I was looking for a document on it but am having a hard time finding one. Until such time that I can find one, I will copy what was written by an internal medicine specialist that Feeby saw when I asked about the test. She said it would not diagnose either IBD or lymphoma but is used in conjunction with other tests like the ultrasound to help look at potential digestive issues.
"Your cat must be fasted for 12 hours prior to the blood draw for the tests. The GI Panel typically includes four individual tests - cobalamin, folate, fPLI, and fTLI:
Blood serum levels of B12 (cobalamin);
Blood serum levels of folate (another B vitamin);
Two tests check different aspects of pancreatic function;
The first check (fPLI) is to see if the pancreas is inflamed.
The second (fTLI) checks to see if the pancreas is making the proper amount of pancreatic enzymes to effectively digest and metabolize food. If it isn’t, this is called Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency, “EPI,” and it is more common in cats than once thought.
When B12 and/or folate levels are low, these are a very good indication that there is some form of small bowel disease: it can be IBD, cancer, pancreatitis, or exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. When B12 is low and folate high, this is an indication of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO).
Those two tests of pancreatic function can help pinpoint whether the problem involves the pancreas. The finding that the pancreas is involved does not mean the intestines aren’t – which gets back to why the ultrasound is important in the diagnostic process. Many cats concurrently have either IBD or intestinal cancer and pancreatitis or EPI (or inflammation/infection in other organs, and depending on which ones, the diagnosis may be cholangeohepatitis or triaditis)."
Maybe someone else will find an actual article/document about it.
"Your cat must be fasted for 12 hours prior to the blood draw for the tests. The GI Panel typically includes four individual tests - cobalamin, folate, fPLI, and fTLI:
Blood serum levels of B12 (cobalamin);
Blood serum levels of folate (another B vitamin);
Two tests check different aspects of pancreatic function;
The first check (fPLI) is to see if the pancreas is inflamed.
The second (fTLI) checks to see if the pancreas is making the proper amount of pancreatic enzymes to effectively digest and metabolize food. If it isn’t, this is called Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency, “EPI,” and it is more common in cats than once thought.
When B12 and/or folate levels are low, these are a very good indication that there is some form of small bowel disease: it can be IBD, cancer, pancreatitis, or exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. When B12 is low and folate high, this is an indication of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO).
Those two tests of pancreatic function can help pinpoint whether the problem involves the pancreas. The finding that the pancreas is involved does not mean the intestines aren’t – which gets back to why the ultrasound is important in the diagnostic process. Many cats concurrently have either IBD or intestinal cancer and pancreatitis or EPI (or inflammation/infection in other organs, and depending on which ones, the diagnosis may be cholangeohepatitis or triaditis)."
Maybe someone else will find an actual article/document about it.
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