Pancreatitis in dogs - symptoms and treatment

Pancreatitis can be affected not only by humans, but also by animals. Inflammation of the pancreas in a dog happens under certain conditions - an excess of fatty foods, the use of smoked products, spicy and sweet food and the absence of raw meat in the diet. In a word, if there is a violation of proper nutrition. Sometimes chronic pancreatitis can develop after surgery on the intestine, with cholecystitis and enteritis.

Signs of pancreatitis in dogs

It is difficult to detect chronic pancreatitis in a dog, because it can develop for years completely asymptomatic. Where brighter in dogs is acute pancreatitis:

• the animal loses its appetite, while behaving calmly and to a certain degree depressed;
• occasionally the dog shows anxiety, as if it can not find a place;
• when the belly is probed to the left of the navel, the animal has painful sensations, the abdomen itself is swollen, and the abdominal wall is tense;
• there is vomiting at every attempt to eat something;
• changes the faeces of the animal, becoming either too dense with mucus, or ointment (diarrhea);
• there is skin itching and rapid drying of the oral mucosa due to increased blood glucose levels.

Treatment of pancreatitis in dogs

For confirmation and subsequent treatment of pancreatitis in dogs, when a symptom is detected, the veterinarian conducts a series of activities - visual examination, palpation, x-ray and ultrasound of the abdominal cavity, a biopsy and a laboratory TIRT test.

In general, the treatment is as follows:

1. If it is acute pancreatitis, the doctor prescribes antiemetic and anesthetic drugs.
2. If there is a risk of infection with bacterial infections, an antibiotic is additionally prescribed.
3. The dog's diet is enriched with vitamins and microelements.

What to feed a dog with pancreatitis?

Dry food for pancreatitis is replaced by a special therapeutic food for dogs. If the food before was natural, a rigid diet is prescribed. If pancreatitis is acute, the dog is given fasting for 1-3 days. After that, gradually enter frequent meals (5-6 times a day in small portions).

Drinking water is also needed in very small quantities so that it does not stretch the stomach and does not lead to activation of the pancreas with the release of a new portion of enzymes that corrode the walls of the stomach.

Dogs on a diet can be given chicken or turkey meat, peeled and slightly cooked. You can add a little rice to the meat. Also, the diet should include yogurt and low-fat cottage cheese.