Pancreatitis is defined as the inflammation of the pancreas, but it means so much more than the four word definition found online. Pancreatitis in dogs is a potentially life-threatening disease and it is highly important to understand what it is, what to look for and how to treat it. The pancreas controls the release of enzymes that help with digestion, becoming active only when reaching the small intestine. However, in dogs with pancreatitis the enzymes begin activating upon release, leading to damage in the pancreas and other surrounding tissues and organs. In some extreme cases these enzymes can begin to digest the pancreas itself causing extreme pain and discomfort to your dog.
There are two forms of pancreatitis: acute and chronic. Acute typically comes out of nowhere without having pancreatitis before. Chronic pancreatitis is when it develops over time, typically with no symptoms and can come from repeated acute pancreatitis in a patient.
Signs and Causes of Pancreatitis
There are a few factors that can cause pancreatitis in dogs including obesity, hypothyroidism and blunt trauma. However, the major cause of pancreatitis is a high fat diet. Even an extra few table scraps at Thanksgiving can cause pancreatitis in dogs.
“In fact, the day after Thanksgiving is known for more than just Black Friday bargains. It’s one of the busiest days of the year for pancreatitis-related emergency vet visits,” states the American Kennel Club.
Pancreatitis will cause pain and distention in the abdomen, as well as loss of appetite, diarrhea, vomiting and lethargy. Due to the discomfort present in the dogs abdomen they also may display a hunched back. Because pancreatitis is so painful, many dogs stop eating and drinking all together leading to severe dehydration, especially if your dog is also vomiting.
A quick way to look for dehydration is to check the color of your dog’s gums; simply pull up on the skin around the mouth and observe the gums above the teeth. Hydrated dogs have a pink moist view where dehydrated gums look pale pink/off-white and dry. Another way to check for dehydration is to test how fast the skin takes to fall back to its original position when pinched or lifted. Grab a small amount of skin and gently pull up; the skin should fall back down. If it takes longer than a few seconds, call your Veterinarian to discuss a plan on how to control your pup’s dehydration.
Treatment and Diet
Short term treatment for pancreatitis in dogs begins when one appears to be dehydrated; It is vital to get them to a Veterinarian for IV fluids and monitoring. Typically when dogs go into acute pancreatitis food and water is withheld, and monitoring nutrients can take place for 24 hours so the pancreas can rest and recuperate.
For long term treatment it is important to get them on a low-fat diet, and to feed frequent small meals rather than one to two large meals. While home remedies can be helpful, when it comes to pancreatitis you should always be communicating with your Veterinarian. Some dogs respond well to supplements which increase digestive enzymes so the pancreas doesn’t have to do as much work. Fish oil has also been through studies that if given to dogs with acute pancreatitis, it can help lower blood lipid levels. If supplementing with fish oil, you should also supplement with vitamin E because fish oil reduces the amount of vitamin E present in the body.
Dogs with pancreatitis should stay away from raw food, even if raw is typically what’s given, because the body is not functioning properly and cannot remove enough fat and bacteria. While over-time acute cases can be managed back to a balanced diet, without the need of prescription food, it is tedious and the feeding schedule and contents should be kept consistent.
However, if your dog has had more than one acute case, it increases their chances of it becoming chronic. If this occurs, speaking to a doctor is the first step. Pancreatitis in dogs can go away, but that does not mean it will not come back.
In order to assure no recurrence, or pancreatitis all together we must know the signs and how to control factors in our hands. Keeping your dog at a healthy weight with moderate exercise can stop pancreatitis from happening, but knowing the warning signs are just as important!
