Home / Gaia Toast / The Surprising Fact About Cat Pancreatitis
Pancreatitis or inflammation of the pancreas is a problem pet owners ought to know more about.
The surprising thing is that unlike dogs, pancreatitis in cats is not related to nutritional factors.
In dogs, an episode of eating high-fat food can trigger pancreatitis. But for cats, most of the time, it occurs spontaneously with no specific cause.
Still, it is worth looking at some key facts about cat pancreatitis. This will help pet owners like you to watch out for the signs and work on long term management of the disease.
Fact 1: Cats with certain underlying conditions or diseases are more likely to get pancreatitis
Cats with Type II Diabetes (or diabetes mellitus) are at higher risk of getting pancreatitis as a secondary issue. This is because the pancreas produces insulin, which regulates blood sugar levels.
Cats that have liver disease or inflammation of the intestines may also have pancreatitis, concurrently. This trio of inflammation in the liver, intestines and pancreas is so common when it happens in cats that it has a specific term for it: 'triaditis’.
Other possible causes of pancreatitis can be due to parasitic infections e.g. toxoplasmosis or viral infections e.g. feline distemper.
Similar to dogs, physical trauma to the pancreas can also trigger pancreatitis.
Lastly, unlike dogs, there are no predispositions in breed type, age and gender which makes cats more susceptible to developing pancreatitis.
Fact 2: Pancreatitis can be fatal
This is true in both cats and dogs. And because triaditis is very frequently discovered in cats when they have pancreatitis, it becomes a very serious condition involving many affected organs. Severe pancreatitis can do a lot of damage to your cat’s pancreatic cells, impacting normal functions. Even if your cat was healthy before, she could develop diabetes mellitus as a result of damage done to the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas.
Fact 3: Symptoms of pancreatitis are non-specific
This makes it hard to diagnose pancreatitis using only clinical signs. It is likely that your vet will need to do further investigative tests e.g. blood tests, ultrasound etc. to rule out other possibilities.
Here’s a list of the symptoms/signs of pancreatitis:
Abdominal Pain
Nausea and vomiting
Diarrhoea
Fever
Lethargy
Dehydration
Increased Heart Rate
Loss of Appetite
Loss of Weight
Cat owners also need to manage expectations on treatment plan. Your cat may need hospitalisation for 24-hour care and be put on an intravenous (IV) drip amongst other treatments. Unlike dogs, there may not be a need for special dietary requirements because pancreatitis in cats is not caused by fatty diets.
So what can cat owners do about pancreatitis?
While there are no preventive measures against pancreatitis you can take as a pet owner, a healthy cat with a good diet and ideal weight is always a good start to help ward off any diseases. In the case of feline distemper causing pancreatitis, we do encourage cat owners to vaccinate their cats against it.
Being aware of the clinical signs and bringing your cat to see the vet with all the information at hand will help them to make a quicker diagnosis. Early detection for diseases is always better for your cat and likely better for your wallet too. As always, our team at Gaia Vets is always ready to help, so contact us today!
