Pancreatitis in Pets & Vitamins and Minerals

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Pancreatitis in pets is a very challenging disease for a couple of reasons; no one is sure what actually causes the disease and no two cases of this disease in dogs or cats are the same.

But it is potentially life threatening and some veterinarians feel that it can never be cured.

Pancreatitis in pets affects your dog or your cat in various forms ranging from only minimal amounts of discomfort to a life threatening disease.

From personal experience, I lost a five year old Dalmatian from this disease. When it is severe, many of the organs in their body are affected. Do not take this disease lightly, as it is very serious.

Pancreatitis in pets, although it is again not exactly clear why this disease happens, seems to have a diet that is too rich as a common denominator in most of the cases, whether it is dogs or cats.

Hereditary also seems to be an issue with pets, and in the case of my Dalmatian, it was judged to be from bad breeding practices.

There is another side of observers that believe this disease, especially in pets, may be caused by insecticides that your pet may come in contact with.

Pancreatitis in pets seems to effect both genders equally in dogs and cats, but it is more common in Miniature Schnauzers due to high levels of lipoproteins in their blood, but Yorkies, Silkies, Dachshunds, and other small breeds seem to be more prone, as well as Siamese cats.

This disease also seems to be a lot more prevalent in middle aged and older pets, especially if you’re pet is overweight.

The pancreases is a gland that has as its major function the digestive process by producing enzymes that help break down food.

If these enzymes become activated while in the gland itself, your pet’s pancreas begins to digest its own granular tissue, resulting in the disease.

As with any other major disease building your pet’s immune system may be critical to their ability to either fight diseases like this or prevent them.

Chromium supplements have been found to be a benefit for this disease, both in treatment and prevention, as it can stabilize blood sugar levels. Selenium, another mineral, is also very effective at building the immune system and keeps it functioning properly.

Vitamin C emulates the immune system itself, as it reaches into every cell of your pet’s body. Your pets will benefit tremendously with Vitamin C supplementation as this nutrient plays a major function of their immune system.

Vitamin E, however, may be the most effective preventive vitamin, as it plays a critical role in your pet’s ability to process glucose and has several antioxidant functions as well.

There may be several different causes for pancreatitis in pets other than hereditary, such as infections, trauma, and cancer, but diet is still the biggest potential cause.

And dogs seem to get this disease more than cats, as we all know that your dog, unlike your cat, will eat almost anything.

Pancreatitis in pets is an inflammation of the pancreases, a gland that is located within your pet’s abdomen, and it consists of two portions.

The first is the portion that produces enzymes which are secreted in the intestine and that help in the digestive process, while the other, known as islets, produces insulin.

This hormone is a necessity in the regulation of the amount of sugar in the blood as well as its ability to be fully utilized by the cellular structure. This is why Vitamin C is very effective as a pre-emptive measure with both your dog and cat.

There are two types of pancreatitis in pets, acute and chronic. In acute pancreatitis, the clinical signs may be very non-specific, but there are several symptoms that you can watch for.

Rapid heart beats, high fevers, abdominal pain, and vomiting, as well as sudden or a building of lethargy and a loss of appetite. Your pet may also experience forms of respiratory distress and jaundice.

High blood sugar contents are also very common, especially in cats, and cats are extremely prone to diabetes following acute forms of this disease.

Chronic pancreatitis in pets, however, is the most common form of this disease. With the chronic form, your pets experience an absence of digestive enzymes.

As a result, food will pass through their digestive tract without absorbing, resulting in a form of malabsorption.

Malabsorption is a condition that causes abnormality in the digestion or again the absorption of your pet’s food or nutrients across the gastrointestinal tract and in addition to the issues with the pancreas may also lead to malnutrition and a variety of different anemia type of conditions.

Chronic pancreatitis in cats is commonly followed by your cat developing diabetes, as both the digestive portion of the pancreas is affected, as well as the insulin producing cells.

The signs that you should watch for in chronic pancreatitis in pets are a sudden weight loss, changes in your pets stools that may become soft and pale, and in some cases, large losses of your pet’s hair or coating.

Dogs especially may show signs of severe weakness and even collapse, as well as dehydration, shock and high fevers.

They will also show you warning signs by panting for no real reason, crying and or wincing when picked up, or lying down with the front end down and the rear end up.

In testing for this disease in your pet, your veterinarian may use several types of diagnostic tests, ultrasound tests, and biopsy tests.

Treatments will vary as to the form of pancreatitis disease your pet has, and how severe it is.

With acute or sudden forms, your pet may be given large amounts of intravenous fluid solutions, as with most dogs that have this disease, they will have lost a tremendous amount of fluids through vomiting or diarrhea.

FATTY ACID SUPPLEMENTS

In most all cases, you pet may be hospitalized for a few days and up to several days, in severe cases. Antibiotics may also be used to limit the spread of bacteria in your pet, and feeding intravenously allows the pancreas to rest.

This is a very, very painful disease and condition for your pet. Your cat or dog will be suffering pain in their abdomen that makes it very tight and may also require pain killers.

Mild forms of pancreatitis in pets can be immediately helped by low fat diets; however, if the condition continues to occur, it will scar the pancreas and make it so it can not produce the digestive enzymes needed.

Selenium is also used as a treatment.

There is in most cases, a very sad part of pancreatitis in pets.

Most veterinarians believe that this disease can not be cured.

The best way to prevent either your dog or your cat from getting this horrible disease is to supplement them properly with Selenium and Chromium supplements, as well as Vitamins C and E.

Force your pet to a low fat diet, and avoid table scraps that may cause a rich and potentially fatal diet.

There are several excellent pet treats that are very good for your pet, and there are several very good companies to select from to nourish and supplement your pet properly.

Pancreatitis in Pets & Pet Meds Pharmacy