Lab results are the highest-volume external data stream entering a veterinary practice's medical records. In a typical small-animal general practice that runs both in-house analyzers and reference lab submissions, between 15 and 40 diagnostic orders pass through the system each week. Each order generates a result that must appear in the correct patient record, attached to the correct visit, linked to the correct invoice line, and reviewed by the correct veterinarian.

When lab integration works, this happens automatically in the background. When it breaks, staff manually transcribe results from portal screenshots or PDF printouts into patient records — a process that introduces transcription errors, delays review, and loses charges.

This guide covers how veterinary lab integration actually works, how to set it up on major PIMS platforms, what goes wrong, and how to build a monthly reconciliation workflow that catches the revenue leakage most practices never notice.

The two integration models

Veterinary lab integration comes in two forms:

One-way integration (results import only)

The reference lab or in-house analyzer sends completed results into the PIMS patient record. Staff still place the order manually through the lab's portal (VetConnect PLUS for IDEXX, HealthTracks for Antech) or by phone. The PIMS receives results but does not send orders outbound.

This is the legacy model. It is still common on older on-premise systems like AVImark and some configurations of Impromed and Cornerstone.

Two-way integration (order and result)

The practice places the lab order directly inside the PIMS. The PIMS sends the order — patient information, test codes, requesting veterinarian — to the lab electronically. When the lab completes the test, results flow back into the patient's medical record within the PIMS. No manual portal login. No duplicate data entry. No transcription.

This is the standard for modern cloud PIMS platforms. ezyVet, IDEXX Neo, Covetrus Pulse, DaySmart Vet, Shepherd, Digitail, Vetspire, and NectarVet all support two-way integration with IDEXX Diagnostics. Antech two-way integration is available on ezyVet, Neo, Cornerstone, Pulse, and NectarVet (which was the first PIMS to offer two-way Antech HealthTracks connectivity).

Which PIMS platforms support which labs

Shepherd's lack of Antech integration is a documented limitation noted on comparison sites and in user reviews — practices that split lab work between IDEXX and Antech should factor this into their PIMS evaluation. For a broader PIMS comparison, see our veterinary scheduling software comparison and cloud PIMS pricing models guides.

Setup walkthrough: IDEXX VetConnect PLUS

IDEXX VetConnect PLUS is the integration hub for IDEXX reference lab and in-house diagnostics. Every PIMS that integrates with IDEXX uses VetConnect PLUS credentials as the authentication layer. The setup steps are consistent across platforms, though the menu paths differ.

What you need before starting

1. VetConnect PLUS username and password. If your practice does not have one, contact IDEXX customer support. Note: the username cannot contain special characters, including the @ sign. If your username is an email address, the integration setup will fail — contact IDEXX to change it first.
2. IDEXX account number (SAP number). This appears on your IDEXX invoices and in VetConnect PLUS account settings.
3. Laboratory account number (LIMS ID). This is the lab-specific identifier, separate from the SAP number. Your IDEXX representative can provide it.

General setup steps (applies to ezyVet, Neo, Vetspire, DaySmart Vet, and others)

1. Open the lab integration settings in your PIMS admin panel. The path varies — in ezyVet it is under integrations/diagnostic tests; in Vetspire it is under More → Admin → Integrations → Labs; in DaySmart Vet it is under Settings → Integrations.
2. Add IDEXX as a laboratory. Enter the account number, VetConnect username, VetConnect password, and clinic ID. All fields are case-sensitive and must match exactly as they appear in VetConnect PLUS.
3. Map in-house devices. If your practice has an IDEXX VetLab Station (Catalyst, ProCyte), configure the device connection. In cloud PIMS platforms, the VetLab Station must be configured to connect to a cloud-based PIMS — not an IP or server-based PIMS. If the device does not appear in the device list, it is likely still pointed at an old server address. Contact IDEXX technical support to reconfigure.
4. Configure the VetLab Station transmit setting. On the VetLab Station itself, go to Settings → Practice Management and choose one of two transmit modes: "Transmit result records only" sends structured data to the PIMS; "Transmit result records and report" also sends a PDF of the results. Most practices should select the second option — having both structured data and the PDF in the patient record is more useful for clinical review.
5. Map inventory items to test codes. Each lab test you order must be linked to an inventory item in your PIMS. This is what enables automatic billing when results arrive. For example, a "CBC" inventory item maps to the IDEXX CBC test code. If this mapping is missing, orders will still go through, but results will not auto-invoice — and the charge may be lost.
6. Verify with a test submission. Place a real lab order through the PIMS, confirm the order appears in VetConnect PLUS, and confirm the result flows back into the patient record and creates an invoice line. Do not skip this step — the number of practices that "set up" integration without verifying the full round-trip is surprisingly high.

IDEXX support contacts for integration issues

• Reference lab integration: 1-888-433-9987, option 5, then option 2 for PIMS integration support
• VetLab Station (in-house): 1-800-248-2483
• Canada: 1-800-667-3411

Setup walkthrough: Antech

Antech Diagnostics (a Mars Veterinary Health company) provides reference lab services and in-house analyzers. Integration setup follows a similar pattern:

1. Obtain Antech account credentials. Contact your Antech representative for the account number and API or portal credentials specific to your PIMS.
2. Enable the Antech integration in your PIMS lab settings. On NectarVet, this requires only the HealthTracks login — the platform handles the rest.
3. Map test codes to inventory items. Same principle as IDEXX — every Antech test you order must map to a billable inventory item.
4. Verify round-trip. Submit a test order through the PIMS, confirm it reaches Antech, and confirm the result returns to the patient record.

Antech has also launched the trūRapid Reader, a portable device that automates in-house rapid test result capture and sends results directly to the PIMS — reducing manual entry for point-of-care tests.

Common integration failures

Lab integration is not a set-it-and-forget-it system. These are the failure modes that practices encounter most frequently:

Results not appearing in patient records

• Cause: The patient's name or date of birth in the PIMS does not exactly match the information submitted to the lab. Even a missing middle initial or a transposed digit in the date of birth will prevent the result from auto-matching.
• Fix: Standardize patient naming conventions in the PIMS. Enforce a policy that every lab submission pulls patient data from the PIMS (via the integration) rather than being typed manually.

Orders submitted but not received by the lab

• Cause: Credentials have expired, the lab account number changed, or the VetLab Station is pointed at the wrong server.
• Fix: Re-verify credentials in the integration settings. Confirm the VetLab Station is configured for cloud-based PIMS connectivity. Run a test order.

Results arrive but do not create invoice lines

• Cause: The test code is not mapped to an inventory item, or the "auto-invoice" setting is disabled for that lab test.
• Fix: Audit the inventory-to-test-code mapping. In platforms like Vetspire, confirm the "Auto Invoice?" field is set to "Yes" for each mapped lab test. In DaySmart Vet, verify the mapping under Settings → Integrations → IDEXX.

Duplicate results

• Cause: A staff member manually entered the result from a portal printout and the automated integration also delivered the result — creating two entries.
• Fix: Train staff to never manually enter results when integration is active. If manual entry is necessary (e.g., integration is down), mark the result clearly so it can be deduplicated later.

VetLab Station goes offline

• Cause: The in-house analyzer lost its network connection or is configured to connect to an old server IP address.
• Fix: Check the device status in the PIMS (Settings → Configurations → View Devices in DaySmart Vet, or the equivalent in your platform). Confirm the device is set to cloud-based PIMS connection. Reboot the device and re-verify.

Monthly lab reconciliation workflow

Lab integration handles the clinical data flow. But the financial reconciliation — confirming that every test the practice paid for was also charged to a client — is a separate workflow that most practices skip. This is a meaningful revenue leak: ezyVet and IDEXX SmartFlow both note that missed-charge capture is one of the most common sources of revenue loss in veterinary practices, with industry estimates ranging from 3–8% of lab charges going unbilled when no reconciliation process is in place.

Step-by-step reconciliation

1. Collect vendor statements. Download the IDEXX statement (or portal CSV export) and the Antech statement for the reconciliation period. These are vendor-side records of what the practice was billed for.
2. Export PIMS lab charges. Run a report from your PIMS showing all lab-related charges posted during the same period. This is the billing-side record of what was actually charged to clients.
3. Match by accession or order ID. The strongest match key is the lab accession number or order ID, which should appear on both the vendor statement and the PIMS export. Match each vendor line to a PIMS line.
4. Review exceptions. Flag any unmatched rows:
   • Missed charges: The practice paid the lab but no corresponding client charge appears in the PIMS. These are immediate revenue recovery opportunities.
   • Duplicate charges: The client was charged twice, or the lab statement shows a correction, rerun, or add-on panel. Investigate each case individually.
   • Price mismatches: The PIMS charge does not match the vendor cost. Update the pricing in the PIMS inventory to prevent future discrepancies.
5. Post the clean AP bill. Only after exceptions are reviewed, post the accounts-payable entry. Retain the reconciliation workbook as the audit trail.

Making it repeatable

By the third month, the reconciliation should feel routine. Use the same spreadsheet template, the same date ranges, and the same match columns every month. The goal is not perfection — it is consistency. A reconciliation that catches 90% of missed charges is infinitely more valuable than no reconciliation at all.

In-house vs reference lab integration

Most practices run both in-house analyzers (IDEXX Catalyst, ProCyte; Antech Element series) and reference lab submissions. The integration architecture differs:

When to evaluate a PIMS switch for lab integration

If your current PIMS does not support two-way lab integration with your primary reference lab, the operational cost is real: every manual result entry takes 2–5 minutes of staff time, introduces transcription risk, and delays veterinarian review. Across 20–40 lab results per week, that is 1–3 hours of weekly staff time spent on a task that should be automated.

For practices running on-premise systems like AVImark or Impromed with legacy one-way integrations, upgrading to a cloud PIMS with native two-way lab connectivity is one of the most tangible workflow improvements available. See our ezyVet migration guide and veterinary PIMS implementation timeline for practical migration planning.

Sources

• IDEXX Veterinary Software Integrations catalog: https://software.idexx.com/integrations
• IDEXX Neo Software Integrations: https://software.idexx.com/neo-integrations
• ezyVet Knowledge Center — Troubleshooting for IDEXX Reference Laboratories: https://docs.ezyvet.com/en/see-all-integrations/diagnostic-tests/idexx-reference-laboratories/troubleshooting-for-idexx-reference-laboratories
• DaySmart Vet Help Center — IDEXX Integration Reference and In-House (VetLab Station): https://help.vettersoftware.com/en/articles/9301071-idexx-integration-reference-in-house-vetlab-station
• Vetspire User Manual — IDEXX In-House and Reference Labs: https://manual.vetspire.com/vetspire-user-manual/ok/Commercial/idexx-in-house-reference-lab-integration
• NectarVet — IDEXX Labs Integration: https://www.nectarvet.com/post/integrations-idexx-labs
• NectarVet — Antech HealthTracks Integration: https://www.nectarvet.com/post/integrations-idexx-labs (same page, Antech section)
• VIA Veterinary Information Systems — IDEXX 2-Way Integration: https://www.viainfosys.com/6040-2
• Antech Diagnostics — VMX 2026 next-generation diagnostic innovations: https://www.antechdiagnostics.com/2026/01/13/antech-launches-next-generation-diagnostic-innovations-to-advance-clinical-decision-making-at-vmx-2026
• IDEXX VetConnect PLUS Operator's Guide (PDF): https://www.idexx.com/files/vc-vcplus-user-guide.pdf
• Digitail — Must-Have Integrations for Veterinary Software in 2026: https://digitail.com/blog/must-have-integrations-for-veterinary-software-in-2026
• Invoice Data Extraction — Extract IDEXX and Antech Lab Statements: https://invoicedataextraction.com/blog/extract-idexx-antech-monthly-lab-statement-vet-practice