Feline pancreatitis

The pancreas is a pale pink glandular organ nestled just under the stomach. It has two functions:

1. The production of metabolic hormones (insulin and glucagon, which regulate blood sugar).

2. The production of digestive enzymes, which are secreted through the duct into the intestine to digest food.

In cats, the pancreatic duct frequently joins with the common bile duct from the liver. Both bile (a fluid used to excrete toxins, as well as prepare fat for absorption in the body) and pancreatic fluid,{{more}} which is rich in digestive enzymes, enter the intestines from the same location. There are other hormonal products from the pancreas that assist in the regulation of digestion and movement of food, but the above description is a basic picture of what the pancreas does.

Pancreatitis is potentially a metabolic disaster. Here is why:

The normal pancreas has a number of safeguards in place to keep its digestive enzymes securely stored. If these enzymes escape, they will digest the body. This is exactly what happens when the pancreas gets inflamed: the enzymes escape and begin digesting the pancreas itself. The living tissue becomes further inflamed and the tissue damage quickly involves the adjacent liver. Toxins released from this massive tissue destruction are released into the circulation and can cause a body-wide inflammatory response. If the pancreas is affected enough so as to disrupt its ability to produce insulin, diabetes can result; this can be either temporary or permanent.

Fats throughout the body are destroyed in an effect called the Weber-Christian syndrome.

Pancreatitis is one of the chief risk factors for the development of what is called ” disseminated intravascular coagulation” or DIC, which is basically a massive uncoupling of normal blood clotting and clot dissolving mechanisms.

This leads to abnormal simultaneous bleeding and clotting of blood through out the body.

Pancreatic encephalopathy (brain damage) can occur if the fats protecting the central nervous system becomes digested. Fortunately, total disasters such as the above are rare, but be aware that the potential for such disasters exists should the pancreatic inflammation get out of hand.

Most of the time , pancreatitis is confined to the area of the liver and pancreas. Pancreatitis can be acute or chronic (acute cases can reverse completely).

What causes pancreatitis in cats?

Unfortunately, 90 per cent of the time, we never find out. We have some idea of possible risk factors, though. Trauma (getting hit by a vehicle or falling from a high place).

Organophosphate insecticide (like sevens) exposure.

If the cat had a feline distemper of toxaplasmosis infection, that sometimes involves affectation of the pancreas.

If your cat has pancreatitis, what might you observe at home?

In dogs and humans, this condition is associated with a lot of nausea and abdominal pain. According to one recent study in cats though, only 35 per cent of cats with pancreatitis showed vomiting and only 25 per cent appeared to have abdominal pain. Fever is a possible sign, but often the temperature will drop instead. Lethargy and appetite loss are consistent signs.

Nearly all cats with pancreatitis lose their appetites.

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