pancaritis in 3yr old mail Pam

Question
My 3 year old mail Pam is at the vet now. He has been digonised with pancaritius. What does the pancaus do. And is this an infection of that organ. Is there anything specific that may have caused this and what is the out look for him, diet especially. Thanik you.  

Answer
Hi there!
      The pancreas is a vital organ which is located on the right side of the abdomen.  The pancreas has two functions:  

1)to produce enzymes which help to digest food and,

2)to produce as insulin.  

Pancreatitis occurs when the pancrea becomes inflammed.  This is a disease that is seen commonly in dogs, as well as humans.  There are no age, sex, or breed predispositions.  

There are two main forms of acute or sudden onset pancreatitis:  1) the edematous form, which is the mild form and, 2) the hemorrhagic form, which is the more severe form.  Some dogs that recover from an acute episode of pancreatitis may continue to have recurrent bouts of the acute disease.  This is known as chronic, relapsing pancreatitis.  The associated inflammation allows digestive enzymes to escape into the abdominal cavity. This may result in damage to surrounding organs, such as the liver, bile ducts, gall bladder, and intestines.  

The cause of pancreatitis is not known. However, there may be several contributing factors.  Pancreatitis is often associated with rich, fatty meals.  In some cases, it may be associated with the administration of steroids, however, some dogs with pancreatitis do not have exposure to either.

Under normal conditions, the digestive enzymes that are produced by the pancreas are activated when they reach the small intestines.  With pancreatitis, these enzymes are activated prematurely in the pancreas instead of in the small intestines where they are normally activated.  This results in the digestion of the pancreas itself.  The clinical signs of pancreatitis are often variable. The intensity of the disease will depend on the quantity of enzymes that are prematurely activated.  

After your dog recovers from this bout of pancreatitis, it would be most beneficial to switch him to a sensitive stomach food like Purina Sensitive Systems or Hill's Science Diet I/D or Purina E/N.

I hope this answers your questions, and if you have any other questions please feel free to ask!

Hilary