Pancreatitis in Dogs - An Overview

The pancreas is a large gland situated close to the stomach, liver and small bowel.

The Pancreas produces and stores digestive enzymes and fluids; it also produces and secretes hormones. Two of the more important of these hormones are INSULIN and GLUCAGON. These are vital to the regulation of blood sugars.

When an increase in blood sugar is detected, Insulin is released into the blood. The higher the blood sugar, the more Insulin is secreted. The Insulin lowers the blood glucose concentration.

Glucagon does the opposite.

What is Pancreatitis?

Quite simply put Pancreatitis is the inflammation of the Pancreas. The inflammation creates swelling and congestion of the pancreas.

Symptoms of Pancreatitis are:

•    Nausea

•    Vomiting

•    Abdominal pain

•    Rise in temperature

•    Lethargy

•    Diarrhoea

•    Loss of appetite

If symptoms develop, contact your Veterinary Surgeon immediately for advice as soon as possible!

Causes:

•    Very high fat diets or a very fatty meal (often related to holiday time, barbecues, Christmas and table scraps!)

•    Trauma

•    Autoimmune disease

•    Infection

•    Certain medications

•    Obesity

Low Grade Kibbles Can Also Lead to Pancreatitis

On the whole, kibble fed dogs are more likely to suffer from Pancreatitis.

Eating inappropriate food - low grade protein foods made from vegetables, meats and cereals and then sprayed with rendered fats to make it palatable put a big strain on their digestive system. It is still often triggered by the bin raid - but these dogs are arguably more likely to have an extreme reaction to the ingestion of a large amount of inappropriate fat – i.e. cooked - as their system is already stressed.

Once a pancreatic episode is triggered it is an urgent condition and you should consult your vet as soon as possible because basically put, the pancreas is actively trying to digest itself. 

Over vaccination is also known to put increased stress on all the animal’s bodily systems, making them possibly more susceptible to inflammation. So keeping an eye on your pet after their vaccinations is a good idea.