| Pancreatitis |
*A special note on this article. Although pancreatitis is a very serious and scary disease, the information provided here is in no way
meant to panic or frighten anyone. In trying to provide the correct information and the importance of testing and treating this condition,
I’ve tried to be very thorough in explaining the inner workings of the pancreas. I’ve also used some of the kitties from this site, both
living and passed, in certain examples. Although many frightening things can and sometimes do happen with disease of the pancreas,
cats that are treated early and properly enough can lead a full and healthy life.
The pancreas is a tricky organ to keep tabs on. Because of its position in both humans and animals (just under the stomach), it’s very
difficult to diagnose any problems and often disguises any inflammation viewed through x-rays, endoscopic surgery or ultrasound. Its
two main functions include the production of metabolic hormones (insulin and glucagon which regulate blood sugar) and the production
of digestive enzymes. Those enzymes are secreted through a special duct into the intestine to digest our food. In cats, the pancreatic
duct joins with the common bile duct from the liver, so both bile and pancreatic fluid, which is rich in digestive enzymes enter the
intestine from the same location.
X-rays can be inconclusive in the diagnosis of pancreatitis and sometimes isn’t worth the money or stress on the cat. Ultrasound is a
better tool and often shows an enlarged pancreas surrounded by fluid, which confirms the diagnosis. When doing ultrasound, make sure
to have a board certified, licensed and experienced ultrasonographer performing the tests. They’ll know what to look for and how to
spot any inconsistencies in the size and texture of the pancreas.
I highly recommend getting both an ultrasound and a Spec PLI (pancreatic lipase) run. Lipase is one of the pancreatic digestive enzymes
with small traces that are normally present in the circulation. These levels jump dramatically in pancreatitis, giving a clear diagnosis
without invasive tests. Alex’s two ultrasounds showed no inflammation in the pancreas, only the liver. But months later, her PLI showed
a positive result and a bacterial overgrowth. Another cat was the opposite. His PLI showed no disease yet when his parent insisted on
running an ultrasound, the results were positive and he was hospitalized, which saved his life. That insistence was due in part to the
sudden downturn and death of my Alex and sparked many to get their cats tested again and with both tests run. Although I lost my girl,
thankfully because of her, some lives were saved. I also recommend re-testing every two to three months and staying hyper vigilant in
regards to this issue.
Because Alex was found to have bacterial overgrowth with the results of her PLI serum tests, her vet has stated that she most likely
died of a massive viral infection. The theory is that these bacteria are able to crawl up the pancreatic duct and cause infection in the
pancreas. 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 tissue destruction are released
into the circulation and can cause a body-wide inflammatory response resulting in infection. For this reason, digestive enzymes should
only be given under the care of a veterinarian and closely monitored as it can quite frequently exacerbate the digestive process. Even
the vet won’t know for sure how it will affect your cat’s pancreas, but they can monitor your kitty closely and know which changes
warrant either continuing the enzymes or halting their use.
Pancreatitis is a chief risk factors for developing what’s called disseminated intravascular coagulation or DIC. DIC is a massive
uncoupling of normal blood clotting and clot dissolving mechanisms. This leads to simultaneous bleeding and clotting of blood throughout
the body, which can eventually lead to heart failure. After speaking with several vets, we think this may be what caused Purr Panther’s
untimely passing. Again, its just guesswork but many vets have seen this before and can make an educated guess about the
circumstances. Plasma transfusions can sometimes be helpful to replace the clotting factors needed to prevent DIC as well as natural
blood factors to deactivate pancreatic enzymes.
Pancreatitis can be acute or chronic. Acute cases can reverse completely but tend to be much more severe than chronic. Lethargy,
depression, appetite loss, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting are consistent signs. Crouching in a meatloaf position is indicative of
abdominal pain and lip smacking almost always suggests severe nausea and that the cat will vomit shortly thereafter. Pancreatitis is
painful and your vet should prescribe pain medications for you to administer at home along with subcutaneous fluids to avoid
dehydration.
Approximately 40% of cats with hepatic lipidosis have pancreatitis as the underlying cause. Hepatic lipidosis, (fatty liver disease), is
liver failure that develops from appetite loss/inadequate calorie intake and complicates pancreatitis tremendously. The treatments
usually recommended for pancreatitis involve withholding food for 48 hours but with fatty liver disease, you risk severe liver failure,
infection and even death.
Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency is the insufficient secretion of digestive enzymes, usually due to loss of the exocrine tissue from
idiopathic atrophy (unknown cause of muscle mass). It can lead to acute or chronic inflammation and causes maldigestion and
malabsorption with diarrhea, steatorrhea and weight loss. Steatorrhea is excess fat in the feces due to malabsorption caused by disease
of the instestines. The feces are bulky, greasy, foul smelling and pale in color. It was never diagnosed, but I now know this is what Alex
had in the last week or two of her life. I thought she was going to the bathroom very well, because she never had diarrhea or
constipation. But her stools became more and more pale and large, which means that she wasn’t absorbing any nutrients at all.
Alex’s case was extreme as she suffered from triaditis, (IBD, hepatic lipidosis and pancreatitis). Those with triaditis have a much poorer
prognosis. Because we don’t know which disease really occurred first, it’s hard to tell if she could have really ever recovered. A biopsy
was a huge risk because of bleeding in the liver and probably would have killed her early on. And a necropsy won’t always tell an exact
cause of death with these diseases.
Learning the signs of distress from your cat can help to facilitate that early treatment. Pacing around the room, crying, huddling and
rapid breathing. Putting what’s called their third eyelid up, the coated film on their eyes beginning to close. Those are signs of extreme
pain and disorientation. Fever, accompanied by a quick temperature drop are usually a sign that organ failure has started and the body
is shutting down. Get your cat to a vet or an ER immediately if they exhibit any of these signs. Cats are the smartest animals at hiding
their illnesses and are notorious for not showing any symptoms at all, even if they’re very sick. Learning to recognize different behavior
patterns and any changes in their diet, stools, coloring, etc. is the best way to tell if they need to be seen by a vet.
Some materials used in this article were written and provided by:
Dr. Wendy C. Brooks, DVM, DipABVP
www.marvistavet.com/html/pancreatitis.html
www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=577
Although this website is based on information about pancreatitis for humans, it’s got an enormous amount of information on just how the
pancreas works, what exactly each enzyme does, different levels of enzymes, etc.
www.medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/pancreatic+hypertrophy
Here are some links on feline pancreatitis, some are from medical journals and veterinary articles:
www.vetinfo.com/cpancrea
www.manhattancats.com/Articles/pancreatitis_test
www.idexx.com/pubwebresources/pdf/en_us/smallanimal/reference-laboratories/spec-fpl-treatment-for-feline-pancreatitis.pdf
www.idexx.com/animalhealth/laboratory/specfpl/0969115.pdf
www.vetcentric.com/reference/encycEntry.cfm
www.veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com/vetmed/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=313764&pageID=1&sk=&date=
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1111363/
www.felineoutreach.org/Education/Pancreas.html
www.vin.com/proceedings/Proceedings.plx?CID=WALTHAMTNAVC2003&PID=3670
www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+1329&aid=334
www.vin.com/VINDBPub/SearchPB/Proceedings/PR05000/PR00114.htm
www.vet.uga.edu/vpp/clerk/west/index.php
www.tddslab.co.uk/tddsexeter/downloads/PLI_TLI_pancreatic%20disease.pdf
vetmed.tamu.edu/gilab/research/pancreatitis-information
These are fantastic sites as they have pictures to show the normal pancreas and the inflamed pancreas:
www.soundvet.com/academy-of-imaging/case-studies/feline-pancreatitis
www.all-about-cats.com/pancreatitis.htm
www.felipedia.org/~felipedi/wiki/index.php?title=Pancreatitis
Great article written by a vet:
Real reason not to give begging pet those table scraps: Pancreatitis
www.kearneyhub.com/life/article_2af82982-0d0a-11e1-8265-001cc4c002e0.html
meant to panic or frighten anyone. In trying to provide the correct information and the importance of testing and treating this condition,
I’ve tried to be very thorough in explaining the inner workings of the pancreas. I’ve also used some of the kitties from this site, both
living and passed, in certain examples. Although many frightening things can and sometimes do happen with disease of the pancreas,
cats that are treated early and properly enough can lead a full and healthy life.
The pancreas is a tricky organ to keep tabs on. Because of its position in both humans and animals (just under the stomach), it’s very
difficult to diagnose any problems and often disguises any inflammation viewed through x-rays, endoscopic surgery or ultrasound. Its
two main functions include the production of metabolic hormones (insulin and glucagon which regulate blood sugar) and the production
of digestive enzymes. Those enzymes are secreted through a special duct into the intestine to digest our food. In cats, the pancreatic
duct joins with the common bile duct from the liver, so both bile and pancreatic fluid, which is rich in digestive enzymes enter the
intestine from the same location.
X-rays can be inconclusive in the diagnosis of pancreatitis and sometimes isn’t worth the money or stress on the cat. Ultrasound is a
better tool and often shows an enlarged pancreas surrounded by fluid, which confirms the diagnosis. When doing ultrasound, make sure
to have a board certified, licensed and experienced ultrasonographer performing the tests. They’ll know what to look for and how to
spot any inconsistencies in the size and texture of the pancreas.
I highly recommend getting both an ultrasound and a Spec PLI (pancreatic lipase) run. Lipase is one of the pancreatic digestive enzymes
with small traces that are normally present in the circulation. These levels jump dramatically in pancreatitis, giving a clear diagnosis
without invasive tests. Alex’s two ultrasounds showed no inflammation in the pancreas, only the liver. But months later, her PLI showed
a positive result and a bacterial overgrowth. Another cat was the opposite. His PLI showed no disease yet when his parent insisted on
running an ultrasound, the results were positive and he was hospitalized, which saved his life. That insistence was due in part to the
sudden downturn and death of my Alex and sparked many to get their cats tested again and with both tests run. Although I lost my girl,
thankfully because of her, some lives were saved. I also recommend re-testing every two to three months and staying hyper vigilant in
regards to this issue.
Because Alex was found to have bacterial overgrowth with the results of her PLI serum tests, her vet has stated that she most likely
died of a massive viral infection. The theory is that these bacteria are able to crawl up the pancreatic duct and cause infection in the
pancreas. 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 tissue destruction are released
into the circulation and can cause a body-wide inflammatory response resulting in infection. For this reason, digestive enzymes should
only be given under the care of a veterinarian and closely monitored as it can quite frequently exacerbate the digestive process. Even
the vet won’t know for sure how it will affect your cat’s pancreas, but they can monitor your kitty closely and know which changes
warrant either continuing the enzymes or halting their use.
Pancreatitis is a chief risk factors for developing what’s called disseminated intravascular coagulation or DIC. DIC is a massive
uncoupling of normal blood clotting and clot dissolving mechanisms. This leads to simultaneous bleeding and clotting of blood throughout
the body, which can eventually lead to heart failure. After speaking with several vets, we think this may be what caused Purr Panther’s
untimely passing. Again, its just guesswork but many vets have seen this before and can make an educated guess about the
circumstances. Plasma transfusions can sometimes be helpful to replace the clotting factors needed to prevent DIC as well as natural
blood factors to deactivate pancreatic enzymes.
Pancreatitis can be acute or chronic. Acute cases can reverse completely but tend to be much more severe than chronic. Lethargy,
depression, appetite loss, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting are consistent signs. Crouching in a meatloaf position is indicative of
abdominal pain and lip smacking almost always suggests severe nausea and that the cat will vomit shortly thereafter. Pancreatitis is
painful and your vet should prescribe pain medications for you to administer at home along with subcutaneous fluids to avoid
dehydration.
Approximately 40% of cats with hepatic lipidosis have pancreatitis as the underlying cause. Hepatic lipidosis, (fatty liver disease), is
liver failure that develops from appetite loss/inadequate calorie intake and complicates pancreatitis tremendously. The treatments
usually recommended for pancreatitis involve withholding food for 48 hours but with fatty liver disease, you risk severe liver failure,
infection and even death.
Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency is the insufficient secretion of digestive enzymes, usually due to loss of the exocrine tissue from
idiopathic atrophy (unknown cause of muscle mass). It can lead to acute or chronic inflammation and causes maldigestion and
malabsorption with diarrhea, steatorrhea and weight loss. Steatorrhea is excess fat in the feces due to malabsorption caused by disease
of the instestines. The feces are bulky, greasy, foul smelling and pale in color. It was never diagnosed, but I now know this is what Alex
had in the last week or two of her life. I thought she was going to the bathroom very well, because she never had diarrhea or
constipation. But her stools became more and more pale and large, which means that she wasn’t absorbing any nutrients at all.
Alex’s case was extreme as she suffered from triaditis, (IBD, hepatic lipidosis and pancreatitis). Those with triaditis have a much poorer
prognosis. Because we don’t know which disease really occurred first, it’s hard to tell if she could have really ever recovered. A biopsy
was a huge risk because of bleeding in the liver and probably would have killed her early on. And a necropsy won’t always tell an exact
cause of death with these diseases.
Learning the signs of distress from your cat can help to facilitate that early treatment. Pacing around the room, crying, huddling and
rapid breathing. Putting what’s called their third eyelid up, the coated film on their eyes beginning to close. Those are signs of extreme
pain and disorientation. Fever, accompanied by a quick temperature drop are usually a sign that organ failure has started and the body
is shutting down. Get your cat to a vet or an ER immediately if they exhibit any of these signs. Cats are the smartest animals at hiding
their illnesses and are notorious for not showing any symptoms at all, even if they’re very sick. Learning to recognize different behavior
patterns and any changes in their diet, stools, coloring, etc. is the best way to tell if they need to be seen by a vet.
Some materials used in this article were written and provided by:
Dr. Wendy C. Brooks, DVM, DipABVP
www.marvistavet.com/html/pancreatitis.html
www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=577
Although this website is based on information about pancreatitis for humans, it’s got an enormous amount of information on just how the
pancreas works, what exactly each enzyme does, different levels of enzymes, etc.
www.medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/pancreatic+hypertrophy
Here are some links on feline pancreatitis, some are from medical journals and veterinary articles:
www.vetinfo.com/cpancrea
www.manhattancats.com/Articles/pancreatitis_test
www.idexx.com/pubwebresources/pdf/en_us/smallanimal/reference-laboratories/spec-fpl-treatment-for-feline-pancreatitis.pdf
www.idexx.com/animalhealth/laboratory/specfpl/0969115.pdf
www.vetcentric.com/reference/encycEntry.cfm
www.veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com/vetmed/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=313764&pageID=1&sk=&date=
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1111363/
www.felineoutreach.org/Education/Pancreas.html
www.vin.com/proceedings/Proceedings.plx?CID=WALTHAMTNAVC2003&PID=3670
www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+1329&aid=334
www.vin.com/VINDBPub/SearchPB/Proceedings/PR05000/PR00114.htm
www.vet.uga.edu/vpp/clerk/west/index.php
www.tddslab.co.uk/tddsexeter/downloads/PLI_TLI_pancreatic%20disease.pdf
vetmed.tamu.edu/gilab/research/pancreatitis-information
These are fantastic sites as they have pictures to show the normal pancreas and the inflamed pancreas:
www.soundvet.com/academy-of-imaging/case-studies/feline-pancreatitis
www.all-about-cats.com/pancreatitis.htm
www.felipedia.org/~felipedi/wiki/index.php?title=Pancreatitis
Great article written by a vet:
Real reason not to give begging pet those table scraps: Pancreatitis
www.kearneyhub.com/life/article_2af82982-0d0a-11e1-8265-001cc4c002e0.html
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| Copyright © IBD Kitties 2008-2012, all rights reserved |
 |
| |
 |
 |  |  |  |  |
This is the pancretitis section, designed to help you look at living examples of this disease and other GI conditions. Each cat has different
dietary needs, medications, treatments, etc. As you will see, it's not an easy road, some thrive and some have a much harder time. But
the purpose of this section is to help you shed some light as to what possibly could have started your kitty's pancreatitis and maybe help
you find some answers and support so that your kitty can live a long, happy and healthier life from this day forward. If you are a
veterinarian or are currently working on research for feline pancreatitis, please take some time to examine each case study. This section
is here to provide you with knowledge outside of your practice or research center and eventually give you some statistics as to how
prevalent this disease is and the complications from it really are.
We're looking for more cats to document on this site as a way of letting researchers, universities, veterinarians and the public know
what kind of treatments, foods, age group, etc., that these cats are falling into. If you would like to contribute information on your cat for
this sections, please provide the proper information and email it to us at contact@ibdkitties.net.
1. Save written information in a word or works format and include as an attachment; 2. Include your first and last name & email
address, strictly for MY records only and will not be listed on the website, and your cat's full name (first and last, or last initial if your
not comfortable including it). 3. Include your city, state, province, country, etc. Whatever information you feel comfortable providing, as
long as there is some idea of your area. 4. Include two pictures saved as jpgs. of just that one cat. Attach separately from the
documented info; 5. Your cat's approximate date of birth, gender and breed; 6. Each condition the cat's been diagnosed with and
approximate date of diagnosis for them, not just pancreatitis but all conditions the cat has in addition as they are relevant to treatments;
7. Please do not write in diary form, no need for a day to day account. Write a synopsis of what’s happened since they first began getting
sick, all the way up until now. When the symptoms began, how it was diagnosed, what tests were run, how it was treated, any and all
additional treatments, foods that they were eating before pancreatitis and food changes since being diagnosed. All medications, holistic
treatments, herbs and supplements.
You can ask your vet for a copy of their records so you can look up the dates and tests that were performed because that’s important.
Feel free to review each kitty's page and choose whatever style you'd like to submit your info. Your cat will have their own profile page
that must be continually updated. Any visits to the vet for checkups, additional complications, tests, etc. should be sent to us for
updating their page. Any food changes, medications, etc.
dietary needs, medications, treatments, etc. As you will see, it's not an easy road, some thrive and some have a much harder time. But
the purpose of this section is to help you shed some light as to what possibly could have started your kitty's pancreatitis and maybe help
you find some answers and support so that your kitty can live a long, happy and healthier life from this day forward. If you are a
veterinarian or are currently working on research for feline pancreatitis, please take some time to examine each case study. This section
is here to provide you with knowledge outside of your practice or research center and eventually give you some statistics as to how
prevalent this disease is and the complications from it really are.
We're looking for more cats to document on this site as a way of letting researchers, universities, veterinarians and the public know
what kind of treatments, foods, age group, etc., that these cats are falling into. If you would like to contribute information on your cat for
this sections, please provide the proper information and email it to us at contact@ibdkitties.net.
1. Save written information in a word or works format and include as an attachment; 2. Include your first and last name & email
address, strictly for MY records only and will not be listed on the website, and your cat's full name (first and last, or last initial if your
not comfortable including it). 3. Include your city, state, province, country, etc. Whatever information you feel comfortable providing, as
long as there is some idea of your area. 4. Include two pictures saved as jpgs. of just that one cat. Attach separately from the
documented info; 5. Your cat's approximate date of birth, gender and breed; 6. Each condition the cat's been diagnosed with and
approximate date of diagnosis for them, not just pancreatitis but all conditions the cat has in addition as they are relevant to treatments;
7. Please do not write in diary form, no need for a day to day account. Write a synopsis of what’s happened since they first began getting
sick, all the way up until now. When the symptoms began, how it was diagnosed, what tests were run, how it was treated, any and all
additional treatments, foods that they were eating before pancreatitis and food changes since being diagnosed. All medications, holistic
treatments, herbs and supplements.
You can ask your vet for a copy of their records so you can look up the dates and tests that were performed because that’s important.
Feel free to review each kitty's page and choose whatever style you'd like to submit your info. Your cat will have their own profile page
that must be continually updated. Any visits to the vet for checkups, additional complications, tests, etc. should be sent to us for
updating their page. Any food changes, medications, etc.