Acute pancreatitis in dogs remains a challenging disease, with many unanswered questions regarding optimal diagnostic criteria and treatment options. Diagnostic assays with high sensitivity provide a good ability to detect disease. High sensitivity is associated with a low rate of false-negative diagnoses. The specificity of an assay refers to its ability to differentiate the disease from other influences. A high specificity is associated with a low frequency of false-positive diagnoses. This paper discusses recent research surrounding diagnosis and some potential areas of treatment where further investigation may be beneficial.