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B&L Labs Integration (Open Beta)

B&L Reference Laboratory delivers reliable diagnostics with flexible solutions that improve efficiency, reduce costs, and support better care.

B&L Labs Integration entered Open Beta on August 1st, 2026.

B&L Reference Laboratory delivers reliable, high-quality diagnostic solutions designed to support veterinary practices at every stage of growth. Through flexible pricing, customizable workflows, and rapid turnaround times, we help reduce costs, improve efficiency, and enhance patient care - partnering with practices to build smarter, scalable diagnostic strategies that drive long-term success.

Quick Start Guide

  1. Connect the integration using your B&L Ref Lab username, password, and Clinic ID.

  2. Map the diagnostic services you want to offer from the B&L Labs product database into Shepherd.

  3. Set your pricing.

  4. Order services from a patient's SOAP once mapped services are added to a treatment plan.

  5. View and sync results from the Diagnostics dashboard or directly in the patient's SOAP.

Each of these steps is covered in more detail below.

Connecting the Integration

  1. Navigate to Admin > Integrations and select B&L Labs

  2. Enter your Username, Clinic ID, and Password

  3. Select Save

  4. Turn on the Active toggle to enable

Note: If your credentials don't validate, double check them and try again. If the issue continues, contact B&L Labs directly.

Once saved, Shepherd begins downloading B&L Labs diagnostic services into your product database, found at Admin > Products > Lab Integration Products > B&L Labs Products. This initial download typically takes 5 to 30 minutes, depending on your internet connection.

Adding and Mapping Diagnostic Services

Before a service can be ordered from a SOAP, it needs to be mapped into your Shepherd product database. Mapping links a test to a product record in Shepherd so it can be added to a treatment plan and invoiced correctly.

If you already have related products in your database that aren't mapped to the integration, either rename them to make that clear, or deactivate them to avoid confusion with newly mapped services.

To map a service

  1. Go to Admin > Products > Lab Integration Products > B&L Labs Products.

  2. Turn off the Show Mapped toggle. Mapped services display by default, so turning this off shows the full list of available services.

  3. Search for the service you want to add by lab name or code using the main search bar.

  4. Select Edit from the Actions column on the right.

  5. Turn on the Active toggle to add the service to your mapped products.

  6. Select Product Settings to customize pricing, category, and other product details.

To map several services at once, select the checkbox next to each service and choose Add to Products. Afterward, turn on Show Mapped to edit or customize the services you just added.

Note: If a service still isn't visible after adjusting filters, change the status filter to All. This surfaces services that may have been mapped previously but are now inactive.

If you recently reconnected the integration, wait the full 5 to 30 minutes for all services to finish downloading before searching.

List Prices and Default Markup

B&L Labs doesn't send list prices through the integration, so you'll need to calculate and enter your selling prices manually.

To speed this up, you can set a default markup on the main B&L Labs Products page. Any markup you set is automatically applied to new services as they're mapped, and Shepherd calculates the selling price from the standard list price using that markup.

Note: Changing the default markup only affects services mapped afterward. It won't retroactively update pricing on services that are already mapped.

Editing or Updating a Mapped Service

  1. Go to Admin > Products > Lab Integration Products > B&L Labs Products.

  2. Search for and select the service you want to edit.

  3. Select Product Settings to make your changes.

Reactivating an Inactive Service

If a service's Active toggle is turned off, it moves to an inactive status rather than returning to unmapped. To reactivate it:

  1. Under mapped products, filter the status to show inactive services.

  2. Select the checkbox next to the service to mark it active.

  3. Make any other edits as needed.

Ordering Services from a SOAP

Ordering a B&L Labs service works almost exactly like adding any other product to a patient's treatment plan, with a few integration-specific steps in the order modal.

Adding a Service to a Treatment Plan

  1. Open the patient's active SOAP.

  2. Go to the Plan section.

  3. Scroll to Order Treatments.

  4. Search for and select the service you want to add.

  5. Select Add to add it to the treatment plan.

  6. Select the Administer icon. This opens the order modal.

Completing an Order

In the modal that appears when you administer a service:

  • Select the Specimen Date and Provider for each order.

  • Enter a Source for the specimen, if applicable. This field is optional.

  • Select Save.

Once saved, the order is sent to the appropriate device for processing.

Note: The Provider field is required. If the dropdown is blank or stuck loading, confirm that the provider is set up as an active user in your B&L Labs account.

Removing a Service from a SOAP

  1. Open the SOAP.

  2. Go to the Plan section.

  3. Open the Tx History.

  4. Select Undo in the Actions column for the service you want to remove.

Important: Removing a service from the SOAP does not cancel it in B&L Labs. You'll need to cancel the order directly within B&L Labs as well. Shepherd will show a reminder pop-up confirming this.

Ordering a Service Without the Integration

If a service was already ordered outside of Shepherd, you can still add it to the patient's invoice without triggering a new integration order.

  1. Open the patient's active SOAP.

  2. Go to the Plan section.

  3. Scroll to Order Treatments.

  4. Search for and select the service.

  5. Select Add.

  6. Select the Edit icon under Actions in the treatment plan.

  7. Turn on the Administer Without B&L Labs Integration toggle.

  8. Adjust priority and add any additional instructions, if needed.

  9. Select Save, then administer the treatment in the treatment plan as usual.

Viewing and Syncing Results

Diagnostics Dashboard

Once a service has been administered, it appears under the Diagnostics tab on the main dashboard, along with all other ordered and completed services. From the Actions column, you can view the associated SOAP, view the result, or download it.

Syncing Results

Shepherd automatically syncs with B&L Labs every 15 minutes, so results appear in the patient's SOAP as soon as the next sync completes. If you need results sooner and know they're ready, you can trigger a manual sync from either the Diagnostics dashboard or directly within the patient's SOAP.

Where to View Results

You can view results in three places:

  • The main Diagnostics dashboard

  • The patient's SOAP, under the Assessment tab

  • The patient's lifecycle view

Mapping Orphaned Results

An orphaned result is a test that was ordered directly on the device rather than through Shepherd. Because it wasn't tied to a SOAP from the start, you'll need to manually map it to the correct patient record.

  1. Confirm the SOAP you want to map the result to is active.

  2. Find the orphaned result on the main Diagnostics dashboard.

  3. Select the Actions icon.

  4. Select Map to SOAP.

  5. Select the appropriate client and patient.

  6. Select the appropriate SOAP.

  7. Select Save.

Test Status Definitions

Every order moves through one of the following statuses:

Status

What it means

Created

The service has been started.

Preparing

The service has been added to a treatment plan, but not yet sent to the device.

Pending

The service has been added to a treatment plan and received by the device, and is waiting to be fully processed.

Completed

The service has been fully processed and results are available.

Orphaned

The service was ordered directly on the device before being added to Shepherd, and the results are ready to be mapped to an open SOAP.

Orphaned (mapped)

The orphaned result has been successfully mapped to an open SOAP.

Canceled

The service was canceled on the device.

Updating Your Credentials

If your B&L Labs credentials change, you'll need to deactivate the integration, update the credentials, and reactivate it. The integration cannot be deactivated while any diagnostics are in Created, Preparing, or Pending status. Those must be resolved first.

To resolve open diagnostics before deactivating:

  1. Go to the Diagnostics tab on the main dashboard.

  2. Use the Integration filter to select B&L Labs

  3. Use the Status filter to show tests in Created, Preparing, or Pending status.

  4. For each test, select the three-dot menu on the right:

    • If the status is Pending, mark it Completed.

    • If the status is Created or Preparing, mark it Canceled.

Note: Canceling a diagnostic removes it from the invoice. If you need to re-order it after updating credentials, return to the original SOAP (reactivating it first if it was closed), reorder the test, and before administering, turn on Administer Without B&L Labs Integration to avoid sending a duplicate order to the device.

There is no bulk status-change option. Each diagnostic must be resolved individually.

Once all open diagnostics are cleared:

  1. Go to Admin > Integrations > B&L Labs

  2. Turn off the Active toggle and select Save.

  3. Enter your updated credentials.

  4. Select Validate Credentials.

  5. Turn on the Active toggle and select Save.

Need Help?

Contact your representative or B&L Support for additional help

Phone: 949-850-8515

Email: info@bandllabs.com
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