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Can Cats Have Pancreatitis?

Rebecca Schmidt • Nov 07, 2012

First, what is the pancreas?

The pancreas is a thin strip of tissue that runs along the duodenum (the beginning portion of the intestine as it leaves the stomach). The pancreas has two crucial functions. The endocrine part makes hormones, the most well known of these is insulin which helps regulate blood sugar. The exocrine portion of the pancreas makes digestive enzymes. These enzymes are normally programmed to remain inactive and separated from the pancreatic tissue until released into the pancreatic duct which then empties into the small intestine.

Okay, so what is pancreatitis?2) Holiday Plants :

When the pancreas becomes inflamed, you have pancreatitis. Often this is because the exocrine portion of the pancreas released the digestive enzymes into the body of the pancreas rather than into the digestive tract of the cat. Trauma, infections, parasites, drug reactions and inflammatory bowel disease have all been linked to pancreatitis in the cat. In more than 90% of the cases the cause remains unknown. Siamese cats seem more susceptible to pancreatitis suggesting there may be a genetic component to this disease.

What are the symptoms of pancreatitis?

Unlike dogs, cats with pancreatitis often have very vague clinical signs. The most common symptoms are lethargy, decreased or no appetite, dehydration and low body temperature. Some cats may have a fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and/or a painful abdomen. A cat with pancreatitis might also have a yellowish tinge to the skin and eyes (jaundice). Acute pancreatitis occurs very quickly and usually the cat is very sick. Cats can even die from a severe attack of pancreatitis. This may be the only attack the cat has ever had in its life. More often, an affected cat will recover and subsequently experience intermittent bouts of pancreatic inflammation over time. This is called chronic pancreatitis. These attacks may be severe or mild, but with each occurrence of the disease the pancreas develops scar tissue. If enough scar tissue replaces normal tissue the cat may produce too few digestive enzymes and develop exocrine pancreatic insufficiency or if not enough insulin is being made the cat may develop diabetes mellitus. To further complicate things, many cats with pancreatitis also have liver and bowel disease at the same time. When these three problems occur at once it is termed “feline triad disease” or “triaditis”.

How is pancreatitis diagnosed?

Making this diagnosis is very challenging. Symptoms of pancreatitis are not specific and they often mimic other diseases. During a pancreatitis attack other organs, namely the liver and kidneys may be damaged. So a number of tests are used to put all of the clues together and to assess the overall condition of the cat.

A chemistry profile (blood work) performed on a cat with pancreatitis may show kidney damage, liver damage, abnormal electrolytes and abnormal blood glucose values. In the past amylase and lipase were thought to indicate pancreatitis. This has since proven untrue in the cat as many other organs besides the pancreas secrete these enzymes. Another portion of the blood work, the complete blood count may show elevated white blood cells although this will not indicate which organ has the infection. X-rays are useful to show fluid in the abdomen, liver abnormalities, kidney abnormalities or a mass. The pancreas itself is not easy to identify on x-rays and may appear normal. Ultrasound helps the veterinarian see the pancreas and may show enlargement or abnormal density. Ultrasound also helps the veterinarian assess the liver, kidneys and intestines. Even the ultrasound may not always show pancreatitis. In the last few years more specific tests have been developed for pancreatitis in the cat. One is the trypsin-like immunoreactivity test. If this test is low the cat has exocrine pancreatic disease (not enough digestive enzymes). Sometimes this test will be elevated when the cat has pancreatic inflammation. The best test right now is called the pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity test. This test will be elevated in the vast majority of pancreatitis cases.

How is pancreatitis treated?

While no uniformly effective treatment exists right now, the affected cat will need supportive care. This usually consists of hospitalization for fluids, heat support, anti-nausea medications, pain killers, antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications. In severe cases a cat may need to spend several days in critical care with an intravenous catheter for fluids and injectable medications. Some cats may need a feeding tube placed, especially if the liver is involved or if the cat hasn’t eaten well for an extended period of time. A number of cats with pancreatitis require medications long term, especially in cases with other organ involvement. The prognosis for cats with pancreatitis depends on a few things :
  1. The severity of the initial attack.
  2.  How quickly the cat responds to medical support
  3.  The extent to which chronic pancreatitis and any accompanying conditions (like triaditis or diabetes) are controlled.
If you suspect your cat has pancreatitis you can call Northern Illinois Cat Clinic at 1-888-Meow-doc or click here to schedule an appointment http://www.northernilcatclinic.com/schedule-appointment/
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