Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments for Feline Pancreatitis
Feline pancreatitisis a common medical condition involving a chronic or sudden inflammation of the pancreas. While this disease may be treatable, early detection and diagnosis are necessary to improve the cat’s chances of a full recovery.
Causes of Feline Pancreatitis
The pancreas functions to help produce insulin and enzymes that aid in the breakdown of foods. When the pancreas becomes inflamed, the resulting condition is known as pancreatitis. In cats, it is very common for pancreatitis to be caused by more than one factor. Some of the possible causes of feline pancreatitiscan include: hypocalcaemia, or too much calcium in the cat’s bloodstream, antibiotic use, cancer medications, inflammatory bowel disease, bile duct diseases, contamination from insecticides and other toxic chemicals, as well as trauma or injury to the cat’s abdominal area. Trauma and medical treatments to fix traumatic injuries can affect the amount of blood that reaches the pancreas, which can result in inflammation. It is also common for certain infections to affect the pancreas’s functions, these infections may include liver flukes and toxoplasmosis. It also appears that genetics play a viable role in determining which cats may develop an inflammation of the pancreas. Cats with previous cases of pancreatitis or with a genetic history of the disease appear to be more commonly affected, as do certain types of breeds, such as Siamese and the common domestic shorthair varieties.
Symptoms
It is often hard to determine if a cat is suffering from pancreatitis. Acute symptoms are often more pronounced and easier to diagnosis, but most cats will experience a more chronic form of this disease. This means that their symptoms may be harder to recognize. The major signs that a cat may have an inflammation of the pancreas are lethargy, a reluctance to eat and dehydration. Often, they will show not interest in eating, drinking or moving, and will begin to lose weight. Other more serious symptoms include vomiting, difficulties with breathing, an increased heart rate and pain. Seeking a proper diagnosis for a cat displaying these types of symptoms quickly is important to avoid possibly life threatening symptoms of feline pancreatitis that may develop. Among these life threatening signs are sepsis, arrhythmias of the heart, severe problems with breathing and a condition that leads to the development of hemorrhages throughout the body. This condition is called disseminated intravascular coagulation, or DIC.
Treatment
In order to correctly diagnosis feline pancreatitis, a veterinarian will perform many tests to rule out other causes. Added to tests for blood count levels, urine analysis, x-rays and a chemistry panel, other tests designed for pancreatitis will also be performed. These include the feline pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity test, or fPLT, and testing the levels of specific pancreatic enzymes in the blood. The first course of treatment usually involves making sure the cat remains hydrated to prevent serious problems. Treatment will also include adding nutritional support to the cat to make sure that it does not lose too much weight. Appetite stimulants and vitamin B-12 injections may also help with nutritional support. Medications may also be prescribed. These can include Ursodiol, Corticosteroids, SAM-e and Metronidazole. Severe cases of pancreatitis caused by trauma, injuries or infections may require surgery to fix the underlying cause. Some cats suffering from chronic cases of pancreatitis may develop maldigestion syndrome due to pancreatic enzyme insufficiency. This condition requires lifelong treatment. While feline pancreatitis istreatable in many cases, sudden acute cases may result in the loss of the cat if the symptoms are not identified quickly. With a proper diagnosis and some lifestyle and diet management, the outlook for a cat with chronic inflammation of pancreas can still look good.