Content
- What is canine pancreatitis?
- Causes of pancreatitis in dogs
- Pancreatitis symptoms in a dog
- Canine Pancreatitis Treatment
- How to prevent canine pancreatitis
As with humans, the pancreas It is an organ of vital importance to adequate the dog's digestive function as it releases insulin and glucagon, two hormones related to carbohydrate metabolism. Therefore, if the functioning of the pancreas is impaired, this has a direct impact on your pet's well-being.
Feeding and digestive processes are extremely important for the dog to live life in perfect health, however, on occasion, a disorder can affect nutrition and affect your dog's entire organism.
Continue reading this PeritoAnimal article on the causes and treatment of pancreatitis in dog, a serious condition that must be treated as soon as possible.
Image:Reproduction/vcahospitals.com
What is canine pancreatitis?
The term pancreatitis literally means pancreas inflammation, but due to the important functions of this organ, this condition means much more than just a simple inflammatory state. To understand the potential damage of pancreatitis in the dog, it is essential to understand the main functions of the pancreas.
The pancreas is located near the stomach and liver and has two important functions for the dog's body, the exogenous and endogenous. The exogenous function is responsible for producing enzymes that help digestion, while the endogenous function produces hormones such as insulin and glucon that help control blood glucose levels.
When the pancreas produces digestive enzymes, they are set to activate in the stomach and facilitate the digestion of food. In the case of pancreatitis, these enzymes are activated in the pancreas itself and cause the organ to digest, causing great inflammation and damage that, depending on the severity, can be irreparable. It is possible to differentiate two types of pancreatitis in dogs:
- Acute Canine Pancreatitis: Symptoms appear suddenly, are very defined and easily noticeable.
- Chronic canine pancreatitis: the symptoms are not as intense as acute pancreatitis, in which case the disease develops slowly and lasts for a long time. It produces structural changes in the pancreas and symptoms reappear even after receiving treatment.
Causes of pancreatitis in dogs
It is not possible to define the exact cause of canine pancreatitis, but it is a disease that is completely linked to nutrition, as the risk factors for the disease are:
- Dog obesity;
- Diets with excess fat;
- Food with high protein content.
In addition to causes related to the dog's diet, pancreatitis can also arise as a consequence of other diseases such as cancer, diabetes, kidney problems, infections or cardiovascular diseases.
Pancreatitis symptoms in a dog
You dog pancreatitis symptoms are:
- Vomiting;
- Loss of appetite;
- Weight loss;
- Diarrhea;
- Abdominal swelling;
- Apathy.
It is essential to seek help from a veterinarian so that he can make a correct diagnosis, although there is no specific diagnostic test, the veterinarian will carry out a blood and stool analysis, as well as a ultrasound to confirm the diagnosis of pancreatitis in the dog and assess the damage that has been done to the organ.
Canine Pancreatitis Treatment
Sometimes pancreatitis in dogs is not curable because the damage caused is irreversible, in which case the only option is to administer a palliative treatment that improves the patient's quality of life and definitively introduces a low-fat diet.
If the diagnosis is acute pancreatitis, generally, you should suspend food and water intake for a day to stop the secretion of digestive enzyme, later returning to the usual diet in a progressive way.
However, in either case, it is common to prescribe digestive enzymes that allow your puppy to properly digest food and restore its body weight, the administration of digestive enzymes can be completed with anti-inflammatory drugs that reduce symptoms of pain and inflammation.
As a preventative form of canine pancreatitis, it is very important that the animal has a correct nutrition to avoid being overweight. In addition, there are some precautions with dogs that avoid various health problems, see more information in the next section.
How to prevent canine pancreatitis
There are some precautions you can take with your dog that help prevent not only canine pancreatitis, but also other health problems:
- Rich and balanced diet;
- Good hydration;
- Regular exercise;
- Stimulate the dog's intelligence;
- Regular tours;
- Updated vaccination and deworming calendar.
All this care can and should be done for all dogs, this makes the furry have a full, healthy and happy life, minimizing the appearance of possible diseases. Also, as canine pancreatitis is a disease completely linked to food, it is crucial that you do not offer human foods that can be toxic to dogs, such as cheese, chocolate, salt, milk, among others. To learn more, check out our article on banned dog foods.
It is worth emphasizing that only a trusted veterinarian is capable of making a correct diagnosis and providing the most appropriate treatment according to your pet's characteristics and needs.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.