The Holidays and Pancreatitis

With the holidays upon us we have abundant parties, bringing family, friends and food into our homes. Sometimes well meaning people give treats and extras to our pets or our pets get into the garbage or sneak extras on their own. All of these extras can sometimes lead to a condition called pancreatitis, which is an inflammation of the pancreas.

The pancreas is a digestive organ located just below the stomach and near the first part of the small intestine. When we eat, the pancreas's job is to excrete enzymes for digestion of the food. When the pancreas becomes inflamed and irritated those digestive enzymes can leak into the surrounding tissues causing irritation. Signs of pancreatitis can include vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, occasionally fever, inappetance (lack of appetite,) and a painful abdomen. Cases of pancreatitis can range from mild where the patient is treated symptomatically at home, to severe when the patient would need to be hospitalized on IV fluids and supportive therapy.

Healthy (L) and inflamed (R) canine pancreas. Image courtesy of veterinarypartner.com

Pancreatitis can be caused by ingestion of fatty meals, dietary indiscretion (getting into the garbage), certain medications (immuno-suppressives like azathioprine, certain antibiotics, or potassium bromide), endocrine disorders (diabetes mellitus, hyperadrenocorticism/cushing's disease, hypothyroidism), trauma, or pancreatic tumors.

If the veterinarian suspects pancreatitis they will recommend certain diagnostic tests like bloodwork, radiographs/x-rays, or ultrasound. Bloodwork will include a CBC to look for a very high white blood cell count, a serum chemistry looking at pancreatic enzymes (amylase and lipase), and an in-house PLI which is a specific pancreatic enzyme and has shown to very good at diagnosing pancreatitis. Radiographs and or ultrasound can help to diagnose pancreatitis and look for any other issues like tumors or potential foreign bodies/obstructions in the GI tract.

Treatment depends on the severity of the signs. If your dog is vomiting, but still bright and responsive, we will often times send your pet home with you after giving an anti-emetic injection to stop the vomiting, subcutaneous fluids to help keep the pet hydrated, and instructions on feeding a bland diet after a day of fasting. If your dog is so sick that they are very lethargic and unable to hold water down, then we would recommend admitting them to the hospital for supportive therapy (intravenous fluid therapy, injectable medications to stop the vomiting, potentially antibiotics if an infection is suspected, and pain medications to deal with the often times severe abdominal pain).

Once pancreatitis has occurred this patient will be prone to recurrent episodes and could potentially become diabetic since the pancreas is the organ that produces insulin and each episode of pancreatitis can cause damage to the pancreas. A low fat diet (often times prescription) will be recommend long term after pancreatitis has occurred in order to try and avoid pancreatic stimulation.

Although often times manageable it is best to try and avoid pancreatitis if you can. So during this holiday season when tempted to give your beloved pet a treat from the table think about giving an extra belly rub or scratch behind the ear instead.