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68 Saber Tails Spring 2017

Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen Club of America

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the pancreas fails, the individual
will develop diabetes mellitus.
This endocrine portion is only
a tiny fraction of the pancreas;
ninety-eight percent of the
pancreatic mass is the exocrine
portion. The exocrine part se-
cretes enzymes into the diges-
tive tract to break down the
protein, lipid, carbohydrate, and
nucleic acid in our food. These
enzymes are powerful chewers
and they cannot distinguish be-

tween the pancreatic tissue that they shouldn’t chew up
and the food stuff in the digestive track that they should
chew. So, the enzymes are made and secreted in an inactive
form and only activated when they reach the gut.

roblems ensue when these powerful enzymes become
active within the pancreas itself. If only a small fraction

of the enzymes become activated, then
control mechanisms kick in and inactivate
the enzyme. However, when greater than
10% of the enzymes are inappropriately
activated, the control mechanisms are
overwhelmed and there is auto-digestion
of the pancreatic cells. In response to the
damage, immune cells arrive and release
molecules called cytokines in an effort to
promote healing. If cytokine release is
too robust and not controlled, then the
pancreas can experience what is called a
“cytokine storm”, in which the immune
cells cause damage to the tissue rather than repair. (Cy-
tokine storms are thought to be responsible for the deaths
that occur in influenza pandemics, sepsis, Ebola and small-
pox infections, among other illnesses.) Often the cytokines
will inadvertently damage the capillary bed in the pancreas
in their misguided effort to help.

t this point, the acute inflammatory storm can resolve
if the trigger subsides. If the trigger persists, how-

ever, the storm can cause damage to other organs and lead
to coagulation of blood within the lungs, kidney and liver.
The resultant multi-organ failure is what typically leads to
death, rather than the damage to the pancreas itself.

ryfus was a 16-year-old dog who was treated for pan-
creatitis his last two years. One morning he didn’t

eat his breakfast and was panting heavily as if in pain. A
blood test indicated high levels of pancreatic lipase in his
blood. He received pain meds, Pepcid and Sulcrate (ant-

acids), and a low-fat food. His panting subsided and ap-
petite returned, but his stool had blood in it periodically
over the next few weeks. Over the course of the next two
years, Dryfus’s mom kept a diary of his appetite, elimina-
tion, treatments, and activity. The diary reads like a roller
coaster of celebration when Dryfus ate his meal with gus-
to, zoomed around the house, or slept through the night,
and worry when he wouldn’t eat, was restless and panting,
and vomited or had diarrhea. Dryfus’s mom said that she
received tremendous support and guidance from a Yahoo
Group focused on canine pancreatitis. Through it all, his
family tried many different foods and enticements to eat,
offering four smaller meals throughout the day rather than
one or two larger meals. His meds changed often to try to
control his symptoms and make him comfortable. When
his quality of life finally slipped, they made the difficult
decision to let him go.

hat are the signs of pancreatitis? Pancreatitis can
be acute or chronic, and mild or severe. Acute pan-

creatitis generally occurs suddenly and
can be mild (with damage that is localized
to the pancreas and reversible) or severe
(in which there is death of pancreatic tis-
sue and failure of other organs). Pancre-
atitis is referred to as chronic when there
is mild inflammation that develops slowly.
In fact, some dogs may be afflicted with
chronic pancreatitis for years without any
clinically apparent signs.

ellie was 5 years old when she had
her single attack of acute pancreati-

tis. Her family noticed that she was stretching a lot as if
in discomfort; also, her belly rumbles could be heard from
across the room. She was taken to the vet where she re-
ceived meds for an upset stomach and was sent home. In
retrospect, her mom wishes she had insisted on additional
tests. Nellie’s condition soon worsened and she developed
jaundice. It took two weeks of intensive fluids, antacids,
and antibiotics before she recovered. It was much longer
before she gained back her full strength. Her family thinks
that her episode was due to a prescription food for a uri-
nary tract infection that she was battling. They are now
especially careful of the foods and treats that she eats. No
table scraps!

he clinical signs of pancreatitis vary widely. Those
with mild disease might only show intermittent loss

of appetite and weakness. Chronic low-grade inflamma-
tion of the pancreas and subsequent death of pancreatic
tissue may lead to other diseases, such as diabetes mellitus

Chance in his squirrel-hunt-

ing, tree

climbing days

Classic signs of pancreatitis:

• Hunched back

• Repeated vomiting

• Pain or distension of the abdomen

• Diarrhea

• Loss of appetite

• Dehydration

• Weakness or lethargy

• Fever

A dog exhibiting multiple signs should

be taken to the vet immediately.

From AKC.org

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