Norbury News

Norbury Pet Health Centre

2 weeks ago

PANCREATITIS IN DOGS AND CATS:

Pancreatitis literally means inflammation of the pancreas, is a fairly common condition that we encounter at Norbury Pet Health Centre in dogs and cats, and is broadly divided in to acute and chronic types and if not treated can potentially be life-threatening.
The pancreas is an organ that lies near the stomach, small intestine and liver, and plays a role in the digestion of food as well as maintaining glucose levels in the body via the secretion of Insulin.

CLINICAL SIGNS:

Owners often notice that their pet has a reduced appetite, is lethargic and may have vomiting or diarrhoea, as well as be showing signs of pain and dehydration. Classically dogs may adopt the so called “praying position” where they stretch down on their front legs, with their body extended in order to make themselves more comfortable.
Less common signs such as jaundice may be seen, where the eyes, gums and skin may appear varying degrees of yellow.
In cats the signs may be similar but are often more subtle, where the cat may simply be quieter, not themselves, hiding away more and possibly eating less.

CAUSES:

Certain breeds seem genetically predisposed to pancreatitis – in dogs, Miniature Schnauzers, English Cocker Spaniels and Boxers are amongst those with a higher incidence, and in cats the Siamese are over-represented.
Dietary indiscretion is a common factor in dogs, often after scavenging something, eating a fatty meal, or simply having a different food to normal.
Other possible causes include trauma, infections, pharmaceutical drugs that a pet may be on, cancer, and hormonal conditions such as hypothyroidism in dogs, (basically an underactive thyroid).
In cats pancreatitis is commonly associated with other medical conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, cholangiohepatitis and diabetes.

DIAGNOSIS:

This is usually based on clinical signs, blood tests, ultrasound and x-rays of the abdomen, and for a definitive diagnosis, surgical biopsies, although these are rarely done for most cases, and a diagnosis is presumed based on a blood test called Pancreatic specific lipase. At Norbury Pet Health Centre we regularly run these tests which gives us a positive or negative result, although it must be advised that a positive result can be secondary to other factors such as intestinal disease/diarrhoea.
Any underlying risk factors should also be identified and addressed.

TREATMENT:

This is based largely on supportive treatment with intravenous fluids, controlling the clinical signs with pain relief, anti-vomiting medications and antacids. In cases that are responding less well we may use steroids or even antibiotics, although there is little evidence to suggest that these are indicated in most case.
In dogs an ultra-low fat diet seems essential to control it, and minimise the risk of flare ups, whilst in cats this seems less essential, but we still recommend a moderately low fat diet.
It was thought for years that “starving” the pancreas by withholding food for a period of time was an important part of treatment, but evidence now points to improved prognosis with early nutritional support, provided the vomiting is under control.
In very mild cases hospitalisation may not be required, but more often than not it is highly recommended and may be essential to achieve the best outcomes. If the condition is not treated promptly then it can be potentially life-threatening.
Commonly however, pancreatitis will recur, and so life-long management of the disease through appropriate diet, adjunctive treatments as necessary, and the identification of possible risk factors or underlying causes is essential. ... See MoreSee Less