Introduction
Pancreatitis is a serious and potentially painful condition in dogs that requires immediate medical attention. Some dogs are genetically predisposed to developing this condition, particularly Miniature Schnauzers, and some dogs develop the condition as a result of eating high amounts of fat or taking certain types of medications. Pet owners play an important role in their dog’s successful recovery, as special diets and feeding instructions need to be followed at home after the dog’s hospital stay.
Treating Pancreatitis
The treatment for pancreatitis focuses first on treating the underlying cause of the symptoms, if they can be identified. Next, treatment is focused at treating the clinical signs of pain, including pain relief, balancing electrolytic fluids in the dog’s body and resting the pancreas. Pancreatitis often causes severe abdominal pain, and injectable pain medications or patch medications are normally a part of the treatment. Providing intravenous fluids will keep the dog hydrated, help to ward off shock, and balance the electrolytes in the dog’s blood. To rest the pancreas and stop further inflammation and irritation, no food or water is given for at least 24 hours. Nutritional support, and a calming environment, will go far towards helping a dog with pancreatitis.
In severe cases of pancreatitis, dogs can suffer from repeated vomiting, diarrhea, and life threatening shock. In these cases treatment consists of injectable medications which calm vomiting and diarrhea symptoms; plasma may be administered if the dog is at an advanced stages of shock. The mainstay of pancreatitis therapy is hospitalization with supportive care, including aggressive fluid therapy and treatment with analgesics to address abdominal pain. Medications to address vomiting are also frequently needed.
A hospital stay for at least 24 hours, and in some cases up to 5 days, is necessary to maintain intravenous fluid and medication treatments. Blood tests should be periodically taken to check electrolytic balance, and to monitor the progress of the recovery of the pancreas. Pancreatitis dogs should not be released from the hospital until their blood values are normal and they can hold down some amounts of food.
Once a pet owner takes their dog home for recovery, a special diet and food instructions must be followed. The dog cannot be given any extra treats or foods outside of the diet, and the dog will need to be fed very small amounts of food multiple times a day. In chronic cases, a special diet will need to be followed for the remainder of the dog’s life to prevent further bouts of pancreatitis.