by AKC staff
Updated September 20, 2021

Key Points

  • Pancreatitis in dogs is potentially life-threatening — know the signs to look for.
  • If you suspect your dog may have pancreatitis, a call to the veterinarian quickly is vital.
  • There are a number of causes and risk factors that can bring on pancreatitis, though it often seems to hit out of the blue.
  • Emergency https://www.akc.org/tag/emergency/

Pancreatitis in dogs is one of those conditions that owners must be informed about before it strikes because the warning signs may not always be obvious at
first, the symptoms might be mistaken for something less serious, and yet it’s potentially life-threatening. The medical definition of pancreatitis is simple:
“inflammation of the pancreas.” But like all serious conditions, there is more to it than that.

Because it is dangerous, a suspected case of pancreatitis needs to be addressed by a veterinarian as quickly as possible and not dealt with by “DIY” treatments. As
with all medical issues, even the best online resource is not a replacement for the medical guidance from your vet.

Before looking at the details of pancreatitis, let’s take away the “ititis” and explain the small but vital organ itself: The pancreas is responsible for releasing enzymes that aid in digestion. When the organ is working normally, the enzymes become active only when they reach the small intestine. In a dog with pancreatitis, however, the enzymes activate when they’re released, inflaming and causing damage to the pancreas and its surrounding tissue and other organs. According to the Whole Dog Journal, the enzymes can actually begin to digest the pancreas itself, which causes extreme pain to your dog.