Pancreatitis in Dogs

February 20, 2016 by Hindy Pearson

pancreatitis in dogs

Sadly I know from personal experience how deadly pancreatitis in dogs can be.

It can hit fast and furious, so please keep reading to learn what it is, how dogs get it, how to treat it and what you can do to prevent it from happening to your dog.

If your dog has lost interest in food and is vomiting, often it’s just a passing thing. He may have picked something up out of the grass outside, or found something on your kitchen floor that seemed like a good idea at the time, but is now making him ill. On the flip side, it could also mean pancreatitis.

What function does the pancreas serve

The pancreas sits behind the stomach and produces and secretes digestive enzymes, essential for food digestion. It also produces insulin, which helps control metabolism and blood-sugar levels.

What is pancreatitis?

Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas. Digestive enzymes, which usually lie dormant until they reach the small intestine, are activated prematurely in the pancreas, and start digesting it. It can come on suddenly (acute), all about pancreatitis in dogs or keep reappearing (chronic). Basically, chronic pancreatitis is multiple attacks of the acute form.

Symptoms

Loss of appetite
Vomiting/projectile vomiting
Difficulty breathing
Stomach ache
Diarrhea
Lethargy
Dehydration
Fever
Swollen abdomen
Elevated heart rate

Causes

The exact cause of your dog’s pancreatitis may not be known, but there are several known causes that include, but are not limited to:

a side effect of medication
result of eating fatty/greasy foods
hypothyroidism
high amounts of lipids or calcium in the blood
Cushing’s Disease
Trauma to the pancreas
Older dogs
Overweight dogs
Genetics

What is interesting, and what also makes watching what your dog eat even more important is – even if your dog does not ordinarily eat a high fat diet, just eating a large amount of fatty food in one go can cause acute pancreatitis.

Dogs can usually recover from mild cases, but severe cases are more worrisome, and can lead to the death of your dog, as it did to one of mine.

Diagnosis

Your vet can get a pretty good indication of whether or not there is a possibility of pancreatitis, based on what you tell him about your dog’s condition, and symptoms.

He will perform blood tests and urinalysis, and other tests such as ultrasound, x rays… are a possibility.

Treatment

If it is a side effect of medication, your vet will discontinue the medication immediately.

Even if the exact cause is not known, your vet will still:

Treat dehydration
Provide pain relief
Provide anti vomiting medication
Take him off food to allow the pancreas to rest (how long is up to him – could be 2 or 3 days)
Withhold water if still vomiting
IV fluids
Electrolyte therapy
Possibility of antibiotics to fight infection

Depending on the severity of the attack, all this can be done in a few hours at your vet’s office, then your dog will be able to go home with some medication/electrolytes… (whatever your vet recommends).

A clinic/hospital stay of 1-3 days is usually in the cards in severe cases.

A low fat, bland diet will be prescribed, the length of time to be determined by your vet, depending on your dog’s condition. It may be just until he recovers, or a permanent move.

If you follow a more natural or holistic diet, and the recommended diet is not, voice your concerns, learn what ingredients should be avoided and why. Bring the packaging of the food you prefer, to see if it’s suitable.

Your vet may want to repeat some of the initial tests, to monitor recovery and progress.

Prevention

You won’t necessarily be able to prevent pancreatitis from ever happening, but there are precautions you can take to minimize the likelihood:

Keep your dog at a healthy weight

Don’t let anyone give your dog human food or table scraps

Make sure your garbage is out of reach

Be sure your vet is aware of all medications your dog is taking, to ensure none of them could potentially cause another episode

Many cases happen over the holidays, when rich fatty food is in abundance. Be extra vigilant about what your dog is putting in his mouth, and keep an eye on anyone slipping him food. If after repeated warnings no one is listening, put your dog in another room. Better safe than sick.

Prognosis

Pancreatitis can be very unpredictable. I’ve known dogs who have had it most of their lives, but a strict diet kept it pretty much under control.

In my dog Bailey’s case I think his death was caused by a combination of factors that created a perfect storm – my amazing vet was away, not thinking it was pancreatitis at the first sign, too many people involved at the clinic I went to, and a seemingly obsessive desire on the part of one vet to euthanize my dog.

Bailey was finally treated by my vet, but sadly by the time he got to him, it was too late. He was kept comfortable on fluids for 3 days, but he was never going to recover.

Red had a couple of very mild episodes but some fluids and food restrictions and she was fine.

Mild cases, or dogs that had a “one off” episode don’t typically require more than a good diet, and diligence on the part of the family.

Chronic pancreatitis can lead to other more serious issues, so you want to be very strict in following all recommendations made in your dog’s treatment to avoid going down that very slippery slope.