The pancreas is an organ that sits near your dog’s stomach. It produces digestive enzymes and the hormones that regulate blood sugar.
Any time you see “-itis” at the tail end of a word, it means inflammation of whatever it comes after. Dermatitis is inflammation of the skin. Enteritis is inflammation of the intestines. Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver. Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas.
Pancreatitis is a fairly common ailment in dogs. Why one dog, eating exactly what another dog eats, develops pancreatitis while the other doesn’t is unknown. An unplanned, super-high-fat meal is usually the culprit, as when a dog gets in the garbage and eats discarded bacon grease, or gets on the counter and eats a pound of butter, or someone left a cake on the coffee table with a Labrador Retriever around.
Risk Factors for Pancreatitis in Dogs
Predisposing factors include obesity, diabetes, Cushing’s syndrome (overactive adrenal glands), and some medications. Schnauzers sometimes suffer from a condition called hyperlipidemia, which predisposes them to pancreatitis.
Signs of Pancreatitis in Dogs
Signs of pancreatitis include vomiting, loss of appetite, painful abdomen (which can look like a hunched up appearance, or the dog may posture like the yoga pose downward dog), lethargy, and fever.
Pancreatitis can be acute, meaning it comes on all of a sudden with no warning, or chronic.
Acute pancreatitis can be severe and life-threatening. Many of these dogs must be hospitalized for intravenous fluids and supportive care. Chronic pancreatitis tends to cause waxing, waning symptoms repeatedly over time. Chronic pancreatitis requires careful, long-term management.
If your dog is showing signs of pancreatitis, your veterinarian will likely take an abdominal x-ray. This is to rule out other potential causes of the signs your dog is showing. Baseline blood work is done for the same reason. Finally, a blood test called specific canine pancreatic lipase (SPEC cPL) will likely be run. This test is much more sensitive and specific for pancreatitis than the older tests veterinarians used to have to rely on (lipase, amylase). Many veterinary hospitals can run this test in-house. With results immediately available, your dog can get the treatment he needs right away.
For chronic cases, your veterinarian may recommend an abdominal ultrasound, as this can provide useful information regarding severity, which helps in determining prognosis.
Treatment for Pancreatitis in Dogs
Treatment for acute pancreatitis generally includes fluid therapy [either hospitalized intravenously, or administered subcutaneously (under the skin) as an outpatient], anti-nausea medications for vomiting [Cerenia (maropitant)], and pain medication (usually opioids like buprenorphine and tramadol; gabapentin – a neuropathic pain reliever – can be helpful as well).
Treatment for chronic pancreatitis may start the same way as for acute, but then long-term maintenance needs to be implemented. This means feeding a low-fat, highly digestible diet (like Hill’s I/D Low Fat or Royal Canin Gastrointestinal Low Fat), and having pain and anti-nausea medications on hand at home to manage flare-ups.
Pancreatitis in dogs can be unpredictable, sometimes even unavoidable. Knowing what to watch for, and seeking veterinary attention right away can make all the difference for your dog.
What happened to the holistic advice? ”According to Dr. Angie Krause, holistic veterinarian and owner of Boulder Holistic Vet, there are some holistic approaches that may support your dog through pancreatitis symptoms.
Dr. Krause’s suggestions include:
CBD has natural anti-inflammatory properties and reduces nausea and pain. Start at the low end of CBD’s dosing range (0.25mg/kg twice daily). Find a reputable CBD product that does not include additional ingredients. Dr. Krause uses HempRx products.
While Dr. Krause suggests all dogs take a quality probiotic, this is especially helpful for supporting the gut health of dogs with pancreatitis. Alternating probiotic strains may be beneficial. Dr. Krause uses Thorne Bacillus and RxBiotics in her practice.
Chinese Herbs. Certain Chinese herbs can work to alleviate pancreatitis symptoms in dogs. Find a veterinarian who practices Traditional Chinese Medicine near you through the Chi Institute website.
Dr. Krause recommends starting with one diet or supplement change at a time, in order to carefully track results.”
I wouldn’t feed my dog anything listed in this article or in the comments, it’s garbage. Mine eats Primal frozen raw. And yes, I understand not everyone can afford that, realistically I can’t either – but that’s just one more thing people need to factor in before they even consider getting a pet. If you can’t provide for one like you do for a child, don’t get one.
My 11-year old staffie mix has chronic pancreatitis and IBD. We have tried many things and what has worked for us is a homemade low fat diet and adding in a supplement, which I believe is what really helped her. She was already on the home cooked diet but we stopped using beef and switched to turkey. Probiotics were suggested by the vet but they did not help her. After doing my own research online I found this fantastic supplement which made a drastic improvement for her. She used to sometimes refuse to eat or needed to be coaxed. Now she runs to the kitchen for every meal. Nasty gelatinous poops no more! B-Naturals makes the supplement, it’s called Berte’s Digestion Blend. You can tell just by looking at my sweet girl that she feels good. I swear by it. My vet was so impressed by the results she asked me to send her the info.
My 15 year old Australian Silky Terrier had always had a very sensitive stomach and loose stools from the time I adopted her at 3.5 years old. She had a terrible bout of vomiting and diarrhoea after chewing on a lamb shank bone about 10 years ago. Shortly after she was diagnosed with Pancreatitis. For her the diet of Royal Canin hydrolized chicken and pea protein as well as the Hills i/d was a life saver. Believe me, I tried all kinds of other dog foods before like the Natural Balance etc. Recently had to switch to Hills Biome which really helps with her stools. Remember, every dog is different! So, don’t knock your vet’s advice.
Our French Brittany cross Elfie has a rather delicate constitution for such a hopeless gannet of a dog! She had a bout of pancreatitis a couple of years ago which the vet treated (I forget with what, but the French name might not be recognisable anyway). A couple of times since, when we haven’t watched her or got careless, she has ended up getting me up in the night to rush out and eat grass and throw up, followed by a restless day of the same, though on those subsequent occasions she’s remained fairly cheerful and hasn’t lost her appetite.
The worst culprit seems to be dry, fatty, charcuterie style, sausage which I have seen recommended as a training treat on Brittany forums and elsewhere; I had shared some with her before the first bout, and my husband inadvertently gave her some he had with a drink at a restaurant on the latest occasion. Mind you, she’d been busy already that day; my friend’s two-year-old, who adores her and whose greatest pleasure is sharing his food with her, had already fed her an unspecified amount of chocolate biscuit before I caught them, plus dropped chips (fries) at the restaurant… I only had myself to blame, I thought as i stood outside in the middle of a cold night waiting for her to finish grazing!
Yet she can eat all kinds of other things she shouldn’t without any ill effects. Fatty stuff seems to be the problem. I read somewhere that US vets report a spike in cases after Thanksgiving, when dogs get given too much chicken and turkey skin.
Important information. About ten years ago, I lost a 9 year old sheltie after he stole a blueberry pie off our table. We should have taken him on Sunday to the emergency vet but thought it would get better and waited until Monday. Sadly, he died at the pet hospital. I’ll never wait again with another dog.
My Diamond has chronic pancreatitis and irritable bowel syndrome. A vet recommended Hill’s low fat but it just made her worse. The only thing she eats now is boiled fish which I’ve been cooking for her for about 9 years ( plus supplements). She still has flare- ups now and then but they’re getting further apart.