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Pancreatitis In Dogs - How to Prevent This Deadly Disease
Pancreatitis in dogs can be a severe and even deadly condition. Fortunately, we can prevent this disease with proper diet and monitoring of our pets routines. The pancreas is an organ, seen in the digestive and endocrine systems. The pancreas has two primary functions. As an exocrine gland, the pancreas releases hormones into cavities inside the body or its outer surfaces. As an endocrine gland, the pancreas also releases hormones into the bloodstream. The pancreas is located at the crook of the stomach, and is connected to the duodenum. Inflammation of this gland is called Pancreatitis. There are two kinds of this acute disease:
Edematous Pancreatitis: Which means there is a build-up of serous fluid within the tissues. This form of inflammation is not as alarming but still causes much physical pain for your pet.
Hemorrhagic Pancreatitis: Which is more serious and often fatal is when the inflammation bursts, allowing the digestive enzymes to pour into the abdominal cavity. This contamination causes secondary damage to surrounding organs, such as the liver, intestines and gall bladder.
If your dog has several of these symptoms it may signal an onset of the disease:
- Hunched-up posture- relieves slightly the pain your dog feels
- Vomiting- severe pain does that
- Lack of appetite- due to discomfort and pain
- Painful abdomen- due to the abnormal build-up of fluid in gland
- Yellow and greasy stool-shows that bile has flowed out
- Fever- usually when there is discomfort in your pets body
Symptoms of more serious condition
- Difficulty in breathing
- Irregular heart beats- catching up on its breath may cause fast heart beat, feel its pulse to detect arrhythmia (skipping or irregular beats)
- Sepsis- organisms contaminating the blood; seen in the blood work done by your veterinarian
If you suspect your dog to have most of the onset symptoms, it is best to bring him to a veterinarian. The sooner you get your pet to the clinic the sooner the pain is treated and infection can be prevented from spreading further.
Most cases of Pancreatitis are due to improper diet, which can cause hyperlipidemia (having high amounts of lipids in blood) and hypocalcaemia (excessive amount of calcium in blood). Though not clinically proven, it is thought that dogs that eat a lot of scraps or have a high fat intake are more prone to this disease. There have been reported cases of pancreatitis that develops due to trauma, shock or severe stress. However, this is an uncommon occurrence.
As a responsible pet owner it is our job to monitor our dogs diet and ensure they are not eating too many foods that may be harmful. As with all animals, proper diet and exercise are the keys to living a happy and healthy life.
Gladys is the senior writer for Pet Super Store, a site who offers a wide variety of pet accessories including dog beds and dog steps. Visit us today for instant savings on various pet products.
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