( Artemis )
Ah, the holidays. ‘Tis the season to
relax with friends and family, to share good cheer, to
reflect on life’s blessings. And,
for some, it’s also the season to rush a vomiting dog to
the emergency clinic.Gravy, turkey skin, cookies, creams
- all that rich holiday fare may make human bellies shake like a bowl full of jelly, but
it can kill dogs by triggering acute pancreatitis. The
life-threatening condition is a
severe inflammation of the pancreas. The glandular organ,
nestled beneath the stomach and the
small intestines, aids digestion and regulates blood
sugar by pumping out enzymes and
insulin. The condition develops when the enzymes
responsible for fat digestion are
released prematurely and start to autodigest, or digest
the cells of the pancreas.“Acute pancreatitis can be very
serious. It in fact can be fatal, resulting in fluid buildup in the abdomen and thorax, the
development of acute kidney failure, and disseminated
intravascular coagulation, an
inflammation that triggers clotting factors and uses them up
to the point where spontaneous
bleeding occurs,”
said Mary Labato, DVM, clinical as sociate professor at the Cummings
School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. Although there are many suspected
triggers for an attack, including certain medications, pesticides and trauma, pancreatitis
that occurs suddenly is most commonly associated with dietary indiscretion - a raid
on the garbage can or a big steak dinner, said Dr. Labato.
Veterinarians say they see many more
cases of pancreatitis around Thanksgiving and the
December holidays, brought on by
high-fat table scraps. Even owners who are diligent
about protecting their pets from
other holiday hazards, such as tree tinsel, chocolate
Santas and turkey bones, may be
unaware of the dangers a lipid overload can pose to
their pets. One very sick mixed
breed drove this point home to Bonnie Beaver, DVM,
professor at the College of
Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M University and immediate
past president of the American
Veterinary Medical Association.
Her patient had been on a fishing
trip with his owners when he started vomiting violently.
Dr. Beaver asked if he had eaten
anything that may have upset his stomach. At first the
owners said no. Then almost as an
afterthought, they remembered a dietary indiscretion
earlier in the day. “Oh yeah, they said. I forgot to
tell you he ate a pound of bacon. Could that make a difference?” recalled Dr. Beaver. The dog
recovered but only after a lengthy and expensive
hospital stay. A pound of bacon
doesnít have to be the culprit. Even a small amount of
fat can cause pancreatitis in an
animal prone to it.
Unfortunately, thereís no way to predict
if an individual dog has such a predisposition.
There is a lot of variation in fat
tolerance from one dog to another. Obese dogs appear to
face the highest risk, said Dr.
Labato. Middle-aged and older females also have a greater
tendency to develop the condition.Among breeds, miniature Schnauzers
are known to have a higher risk, but scientists are not sure why. Researchers have been
looking for the gene, but have not yet found it. A few other breeds, including
miniature Poodles, Cocker Spaniels and some terriers also
appear to be prone to it.
Symptoms of the condition are
non-specific and can be mistaken for a host of other
gastrointestinal disorders. Vomiting
is the major sign, but some dogs vomit often for all
kinds of reasons. It can be hard to
say if the problem is an upset stomach or pancreatitis,
which means a trip to the
veterinarian is essential.
As a general rule, if a dog vomits
several times in a 12-hour period, pancreatitis should
be suspected. A single, severe
episode of vomiting will warrant medical attention if the
owner knows a dog ate a fatty food.
Other symptoms include weakness, abdominal pain
and dehydration. Diagnosing the condition can be
tricky.
“It can be very difficult to
distinguish pancreatitis
from other gastrointestinal
disorders. Both can cause very severe and refractory [uncontrollable] vomiting and an extremely
painful abdomen,” said Dr. Labato. “Pancreatitis is
often diagnosed by excluding other
causes and seeing evidence of inflammation in the
pancreas.” Veterinarians use imaging techniques
and blood tests of pancreatic enzymes to make a
diagnosis, said Dr. Labato.
“Abdominal ultrasound is perhaps the best way that we have
here for identifying pancreatitis.”
Testing pancreatitic enzymes are helpful, but many
arenít specific or sensitive enough
for a firm diagnosis.
Treatment is mostly supportive,
resting the pancreas until the inflammation subsides.
“When the animal is vomiting
frequently and severely, there should be nothing by mouth
for 24 to 48 hours until the
vomiting comes under control,”said Dr. Labato. Then it’s important to provide nutritional
support through a feeding tube and intravenous fluids. The
dog may also need medication for
nausea and pain. Severe cases may require plasma
or whole blood transfusions. In rare cases, a single bout of the
disease may so badly damage the pancreas the dog may become diabetic. Most of the
time, patients will recover and have no long-term
consequences. Nevertheless, “it can be expensive and require a
lot of hospitalization and good quality
patient care,” Dr. Beaver said. “Prevention is much
better than trying to cure it.
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