Feline Pancreatitis
What is pancreatitis and what causes it?
The pancreas plays a key role in the digestion of food. It does this by producing enzymes
that are released into the intestine via a small tube called the Common Pancreatic Duct. In
acute pancreatitis it is thought that instead of travelling down the duct into the intestine,
the enzymes remain within the pancreas and cause a process called ‘auto-digestion’ where
the pancreatic tissue starts to breakdown.
There are many potential causes of pancreatitis including trauma, viruses (FIP/FIV), parasites
(toxoplasmosis) and some drugs. However, in around 90% of cases the underlying cause is
unknown.
In cats there is also thought to be a link between pancreatitis and diseases of the liver and
small intestine. This is because in cats there is a very close link between the small intestine,
the Common Pancreatic Duct (that leads into the pancreas) and the Common Bile Duct (that
leads into the liver). Due to this, it is easier for bacteria and acid from the gut to spread into
both the pancreas and liver. This can then lead to infection, inflammation and eventually
pancreatitis.
What are the symptoms of pancreatitis?
The symptoms of pancreatitis may include some of the following:
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Poor appetite
Lethargy
Vomiting
Diarrhoea
In severe cases you may also notice:
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Difficulty breathing
A swollen and painful abdomen
In acute (sudden onset) pancreatitis your cat may become very unwell and even be
collapsed due to the seriousness of the disease. In other cases of mild long-term pancreatitis
(chronic pancreatitis) you may notice that the above symptoms come and go.
How is pancreatitis diagnosed?
We may suspect your cat is suffering from pancreatitis based on his/her symptoms alone.
However, it will usually take the combination of several tests to confirm the diagnosis. We
will usually perform several different tests that may include all or some of the following:
1. A screening blood test – this enables us to assess for signs of pancreatitis such as
raised white blood cells and raised protein levels, as well as enabling us to check
your cat’s liver values and any other signs of disease such as anaemia
2. Pancreatic specific blood tests called fPLi and TLi– this will enable us to check for
raised levels that are common in pancreatitis
3. An abdominal ultrasound – this enables us to look at the pancreas and other
abdominal organs (such as the liver and bowel) for signs of disease
4. We may in some cases also need to carry out a biopsy of the pancreas
How is pancreatitis treated?
Acute pancreatitis can cause your cat to become very unwell and dehydrated. For this
reason, we will often recommend your cat is hospitalised with us so we can provide
intensive care. This may include supportive care such as an intravenous drip to rehydrate
your cat, pain relief, antibiotics, antacids, anti-nausea treatment and tube feeding for cats
that will not eat. We will also need to perform regular blood tests to assess if the condition
is improving whilst your cat is hospitalised.
In chronic pancreatitis (which tends to be a milder long-term condition when compared to
acute pancreatitis), we will often recommend long-term supportive therapies such as small
frequent meals of an easily digested food, antacids and vitamin supplementation (such as
Vitamin B12). In some cases where no infection is present and there is evidence of longterm inflammation of the pancreas, we may also advise the use of steroids, a potent antiinflammatory drug.
What is the long-term prognosis?
The long-term prognosis varies depending on the severity of the pancreatitis. The condition
can be very serious and life-threatening in some cases. However in most cases, the
condition tends to lead to one of the following:
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A one-off illness with a complete recovery (acute pancreatitis)
A long-term condition that comes and goes (chronic pancreatitis)
If the pancreas becomes severely damaged during the illness, other diseases of the
pancreas such as diabetes mellitus or EPI (a condition where the pancreas no longer
produces enough enzymes to digest food) can occur.
Due to the variable nature of the disease, it is very import that you come back to see us for
regular assessments as well as for blood tests. The frequency of these will vary from case to
case and we will discuss this with you at the time of diagnosis.
The Swanbridge Veterinary Group, Tranby Lane, Swanland, HU143NG. Tel: 01482 633888, Fax:
01482 634 576, Email: info@swanbridgevets.com