The most common condition affecting the exocrine pancreas is pancreatitis. Pancreatitis, or pancreatic inflammation, is encountered in both dogs and cats and ranges in severity from moderate GI upset to a life-threatening disease.<\/p>\n
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The causes of pancreatitis in dogs are often vague, although it may be triggered by couple of factors:<\/p>\n
Dogs with concurrent disease of the liver or intestines, diabetes, or hypothyroidism (low thyroid function) may be more prone to pancreatitis. Middle-aged to older overweight dogs seem to be the most affected; Miniature Schnauzers, Dachshunds, and Yorkshire Terriers are most at risk.<\/p>\n
Symptoms of a dog with pancreatitis include severe abdominal discomfort, vomiting, diarrhea, and\/or lack of appetite.<\/p>\n
These signs occur when digestive enzymes that are normally secreted by the pancreas begin to seep into the pancreatic tissue as a result of inflammation and \/or infection. When this occurs, the pancreas itself becomes subject to its own digestive fluids.<\/p>\n
Most cases of pancreatitis are acute and relatively short-lived, although chronic pancreatitis in some dogs does occur. In chronic cases, smoldering inflammation within the pancreas can flare up at any time.<\/p>\n
Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) is primarily a condition of dogs. While feline EPI occurs, it is very rare. The pancreas is underproducing or not producing the enzymes required to break down foods for digestion.<\/p>\n
EPI is frequently genetic but can occur as a result of chronic pancreatitis leading to inflammatory destruction of the exocrine pancreas. Either way, the result is that food is not properly broken and thus passes through the GI tract without being absorbed.<\/p>\n
The classic symptoms of EPI are low body weight, ravenous appetite, and voluminous, light-colored stools. EPI is most commonly seen in German Shepherds<\/em><\/span><\/a>, but is seen in other breeds of dogs as well.<\/p>\n
Dogs with pancreatitis frequently have symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, and\/or abdominal pain. They may or may not have a known history of a diet change or dietary indiscretion (that’s a nice way of saying they ate something gross).<\/p>\n
When your dog’s history and physical symptoms suggest pancreatitis, the following tests may be used to confirm the diagnosis.<\/p>\n
Because EPI is not a condition that occurs all that frequently, veterinarians will rightly want to eliminate more common conditions first by doing a standard screening to rule out gastrointestinal parasitic diseases (ova, parasites, and giardia) prior to testing for EPI.<\/p>\n
If your dog has been diagnosed with pancreatitis or EPI, there’s a conventional medical treatment<\/span><\/a> and complementary and alternative medical therapy<\/span><\/a>, that can be used by your veterinarian to combat this disease.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"