Pancreatitis is a condition which ranges in severity from almost no clinical signs to severe abdominal upset and even death. It can therefore be very difficult to know if your cat is suffering from pancreatitis. Your veterinarian is best placed to advise you on any illness in your pet so if you are worried about your pet's health a visit to the veterinarian's surgery for a check over is always warranted. 

©Douglas McCallum

The pancreas is a small organ located close to the stomach. It has an important role in the digestion of food and produces large volumes of digestive enzymes after each meal which are released into the gut to help digest food as it leaves the stomach. These enzymes are normally stored in specialized storage granules in the pancreas until they are needed. "Pancreatitis" is inflammation of the pancreas. Once the pancreas is damaged, the digestive enzymes are released from the specialized storage granules into the pancreas itself and can start the process of self-digestion. The amount of enzyme released into the pancreas and local area dictates the severity of the disease. The pancreas also has a second, and completely separate, function which is to produce the hormone insulin, which helps to control levels of blood sugar.

There are a number of suspected causes of pancreatitis, although in many cats no reason is found for pancreatitis to develop. In some cats pancreatitis is associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and inflammatory liver disease. The combination of three concurrent problems is termed ‘triaditis’. The signs of IBD and pancreatitis can be very similar and so it can be difficult to know which changes are caused by which disease. Some medications can cause pancreatitis in people and dogs (although there is no evidence that this occurs in the cat). If you are worried about your cat, always remind your veterinarian what medications your cat is taking – even if you think the veterinarian may know already.

Pancreatitis may be acute (sudden onset and obvious signs of distress) or chronic (less obvious signs such as lethargy, inappetence and a more insidious onset). Cats tend to develop the chronic form of pancreatitis. Cats with pancreatitis can present with a range of signs including lethargy, inappetence, drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, hiding away, having a hunched posture, aggression, jaundice (yellowing of gums, eyes and skin) and pain. These signs are non-specific and are similar to presentations for a number of different conditions. Therefore, your vet will need to run some tests to work out whether pancreatitis is the cause of the clinical signs. Many cats with pancreatitis go on to develop a liver condition called “hepatic lipidosis” or “fatty liver”. This occurs due to the cat not eating enough calories over a period of time. This is a complex disease in which excessive fat is deposited in the liver causing liver damage and ultimately failure. The risk of lipidosis developing starts to increase after 3 days of anorexia (inappetence).

The signs of pancreatitis in the cat can be very vague and often overlap with many other common illnesses. It can therefore be hard for your veterinarian to make a diagnosis of pancreatitis without running a number of tests. Usually the first test is a blood test called an fPLI, this blood test measures the levels of the lipase enzyme. This enzyme is produced by the pancreas and therefore an abnormal fPLI test will indicate a rise in these enzymes and indicate pancreatitis. Your veterinarian may also choose to run additional blood tests to ensure no other organs are affected. Ultrasound of the abdomen can be very helpful to demonstrate the inflamed pancreas and to assess for any signs of structural disease that may be causing the pancreatitis. Ultrasound examination of the pancreas is an advanced technique and your veterinarian may wish to refer your pet to a specialist.

Ideally treatment begins with resolving the underlying cause of the disease for example in cases of triaditis management of the liver and intestinal disease will help resolve the pancreatitis. Mild cases of pancreatitis may recover without any treatment over a few days. Often cats with pancreatitis will not want to eat. Food intake should be monitored due to the risk of lipidosis (see above). Drugs may be given to reduce nausea and vomiting if this is present. Pain relief will also be required. Although cats hide pain well, pancreatitis is a painful condition for cats and it is important to keep them comfortable so that they feel better and so that they are more likely to eat properly. An appetite stimulant may be given if your cat has been off their food for a while to prevent hepatic lipidosis developing. Cats may need to be admitted to a veterinary hospital. Intravenous fluids can be given through a drip to support the cat whilst it is not eating and prevent dehydration. If anorexia is prolonged, it may be necessary to administer food by an alternative route, eg placement of a feeding tube to ensure that nutritional intake is maintained. Since, in cats, pancreatitis is most often associated with IBD then treatment of this condition is indicated. Your cat’s diet may be changed to an easily digestible diet to help reduce the amount of lipase enzyme the pancreas needs to produce. Reducing the amount of work the pancreas needs to do will help aid recovery. This will also help with many of the common causes of pancreatitis such as IBD. In very severe cases cats become extremely unwell and need intensive care or maybe even an operation. When pancreatitis is severe there can be serious effects on other organs in the body and intensive care including blood transfusions may be required.

Most cats with pancreatitis get better within a few days to a week. Your veterinarian will advise you on long term care of your pet after an episode of pancreatitis which will depend on the individual case and whether any reason for the pancreatitis was found. Often cats that have had one episode are more likely to have repeated bouts later in life and these may need to be monitored more carefully. Pancreatitis can cause food aversion in cats. Food aversion is when cats who have felt nauseous then associate a certain food with that feeling and therefore will no longer eat this food. It is important to discuss food aversion with your vet if your cat remains anorexic. It is also important to consider your cats stress levels. If your cat is stressed at home, this can cause pancreatitis to get worse or slow down recovery. This is because when a cat is stressed they release a hormone called cortisol which raises inflammation and the response to inflammation within the body. Pheromone diffusers, environmental enrichment, multiple litter trays, a suitable feeding location and hiding locations can help prevent stress. Your veterinary team will be able to give you further information on cat stress and how to manage it. In cats that have been severely affected there may be long term consequences of the disease. Damage to the pancreas can result in failure of its other functions. Loss of large amounts of pancreas can mean that the cat is no longer able to produce sufficient quantities of insulin (thus becoming diabetic) or not producing enough digestive enzymes (resulting in poor digestion of food and weight loss). Unfortunately some cats with the severe form of pancreatitis will die despite all treatment.

Call your veterinarian immediately if your cat:

• Stops eating.
• Seems painful.
• Starts vomiting.
• Becomes lethargic.