Pancreatitis

Pancreatitis is a condition that is often diagnosed in veterinary medicine, in cats, as well as in dogs, although there are number of differences between feline or canine pancreatitis, the condition in both cases is characterized by an inflammation of the pancreas. The severity and the intensity of the inflammatory reaction vary from one patient to the other. Some animals will simply present a loss of appetite while others will suffer from vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain, etc…

The pancreas is a small organ found in the abdomen, close to the stomach and the liver and communicates with the duodenum (first part of the intestine (grele)). The pancreas possesses 2 major roles; an endocrine role (controls glycemia using different hormones like insulin and glucagon) and a digestive role (produces enzymes for the digestion of proteins and fats). When suffering from pancreatitis, the digestive function is affected. Inflammation of the organ provokes the release of digestive enzymes directly into the abdominal cavity rather than into the digestive tube. The release of enzymes into the wrong area causes pain and is responsible for the animal’s ailment. The condition can be acute or chronic. During the acute episodes, the symptoms can appear suddenly and be quite intense. Where as when chronic illness is involved, the symptoms are sometimes less intense. However, the dog with a chronic episode lasting a few weeks or months may be followed with an acute attack. Typically, dogs will have acute pancreatitis more often than cats which have more often chronic pancreatitis.