Pancreatitis

The pancreas is a vital organ located in the right side of the abdomen. It has two jobs: 1) to make enzymes that help in the digestion of food, and 2) to produce hormones such as insulin. When the pancreas becomes inflamed, it’s called pancreatitis. At Effingham Animal Hospital, pancreatitis is one of the disease processes we frequently diagnose.
There are two types of pancreatitis: acute and chronic. Acute (sudden onset) pancreatits can occur in one of two ways: 1) the mild, edematous form (causing fluid accumulation in tissue spaces) and 2) the more severe, hemorrhagic form (causing blood loss from the tissue/vessels). Recurrent bouts of disease (chronic pancreatitis) can occur in pets that have recovered from an acute episode.
Pancreatitis can be caused by ingestion of a rich, fatty meal, including but not limited to: pork products (including bacon, hot dogs, boston butts, brisket, ham, bologna, etc.), red meat, fat trimmings/grease, real bones, and sweets. It can also occur secondary to eating other foods that are difficult for your pet to break down, like onions (these are toxic as well), dairy products, grapes/raisans (also toxic), eggs, etc. If your pet has a sensitive digestive system, any change in diet could trigger an episode. A pet that finds something in his/her outdoor environment that he/she ingests could lead to this illness (i.e. a decomposing carcass, someone’s old food/trash, the feces of another animal, etc.) It may also be associated with administration of corticosteroids. In some cases, there is no known cause.
Under normal conditions, the digestive enzymes created by the pancreas are activated in the intestines. With pancreatitis, they are activated prematurely in the pancreas. This results in the digestion of the pancreas itself. The symptoms we see with this condition include vomiting, lack of appetite, lethargy, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. If it is a severe attack, shock, depression, and death may occur. There is a test available that can be run in your veterinarian’s office to check for an elevation in pancreatic enzymes. We have it at Effingham Animal Hospital, and results are ready in 10 minutes. If this test is positive, we can make a definitive diagnosis of pancreatitis. However, some pets with pancreatitis will have normal enzyme levels. For this reason, if clinical signs and history point to pancreatitis, we will recommend treating for it.
Ideally, pets with pancreatitis are hospitalized. Food and water is withheld initially to “turn off” the pancreas. Allowing it to rest from its role in digestion is an important part of treatment. The pet is put on IV fluid therapy (2-4 day duration), and injectable medications to treat pain, nausea, and secondary infection. Food is gradually reintroduced, and a it should be something bland for a certain number of days. Your veterinarian will prescribe/suggest the appropriate diet.
There are some possible long term complications that can occur secondary to severe or chronic (repeated bouts of) pancreatitis. If enough of the cells that produce digestive enzymes are destroyed, your pet may have a continued problem digesting his/her food properly. A test can be done to determine if your pet has this condition, and it can be treated with daily enzyme replacement. If a signficant number of the cells that produce insulin are destroyed, diabetes can result. Rarely, adhesion (sticking together) of the abdomimal organs can occur. However, most dogs recover with no long term side effects.
We hope this post was informative and interesting. If you have any questions or suggestions for future topics, please feel free to comment!