Dr. Laura Brown explains what is pancreatitis in dogs

 

What Is Pancreatitis in Dogs?

The pancreas is an organ in the abdominal cavity. One of its roles is producing digestive enzymes, which helps break down food products.

Pancreatitis in dogs is an inflammatory reaction within the pancreas that can result in abdominal pain, inappetence, and vomiting.

The inflammation results from the inappropriate, early activation of an enzyme within the pancreas, which causes the pancreas to digest itself.

What Causes Pancreatitis in Dogs?

Classically, the typical history of a canine patient that is diagnosed with pancreatitis is one in which the dog ate a high-fat meal or got into the garbage. Unfortunately, this is not the most common cause of pancreatitis.

In reality, 90% of the time, the inciting cause of pancreatitis in dogs is idiopathic (cannot be determined).

Are Some Dogs Predisposed to Pancreatitis?

Some breeds are more prone to the development of pancreatitis, as well as dogs taking certain medications.

Miniature Schnauzers are considered to be a predisposed breed due their tendency to have problems with high blood triglyceride levels.

Another example is the English Cocker Spaniel. Immune-mediated diseases, which result from abnormal activity of the immune system, are seen at a higher frequency in this breed in general, and the immune system attacking the pancreas is no exception.

Medications that are known to cause inflammation of the pancreas include, but are not limited to, some chemotherapy medications and some antibiotics.

What Are the Symptoms of Pancreatitis in Dogs?

Pancreatitis can present as a sudden-onset (acute) illness or as a more long-term (chronic) illness. 

A dog that has acute pancreatitis will have more serious clinical signs, such as:

• Severe lethargy

• Abdominal pain

• Persistent vomiting

• Severe dehydration

• Collapse and shock (sometimes)

A dog with chronic pancreatitis is typically not as sick. The clinical signs may include:

• Lethargy

• Decreased appetite to not eating at all

• Abdominal pain and/or vomiting

In general, chronic pancreatitis is not as common in dogs as acute pancreatitis.

Dogs with chronic pancreatitis can suddenly develop worsening pancreatitis. This is a situation where chronic pancreatitis presents acutely. 

How Do Vets Diagnose Pancreatitis in Dogs?

Disease of the pancreas can be difficult to identify because, oftentimes, the signs of illness are not specific to the pancreas, and routine blood tests are often not helpful.

However, there are pancreatic-specific blood tests that can be performed when the veterinarian has a high suspicion of pancreatitis.

Unfortunately, even these special tests are not 100% accurate.

Abdominal X-rays are also not very helpful in diagnosing pancreatitis in dogs. However, in a vomiting patient, it is important to take X-rays to rule out a potential foreign-body obstruction of the stomach and/or intestine (something your dog ate, like a squeaker out of a toy).

The best method to image the pancreas is via abdominal ultrasound. However, the tissue of the pancreas has to be abnormal enough to visualize using the ultrasound, which is more common in dogs with acute, severe pancreatitis, when compared t