. A negative test means it’s less likely (though not impossible) that a patient has pancreatitis. A positive result helps support a diagnosis but MUST be followed up with additional testing.

The laboratory tests for PLI (the original test at Texas A&M and the SpecPL) have a higher specificity than the in-house tests. Therefore, many veterinarians use these as confirmatory tests after obtaining a positive SNAP test. Even these tests are not 100% diagnostic, and thus results must be interpreted in light of the whole clinical picture. But they are an important piece of the clinical puzzle when it comes to pancreatitis.

Caveats for Testing

Many experts don’t recommend testing for markers of pancreatitis (serum amylase and lipase, or PLI) as a screening test in healthy patients. Statistically speaking, false positives are more likely when doing widespread testing on a healthy population. Instead, testing is most accurate and valuable for symptomatic patients.

Of note, all of these tests may be most accurate for acute, severe pancreatitis. Milder forms of the disease, as well as chronic pancreatitis (especially in cats), may be less likely to show an abnormal result.

Laboratory testing offers the added benefit of a quantitative (number) value. This may be valuable not only for diagnosis, but for monitoring of the condition.

Of note, while PLI (both lab and in-house) tests are more specific to the pancreas than serum amylase and lipase, PLI can be elevated from non-pancreatic conditions.

Details and specifics of these tests may evolve over time. It’s important to check directly with the company for the most up-to-date information before making a purchase.

With all these things in mind, PLI tests can be a valuable addition for many veterinary practices. But they must be used appropriately and interpreted in conjunction with the entire clinical picture.

Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only, and not intended as a guide to the medical treatment of any specific animal. 

Written by: Dr. Tammy Powell, DVM