Clinical Signs of Pancreatitis in Dogs

Every dog owner must want to have his or her dogs always stay healthy. However, it is undeniable that there are some unexpected health conditions your dog might have. One of the conditions is pancreatitis. This is one of the conditions that every dog owner should be aware of as the warning signs are not always obvious at first.

Why are the signs no obvious at first? It is because some of the signs are misunderstood or mistaken as something less serious, yet it is life-threatening and dangerous.

What is Pancreatitis?

Pancreatitis is simply defined as the inflammation of the pancreas. Pancreas is the vital organ that is located on the right side of the abdomen adjacent to the stomach. It is responsible for producing enzymes that are beneficial for food digestion and some hormones, such as insulin.

Pancreatitis commonly occurs in dogs and there is no predisposition of it. Pancreatitis might be acute or even chronic. When the pancreas is inflamed, then the digestive enzymes from the pancreas are spilled into the abdominal cavity. As a result, there is a secondary damage to the organs around it, such as liver, bile ducts and intestines.

There’s no exact and proved cause of pancreatitis in dogs yet, but it can be stimulated by some reasons such as high-fat diet, dietary indiscretion and obesity.

That’s why it is very important to keep your dog in a good shape. Find the ways to lose your overweight adult dog. Overweight or obesity will bring no good impact for your dog.

Another factor triggering pancreatitis in dogs is diabetes mellitus. If your dog is having diabetes, it is better to control his diet well. Look at the ideas about how to manage diet for your diabetic dog.

Clinical Signs of Pancreatitis in Dogs

There are some clinical signs you can observe to detect pancreatitis in dogs. Here are the clinical signs:

• Repeated vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Dehydration
• Lethargy or weakness
• Fever
• Abdominal pain (your dog seems to be uncomfortable or bloated)
• Hunched back while walking or standing
• Diarrhea
• Nausea

Those are the most common clinical signs of pancreatitis in dogs. However, during an attack, the dog might be in a “praying position” with his rear end up in the air while his front legs and head are onto the floor. If it is severe, the dog might experience acute shock, depression and even death.

If your dog shows one of these signs and it is infrequently, you need to monitor him carefully. However, if more signs are exhibited, then you need to call your vet immediately as they might indicate something serious.

What Should I do to Treat Pancreatitis?

There isn’t anything you can do to treat your dog with pancreatitis other than calling your vet immediately. If your dog is in a stable condition, you may bring it to the clinic immediately. However if your dog is not stable, your vet will come immediately or make another suggestion.

It is very important to act quickly once you notice the symptoms of pancreatitis in your dog. The condition might become worse quickly, giving your dog more pain or even lead him to death.

You are not suggested to treat your dog by yourself at home, even by reading some tips you can find on the internet. They might make the your dog’s condition worsen.

You might think they work at least to relieve your dog’s pain, but it might lead to worse condition or even poisoning them. Make sure your dog is handled by a trained professional.

Tips to Prevent Pancreatitis in Dogs

Once your dog recovers from pancreatitis, he should never get that disease again. As an owner, you also need to make sure he will never experience it again.

Recurring pancreatitis might be mild or severe. That’s why you need some tips from the vets that you can do to help reduce the chance of recurrence of pancreatitis in dogs.

• Make sure your dog is not overweight. The risk of pancreatitis in dogs is higher when he is overweight. Watch his food intake and exercise level. You can ask your dog to do these simple exercises for your dog to maintain its health. They are fun!
• Avoid feeding your food to your dog. Most of human food contain high fat that can lead to the risk of pancreatitis. See other delicious foods that actually are toxic for your dog. They might look delicious and yummy but they are toxic.
• Instead of feeding one large meals, try feeding multiple and small meals during the day. It will be helpful to reduce the strain put on the pancreas during digestion. Moreover, it also lessens the chance for certain dog breeds to develop canine bloat.

Regarding to dogs’ health, there are some other diseases you need to pay attention to. These diseases, such as hypertension in dogs and pneumonia in dogs might be fatal if you don’t take them seriously.