My older cat's fPLI is super high. What does this blood test mean?

Pancreatitis is difficult to diagnose and is done by analyzing compatible clinical signs and lab test results. Cats with pancreatitis commonly experience lethargy, loss of appetite and occasionally vomit, but these clinical signs can also be caused by a variety of other conditions. Typical blood testing includes a CBC (red & white blood cell count and platelets), chemistry (to evaluate overall organ function, blood glucose and electrolytes), T4 (thyroid hormone), as well as a urinalysis (to evaluate kidney function and look for infection). If pancreatitis is still suspected, a blood test called an fPL can be done to either rule pancreatitis out or make you more suspicious of that as the diagnosis (this is not a conclusive test). Abdominal ultrasounds can be helpful to determine if the pancreas is inflamed or if other abnormalities are present, but these are not performed in all cases. Cats with pancreatitis commonly also have concurrent diseases - such as inflammatory bowel disease, cholangitis (inflammation of the gallbladder) or cholangiohepatitis (inflammation of the gallbladder and liver). Uncommonly, cats with pancreatitis can become diabetic if there is enough damage to the endocrine portion of the pancreas. There is no definitive treatment for pancreatitis. The goal is to manage Bella's clinical signs supportively (i.e. IV fluids, anti nausea medications, pain medications, etc.) as needed. If you are concerned about the treatment plan that your vet has started for Bella, call her to discuss the options. Odds are that she has a reason for starting or not starting certain medications or diagnostics. If you feel uncomfortable with this plan after speaking with her, it is always reasonable to get another opinion. I hope that Bella is feeling better soon!

I'm sorry to hear your cat is having GI issues. How was your cat diagnosed with pancreatitis? If the remainder of bloodwork was normal and the fPLI was positive, I would consider X-rays and possibly an abdominal ultrasound for more information. Pancreatitis can be a chronic condition that requires diet changes, B12 supplementation and long-term medications. Pancreatitis can be concurrent with another underlying GI issue, such as IBD or lymphoma. Ultrasound can give more information, but these conditions can only be definitively diagnosed with intestinal biopsies. As the issue isn't resolving, I would recommend your cat be re-evaluated and further diagnostics potentially fine, either by your regular veterinarian or an internal medicine specialist. Good luck!

The blood work changes you are seeing are not very significant in the absence of any pertinent clinical signs. Increased lipase can be associated with pancreatitis, but usually a follow up blood test would only be done if there was evidence of this condition in Phil's overall health and well being (lethargy, vomiting, pain in the abdomen). MCV / MCHC changes are insigificant in the absence of a concurrent anemia. The alkaline phos change is very small. I would continue to monitor Phil's blood work on a twice yearly basis for the time being unless there are significant changes to his health where it would be warranted more frequently. Hope this helps.

Pancreatic lipase can be falsely positive in case of gastrointestinal problems of different nature than pancreatitis. If the levels are elevated with a snap test you should ideally ask for a quantitative test (which gives you a specific number and it is more reliable to evaluate). My questions would be: why she was tested the first time? what were the signs? and was an ultrasound performed at all? What kind of liver damage she had? No, the stress of the trip to the vet cannot raise CPLI levels. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I wouldn't worry about a high amylase in a healthy cat. Amylase and lipase are not good indicators of pancreatic disease. Amylase can be a sign of chronic kidney disease in cats but again it is of little significance when it is the only thing elevated in an otherwise normal cat. I know it is hard to not worry but I wouldn't if Argyle was my baby! Have a good day!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Rocky. Lipase values can be elevated in cases of pancreatitis and occasionally liver and kidney disease. However, it is a not a very sensitive marker of this disease. For this reason, if the remainder of his blood work is normal and he is not acting sick, then I do not worry too much about an elevation in lipase. I hope this information helps!

GGT can be a liver indicator, but does not mean anything when it is the only liver enzyme elevated. It means that the sample was likely hemolyzed, giving a false reading. Mildly elevated HCT and HGB mean that your pet may have had mild dehydration when the sample was taken. The elevated RETIC means that your pet was regenerating his red blood cells which can be due to an underlying immune mediated disorder, blood loss, or decreased blood cell production. However there are no other markers seen (RBCs are normal) to corroborate any of these situations, so a blood smear evaluation can be done to try and find more clues about what the high RETIC count means, or if it is also a false reading. The mildly low EOS is not a significant finding when this is low, only when this value is high, which can indicate a parasitic problem. I hope this helps! Best wishes and take care.