Pancreatitis is a reasonably common condition in dogs and is basically an inability of the pancreas to process fat efficiently. The pancreas goes into “panic” mode and begins to shut down. Dogs generally manifest acute pancreatitis by vomiting excessively, behaving lethargically, running a fever, and walking in a hunched over posture.
Pancreatitis can occur in any dog, but some breeds are more susceptible to the disorder. A fatty diet also contributes to the issue, so pancreatitis is more common around the holidays, when pet owners typically are more likely to feed their animals table scraps.
If your dog begins to show signs of the disorder, it’s important to get them to the vet immediately since pancreatitis can be fatal. Diagnosis is generally made by testing the pancreatic enzyme balances and doing a lipid (fat) profile on the blood. In most pancreatitis cases, enzymes are generally unbalanced and the animal has a high lipid profile. If the tests don’t provide enough information, an x-ray or ultrasound of the pancreas area might be performed, and more blood tests might also be ordered.
Unfortunately, the only way to treat pancreatitis is to rest the pancreas. Therefore, your doctor will remove all food, water, and medication from your dog and administer either subcutaneous (under the skin) fluids or fluids via IV. Antibiotics might be administered even if there isn’t an infection just to prevent the possibility of the dog developing one. Since pancreatitis is painful for the dog, a pain reliever might also be used. Your dog will need to remain off all food and water for at least 24 hours and sometimes as long as one week to give the pancreas adequate time to repair itself. Otherwise, a relapse will occur.
No one quite knows what specifically triggers a pancreatic attack. Sometimes it can be an isolated incident, but sometimes it can be an indication that your animal has chronic pancreatitis. Your doctor will determine which is the more likely scenario and make recommendations based on his or her findings. Generally, the treatment for avoiding a pancreatitis relapse is a stomach acid medication like Zantac to be taken before each meal, and a low fat diet.
While a prescription diet is an acceptable choice in this case, consider doing your research and finding a high quality, low fat diet instead. Prescription diets, unfortunately, are not high quality and many have ample fillers and by-products. Look instead for a good quality food which has less than 10% fat in the guaranteed analysis. Often, wet food will have less fat, and senior formulations will be the lowest fat of all. For example, Innova’s Senior formulation of canned food only contains 3.5% fat content and is an excellent choice for many dogs.
Pancreatitis can be managed effectively and healthfully with a few diet and lifestyle modifications. However, prompt diagnosis and treatment is absolutely necessary. If you suspect that your dog has pancreatitis, call your veterinarian immediately.
