VET'S CORNER - Pancreatitis and your Pet

By Dr. Kelly Wasylciw, Veterinary Services

Pancreatitis can be a difficult disease process to describe and explain to pet owners, but I think it is important to discuss so that we can get a bit more insight about what it is and how to recognize it.

The pancreas is a very important organ in the body. It has many different types of cells and helps control hormones as well as digestive enzymes in the body. It produces insulin, glucagon and somatostatins. The digestive enzymes are secreted into the small intestine of the animal and help break down fats, carbohydrates and proteins.

Pancreatitis is the inflammation of the pancreas. This means that the pancreas cannot function normally, which can have devastating effects on an animal’s body because of how many different functions it has. We don’t know all of the underlying reasons pancreatitis may occur because typically we cannot find a reason for it occurring in the first place. Dietary indiscretion is commonly thought to be a risk factor, but other things such as having high triglyceride levels and Cushing’s disease could be also be contributing factors. Pancreatitis is said to be most commonly found in Miniature Schnauzers, but other small breeds as well as sled dogs are said to be over-represented in various studies about pancreatitis.

The symptoms shown by a dog or cat with pancreatitis are very general and non-specific. These symptoms include vomiting, anorexia (being disinterested in food and water), moving around with a hunched back or acting painful in other ways, weakness, weight loss and dehydration. Pancreatitis isn’t the only possible diagnosis if these symptoms are present and there are instances where NONE of the symptoms listed above are seen and the animal is still suffering from pancreatitis.

The easiest way to diagnosis pancreatitis for a veterinarian is by doing blood work tests on your pet. This can show the levels of some of the digestive enzymes that the pancreas should release into the small intestine but they will be shown to be elevated in the blood. This means that the enzymes are being released abnormally from the pancreas to the blood instead of the gut. Another test can show the exact levels of an enzyme that is released into the blood from the pancreas itself and if it is too high it will indicate that there is pancreatitis and abnormal function of the pancreas.

Treatment of pancreatitis is typically dependant on the symptoms that the pet is showing. In some cases, treatment involves the animal being admitted into the hospital and given IV fluids as well as IV medications. Other times, it can be treated as an outpatient disease. Typically, the pet will need to be given antibiotics, something to help settle its stomach, a pain medication and also a low-fat diet. Once a pet has had pancreatitis in its life, the animal has an increased chance of having it again. These patients normally are placed on a low-fat diet for the remainder of their lives, as it seems to help lower the risk of pancreatitis reoccurring.

Overall, if your pet is showing any of the symptoms noted above, they should be examined by a veterinarian to check and see if pancreatitis is present. The quicker a diagnosis is made and treatment is started, the better for the animal and its overall health. As always, if you aren’t sure ask your veterinarian!

Alice the Great Dane is living with Pancreatitis