Effective Treatment and Prevention of Feline Pancreatit

Recent studies reveal:

Surprisingly, 67% of cats undergoing postmortem examinations show histological evidence of pancreatitis, including 45% of seemingly healthy felines. Chronic pancreatitis is more prevalent than acute pancreatitis, with twothirds of affected cats exhibiting chronic cases in their tissue samples.

This indicates:

Cat pancreatitis is far more common than currently believed by veterinary professionals, presenting significant clinical challenges. Even healthy pets often suffer from mild pancreatic injuries.

Feeding cats with lowfat prescription canned food is a common approach to managing pancreatitis.

Pancreatitis is a multifactorial disease caused by the autodigestive action of pancreatic enzymes on the pancreas, leading to inflammatory lesions with variable clinical courses and outcomes. It is crucial to note that cats with other common diseases, such as diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, cholangitis, and fatty liver, frequently develop pancreatitis, a fact often overlooked in clinical settings.

Cat pancreatitis is associated with factors like dietary habits (such as longterm consumption of highfat foods), age (more common in middleaged and older cats), and other potential causes like trauma, infection, and low blood pressure. Diseases like feline infectious peritonitis, feline distemper, toxoplasmosis (toxoplasma gondii), and liver flukes (Amphimerus pseudofelineus) have been confirmed to be related to pancreatitis induction.

Pancreatitis is a silent killer in cats, severely threatening their health and wellbeing. Without timely treatment, it can lead to excessive dehydration, fatty liver, and even death. The best preventive measure is to control the amount of food and protein in your cat's diet and to promptly address any adverse reactions, seeking treatment immediately.

According to the course of the disease, pancreatitis can be categorized into acute and chronic types. Affected cats are often overweight, with more female cats being affected. Since cats with pancreatitis often do not exhibit obvious symptoms, diagnosis can be challenging.

Acute pancreatitis is commonly seen as a result of trypsin directly acting on the pancreas, causing acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis. During acute pancreatitis, amylase may leak into the bloodstream, making elevated serum amylase levels a critical indicator for diagnosis. Symptoms may include lethargy, decreased appetite, dehydration, hypothermia, jaundice, vomiting, abdominal pain, palpable abdominal masses, respiratory distress, and fever. Acute pancreatitis is characterized by abdominal pain, shock, and decreased blood sugar levels.

Chronic pancreatitis is primarily characterized by vomiting and poor digestion. Affected cats are highly depressed, with decreased or absent appetite, severe vomiting, sensitive abdominal pain upon palpation, and some cases may exhibit a "prayer position" with the forequarters lying down and the hindquarters standing. Severe cases may experience a drop in blood pressure and body temperature, leading to shock.

When pancreatitis is accompanied by cholangitis and inflammatory bowel disease, treatment becomes more challenging, and complications like shock, weakness, and hypothermia can significantly impact the prognosis.

Diagnosis and Treatment:

Cats suspected of having acute or chronic pancreatitis should be carefully screened for cholangiohepatitis, inflammatory liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and bacterial pancreatitis.

Treatment of cat pancreatitis focuses on supportive therapy, including intravenous fluid administration (with or without colloids or plasma) to restore blood volume, control vomiting, pain management, and addressing any potential underlying factors. Antivertigo agents are the first choice for vomiting. Pain management is crucial even if the cat does not show obvious abdominal pain, as pancreatitis rarely occurs with infection, and antibiotics are generally not needed. Steroids may only be used if there is a suspicion of autoimmune disease or if steroids are required to treat complications (such as inflammatory bowel disease IBD in cats or cholangiohepatitis).

Cats with persistent vomiting must be fasted for a short period. If a cat has been unable to eat or drink for 2 to 3 days, nutrition must be provided through alternative means to prevent fatty liver or malnutrition. Enteral nutrition is preferable to other methods.

The Importance of Pancreatitis Diet Management:

There is evidence that the incidence and mortality rates of early enteral nutritionrelated cases have decreased. Some clinicians, nutritionists, and internists advocate for early enteral nutrition in cats with acute pancreatitis. Feeding during the disease helps provide essential nutrients that affect cellular function. Cats require more time and treatment to start eating than dogs.

Early nutrition is crucial during the early stages of pancreatitis, with lowfat, lowcarbohydrate, or easily digestible, highly palatable food being the mainstay. It is essential to provide the necessary protein and energy for the cat. If a cat has a history of significant weight loss or longterm anorexia, forcefeeding may be necessary, with the amount of food based on the daily caloric requirement. If the cat exhibits vomiting symptoms, the amount of food should be reduced.

Considering that the absorption cofactor (known as intrinsic factor) required for vitamin B12 absorption is only produced in the cat's pancreas (while dogs' pancreases and stomachs can produce it), parenteral (injected) supplementation of vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is beneficial for cats.

Special Period Nutritional Support:

Prognosis:

The prognosis for cat pancreatitis is related to the severity of the disease, the extent of necrosis, the presence of systemic or pancreatic complications, the duration of the disease, and associated diseases. Additionally, a free calcium ion concentration below 1.00 mmol/L (a clinical indicator of poor prognosis) is associated with a 77% mortality rate.

Cat Pancreatitis Case Feedback Videos:

Lastly, it is important to note that due to the clinical challenges of cat pancreatitis, cat owners must manage their pets' diets responsibly. The best preventive measure is to control the amount of food and protein in your cat's diet and to promptly identify any adverse reactions, seeking treatment immediately.