Hoffman Estates Animal Hospital

"Piper"--Pet of the Month:

"Piper's Pesky Pancreatitis!"

We'd like to introduce you to Piper, a 9 year old female, spayed, domestic shorthair cat! In November of 2007, Piper was presented for vomiting and not wanting to eat. X-rays appeared to be normal but her blood work showed a fatty component (called lipemia) plus mild elevations in her blood sugar. Piper continued to vomit and refused to eat. Pancreatitis was confirmed by an ultrasound.

Pancreatitis can be a frustrating disease especially in cats. Cats sometimes show only subtle signs including lethargy, anorexia and dehydration. Vomiting and abdominal pain are less common in cats versus dogs. Pancreatitis can range from very mild, which resolves in a few days, to fatal. Blood work can give us early clues but an ultrasound or a special blood test that detects lipase from the pancreas are the only ways to definately diagnose the disease.

The causes of pancreatitis in cats is mostly unknown (in over 90% of the cases), however, cats with liver or intestinal disease can also have pancreatitis. Trauma and infections causes have also been linked to pancreatitis in cats. Because 90% of the cases have no known causes, treatment usually includes supportive care. We need to catch it early to correct dehydration and electrolyte abnormalities and prevent infections. Piper initially needed an appetite stimulant to get her to eat but responded well to the treatment and went home within 72 hours.

Piper has had 2 more bouts of pancreatitis since 2007. We suspect this is due to hyperlipidemia (high fat content of the blood). She is currently on a very low fat diet and is doing well. We monitor her blood sugar and liver enzymes very closely for secondary problems like diabetes and liver disease. Thanks to Piper's astute owner, she is now happy and healthy!