Pancreatitis in Cats: An Overview
Dog Breeds
The word pancreatitis means inflammation of the pancreas. This painful condition can occur in dogs and cats and can either be sudden onset (acute) or a low-grade gradual condition (chronic). The pancreas is a very important gland located in the abdomen. It has two main functions: one function is hormone production (e.g., insulin) and the other is to produce and release enzymes for digestion via a connection with the duodenum, the segment of intestine closest to the stomach.
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Definition
Pancreatitis is defined as inflammation of the pancreas, an abdominal organ that is critical to proper digestion and to production of insulin.
How Pancreatitis Affects Cats
Feline pancreatitis can be acute or chronic. There are no known breed, age or sex predispositions to this disease in cats. Signs of acute pancreatitis occur suddenly and are generally severe. Chronic pancreatitis normally causes more mild symptoms that wax and wane over time, frequently involving repeated flair-ups that require repeated treatment. The actual signs in cats are usually nonspecific and include fever, lethargy, icterus (yellowness of the sclera, skin and mucous membranes), inappetance, weight loss and dehydration. Vomiting and pain are noted in about one-third of the cats with pancreatitis. Some cats have a decreased body temperature and/or difficulty breathing. If a cat has not eaten for several days, there is an increased risk of fatty accumulation in the liver, called secondary hepatic lipidosis. This condition can be very serious in cats.
Causes of Pancreatitis in Cats
The causes of pancreatitis in cats are not well understood. There seems to be some connection between chronic feline pancreatitis and concurrent inflammatory bowel conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease and cholangiohepatitis. Whatever the particular inciting cause, the physiological pathway of pancreatitis is the same. Some insult causes premature activation of pancreatic digestive enzymes, which in turn causes progressive local and systemic tissue damage, including autodigestion of and by the pancreas itself. Pancreatitis may be associated with factors such as high fat intake, obesity, chemical toxins, certain drugs, physical trauma to the pancreas, diabetes mellitus and kidney, intestinal or liver inflammation or dysfunction.
Preventing Pancreatitis in Cats
There is no known way to prevent cats from developing pancreatitis.
Special Notes
The prognosis for cats suffering from pancreatitis depends directly upon the severity of clinical disease. The vague symptoms of feline pancreatitis have caused some difficulty with proper diagnosis in the past. However, as more veterinarians are recognizing this condition and as new diagnostic tests are developed, many cats with pancreatitis are now receiving the treatment they need in time for a complete recovery. Pancreatitis can be diagnosed through blood tests, and once a diagnosis is confirmed immediate hospitalization is typically required. Affected cats will need to remain in the hospital until blood tests confirm that their pancreatic enzyme values have normalized. Pancreatitis can be lethal if it is not timely treated.
Treatment Options