Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) in Cats
Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) in cats
Pancreatitis is quite common in cats. Although pancreatitis can have serious consequences for affected animals, it’s often detected late.
In order to provide your pet with optimal treatment, an early diagnosis is important.
Function of the pancreas in your cat
The pancreas is a glandular organ. It is an important part of your cat's digestive system. Its enzymes are needed to break down proteins, fats and carbohydrates in the intestines so that they can be absorbed through the intestinal mucosa.
The pancreas has an important function in regulating blood sugar levels. For this purpose, it produces the hormone insulin, which is necessary for the transport of glucose from the blood into the body cells.
Different forms of pancreatitis in cats
Several causes can cause your cat's pancreas to become inflamed. In this case the vet will refer to it as pancreatitis.
Your cat may have both acute and chronic pancreatitis. Cats with acute pancreatitis are usually fairly easy to treat, so the pancreas usually regenerates completely.
In cats with chronic pancreatitis, however, this is usually not the case. As a rule, the damage to the organ can be slowed down. However, a complete recovery is usually not possible in cats with chronic pancreatitis.
Causes of pancreatitis in cats
In most cases it is not possible to determine the exact trigger of pancreatitis in cats. In these cases the cat suffers from idiopathic pancreatitis. However, apart from this, there are some pre-existing conditions and other factors that can cause the pancreas to become inflamed.
The following factors can cause or contribute to pancreatitis in your cat:
- Diabetes (Diabetes)
- Virus infections
- Bacterial infections
- A renal insufficiency of the cat
- Chronic inflammation of the intestines
- Violations
- The administration of certain medicines
- Tumours
- Hypothermia
Symptoms of pancreatitis in cats
Given the importance of the pancreas for digestion, it goes without saying that pancreatitis is associated with a variety of conditions.
The exact nature of the pancreatitis depends largely on the severity of the inflammation. It is therefore quite possible that the disease causes hardly any symptoms in one cat, while another quadruped suffers greatly from it.
In principle, the following symptoms may occur in a cat with pancreatitis:
- The cat vomits.
- The quadruped appears apathetic.
- The cat has diarrhoea.
- The feeding bowl often remains full.
- There is a significant weight loss.
- The cat has a fever.
- Fluid loss leads to dehydration.
In acute pancreatitis it is not uncommon for the symptoms to be very severe and sometimes even lead to a life-threatening circulatory collapse. In cats with chronic pancreatitis, however, the symptoms are usually less obvious. However, chronic pancreatitis can also lead to recurrent attacks in which the cat's condition suddenly deteriorates noticeably.
A cat with pancreatitis needs to see a vet
If you suspect that your cat has pancreatitis, you should see a vet.
The unspecific symptoms may make the diagnosis difficult at first.
An ultrasound scan can detect changes in the pancreas quite easily. The veterinarian will probably perform blood tests. However, since the blood tests will not necessarily show abnormalities, it is not always possible to draw conclusions about pancreatitis in cats.
In the case of a severe inflammation of the pancreas, a measurement of the enzyme canine pancreatic lipase in the blood of the quadruped can provide a reliable diagnosis very quickly.
Treatment of pancreatitis in cats
The specific treatment for pancreatitis in your cat will depend on the severity of the inflammation and whether it is acute or chronic pancreatitis.
If the pancreatitis is severe, your cat may need to be hospitalised and treated. Apart from this, the vet will, if possible, discontinue any medication that may be the cause of the pancreatitis in your cat.
The actual treatment usually involves infusions to compensate for fluid loss and electrolyte imbalances. As pancreatitis is usually associated with severe pain, your cat's vet will also prescribe appropriate painkillers.
Nutrition for cats with pancreatitis
The third component of the treatment of pancreatitis in cats is a change in diet. In this context, care should be taken to provide the quadruped with several small meals spread over the day.
On the other hand, it is necessary to change to a particularly easily digestible cat food. The feed should contain a particularly high-quality protein source and easily digestible carbohydrate sources such as sweet potatoes instead of grain.
Both help to relieve the pancreas and ease the discomfort of cats suffering from pancreatitis.
Get to know the savings set for cats with pancreatitis in the shop.
Insect protein for cats with pancreatitis
If your cat suffers from pancreatitis, we recommend that you switch to our cat food containing insect protein from the larvae of the black soldier fly.
Insect protein is characterised by a particularly high biological value and excellent digestibility. The food is therefore ideal for a permanent feeding of your nutritionally sensitive quadruped.
Prognosis for cats with pancreatitis
The extent to which your cat will suffer permanently from the consequences of pancreatitis depends on the severity of the course. While a mild, acute pancreatitis can usually be completely cured, a severe inflammation can be fatal in some cases.
Provided that you notice chronic pancreatitis in your cat in time and start appropriate therapy early, the chances are quite good that your four-legged friend can continue to lead a relatively normal life.
Natural support for cats with pancreatitis
To counteract the digestive problems that pancreatitis causes in your cat, we recommend a dietary supplement of Shiimun Gastro.
Shiimun Gastro is a natural food supplement containing shiitake and other high-quality medicinal plants. The preparation was specially developed to counteract complaints such as diarrhoea and vomiting in a digestible way.
Shiimun Gastro can therefore make a valuable contribution to the well-being of your cat suffering from pancreatitis.
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