Does anyone out there have any experience with pancreatitis? How is it diagnosed and what are the treatments?

My male dog has it. He is 9 now and was diagnosed just before his second birthday.

The symptoms often show up between the dog's first and second birthdays and include very loose stools and weight loss. You didn't say what breed of dog you have, but this is an especially bad problem in the GSD breed (that's what my male dog is).

My vet has a great deal of experience with GSDs, and he did the diagnosis on a hunch. He gave me some pancreatic enzyme powder and had me feed it to my dog for a few weeks. Voila--firm stools and no more weight loss. There is also, of course, an assay that measures pancreatic function that those whose dogs have had it can probably tell you more about.

The diagnosis for dogs that are diagnosed early on and then placed on enzyme therapy is excellent, as you can see from my own experience. Dogs with pancreatic insuffiency can live normal, active lives and can participate fully in dog sports.

The kicker is that the enzyme therapy will cost you roughly a dollar a day for the remainder of the dog's life.

Hope this helps...

Pete

Originally posted by SCOTT007:
Does anyone out there have any experience with pancreatitis? How is it diagnosed and what are the treatments? Chronic or sudden onset?
From the UC Davis Book of Dogs

Acute(sudden onset): Symptoms varied and it can be difficult to diagnose. Fever, painful abdomen, dehydrated and increased heart rate.

Blood work will usually show an elevated lipase. Ultrasound will show an inflamed pancreas.

Treatment, treat symptoms and IV fluids. Treatment can change daily as more symptoms show up. High vet care disease. Can be painful.

Cause, varies. Fat rich meal, garbage, etc is the supposed cause of 1/3 of the cases. The other 2/3 are related to a problem elsewhere in the body (kidney, liver or GI disease, steroid use, blood clotting problems, heart disease or a systemic infection).
Even with treatment a fair number of dogs do not survive. Those that survive acute pancratitis can develope chronic pancreatitis or pancreatic atrophy

Chronic: can have no signs, blood work may be normal. Ultrasound will show an inflamed pancreas. Can easily develop diabetes or pancreatic insufficiency.

Pancreatic atrophy: Pancreas does not make enough enzymes, cannot digest food. also can occur without the pancreatitis trigger. The cells never develop or die off early(GSDs are the most common breed). treat with the addition of pancreatic enzymes to the food.

Pancreatic tumors can have all of the same symptoms as acute pancreatitis.

Anna

Pete, your dog has pancreatic insufficiency, which isn't the same thing as pancreatitis.

Whoops. Thanks for the heads-up <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

I had a malamute that died 6 years ago from acute pancreatitis. From what I understand it is VERY hard to detect...wish I had known more of what to look for then. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

the vet school at texas a & m have experts on the subject pancretic antropy (may be mispelled) but they can do test for this. allen byrd