Pancreatitis in Canines

What is Pancreatitis?• Pancreatitis- is the inflammation of the

pancreas.– The pancreas is a digestive organ that is

responsible for secreting enzymes into the digestive system to digest fat, carbohydrates, and proteins.

– During inflammation of the pancreas, these enzymes can leak and cause damage to the pancreas or surrounding tissue

Risk Factors• In many cases, the causes of pancreatitis are unknown,

but there are things that can increase the risk of it developing– Eating human food or garbage

• High fat foods– Obesity– Liver disease– Small intestine disease– Adrenal gland disease– May develop after abdominal trauma or surgery– Most common in middle-aged to older dogs

Symptoms • Severe lethargy• Vomiting• Dehydration• Abdominal pain• Fever• Icterus- yellow coloring of skin and whites of the eyes

Diagnostics• Physical exam• History• Radiographs and routine blood tests maybe required to rule out

other diseases• Specialized test

– Canine pancreas-specific lipase test (cPL)• Abnormal test may suggest Pancreatitis

• An abdominal ultrasound to confirm inflammation of the pancreas

Treatment• Hospitalization• Fluid therapy• Medications for vomiting and pain• Diet change –Lower fat content food

Prognosis• Good for most patients• Guarded prognosis with severe

pancreatitis and systemic conditions–Death may occur in severe cases

• Can be difficult to predict

Example of Pancreatitis• “Lucy”

– Mixed breed canine, spayed female, 6 years old• History

– Owner was awoken by Lucy – Lucy was shaking and panting. She was not acting herself and

vomited once– No diarrhea and not wanting to eat or drink– The owner said she had fed her a few french fries last night

“Lucy”• Physical exam

– Unremarkable exam. Lucy is overweight and has mild to moderate dental tartar– Recommend radiographs, blood work, and a cPL test (Canine Pancreas-specific

Lipase)• Diagnostics

– Radiographs: One view showed abnormal ingesta in stomach, but not seen in other views. Decided to retake radiographs 8-12 hours later• Second set of radiographs showed no signs of material in the stomach

– Blood work: Leukocytosis (high white blood cells), slight hyperglycemia (high glucose), and hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol)

– cPL- Abnormal

“Lucy”• Treatment–Fluid therapy–Anti-vomiting medication–Hospitalization–Pain management–Bland diet

“Lucy”• Lucy improved on fluids, medication, and began to eat

chicken• The second radiographs showed no signs of abnormal

material in the stomach• The exact cause of symptoms is uncertain, but suspected

acute pancreatitis• Lucy was sent home and started on a low fat diet after 3-5

days of a bland diet

Conclusion• Pancreatitis is a difficult disease to

diagnose, predict, and prevent• It is extremely important to immediately

contact your veterinarian or emergency services if your pet exhibits abnormal behavior or symptoms