PANCREATITIS

PANCREATITIS IN DOGS CAN BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IF LEFT UNTREATED, IT CAN START SUDDENLY AND IS FAIRLY COMMON SO KNOWING MORE ABOUT THE DISEASE AND ITS SYMPTOMS CAN BE BENEFICIAL TO BOTH YOU AND YOUR POOCH.

The pancreas helps to digest food and when your dog is suffering from a bout of pancreatitis it can cause severe pain and or vomiting and diarrhoea (sometimes bloody) leaving your dog feeling extremely poorly. Before these symptoms appear, your dog may go off their food perhaps not eating at all. You may also notice them trying to relieve the pain in their tummies by stretching or curling up. We recommend if your dog has any of these ailments, to contact your vet immediately. Pancreatitis can be controlled with pain relief and anti-sickness medication however if your pooch is really sick, they may need to be placed on a drip and kept in for a few days for intensive treatment and care. Ensuring your dog doesn’t eat high fat foods can help with pancreatitis and with weight loss. Being overweight is another factor that can contribute to the disease. It is also something to look out for after a recent bout of illness or

surgery. Your vet will assess the severity using ultrasound and blood tests. Once diagnosed, treatment can begin. Whilst most dogs make a full recovery, some can suffer from reoccurring attacks, maintaining their low fat diet (ask your vet for advice) will certainly help minimise further attacks as will keeping them active and fit. Whilst we can never be sure of a diagnosis without a vet, it is important to know the symptoms of pancreatitis as early detection and the correct medication can stop this disease becoming more serious. You know your dog and you know when they are ill or in pain. Always consult your vet as the quicker they get treatment the better their chances of a speedy recovery.

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