Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Accuracy of SNAP and Spec lipase tests for pancreatitis in dogs
By Haworth, Mark D et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary emergency and critical care (San Antonio, Tex. : 2001)·2014·School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Australia·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Diagnostic accuracy of the SNAP and Spec canine pancreatic lipase tests for pancreatitis in dogs presenting with clinical signs of acute abdominal disease.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 38 dogs with sudden stomach issues were tested for pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) using two different blood tests: SNAP canine pancreatic lipase (cPL) and Spec cPL. The SNAP test showed that it could correctly identify pancreatitis in about 82% of the dogs that had it, but it also gave false positives in 41% of the dogs that didn't have the condition. The Spec cPL test was slightly better at confirming pancreatitis but still had some inaccuracies. Overall, while these tests can help diagnose pancreatitis, they may not always be reliable, so it's important to discuss results with your veterinarian for a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.
People also search for: dog pancreatitis symptoms · SNAP cPL test accuracy · Spec cPL test results · dog stomach pain treatment · pancreatitis in dogs treatment options
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To (i) assess the clinical diagnostic accuracy of SNAP canine pancreatic lipase (cPL) and specific canine pancreatic lipase (Spec cPL) and (ii) assess the agreement of an abnormal test result between SNAP cPL and Spec cPL in dogs presenting with acute abdominal disease. DESIGN: Prospective observational cohort study. SETTING: University teaching hospital emergency center. ANIMALS: Thirty-eight client-owned dogs that presented with acute abdominal disease, with a known final diagnosis between March 2009 and April 2010. Dogs were retrospectively assigned into 2 groups, dogs with acute pancreatitis (AP) (Group 1) and dogs without AP (Group 2). INTERVENTIONS: Paired serum samples obtained within 24 hours of presentation were analyzed using the SNAP cPL test and Spec cPL assay. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: SNAP cPL clinical sensitivity and specificity was 82% (9/11 dogs of group 1) and 59% (16/27 dogs of group 2), respectively. Spec cPL clinical sensitivity and specificity was 70% (7/10 dogs of group 1) and 77% (20/26 dogs of group 2), respectively. Accuracy of the SNAP and Spec cPL for a clinical diagnosis of pancreatitis was found to be 66% and 75%, respectively. Agreement between a positive SNAP (cPL ≥ 200 μg/L) and a clinical diagnosis pancreatitis resulted in κ = 0.33. Agreement between an increased Spec (cPL ≥ 400 μg/L) and a clinical diagnosis of pancreatitis resulted in a κ = 0.43. The agreement between SNAP and Spec cPL (cPL ≥ 200 μg/L) for the entire cohort resulted in κ = 0.78. CONCLUSION: SNAP cPL and Spec cPL results may provide a "false positive" diagnosis of pancreatitis in up to 40% of dogs presenting with acute abdominal disease. There is good overall agreement between SNAP cPL and Spec cPL; however, there were 4/38 dogs with positive SNAP cPL and "normal" Spec cPL.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24739030/