What is Pancreatitis and what does the Pancreas organ do??

So what is Pancreatitis?

Pancreatitis means 'inflammation of the pancreas'.  This occurs when digestive enzymes are prematurely released into the pancreas and literally start to digest it!  This can obviously be very painful and often cause a focal form of peritonitis (meaning, the abdominal cavity wall which is lined by the peritoneum, this becomes inflammed, causing fluid to build up and is very painful).

Affected dogs typically go off their food and often vomit and show signs of stomach pain (Berrie was affected by this greatly, her stomach felt hard to touch and she had the appearance of an arched back, similar to how us humans when we have stomach ache, lean forward and would be constantly straining trying to pass her faeces).

They can also have a little blood on their faeces and straining.  Some dogs have very few clinical signs at all.

'Acute Pancreatitis' is short term and does not result in permanent scarring of the pancreas.  'Chronic Pancreatitis' means that this inflammation has been present for a long time and has produced some permanent scarring on the pancreas.

Both in dogs and humans, the signs of the illness can vary widely from person to person and dog to dog, from no signs at all, to reoccurring abdominal pain (this is what happened to Berrie) and even, in severe cases, life threatening shock and peritonitis (one of Berrie's episodes, caused life threatening dehydration within a matter of hours).

A small proportion of dogs (and humans) with chronic pancreatitis will eventually destroy enough of their pancreas to develop EPI and/or diabetes.  They would need to lose 90% of their pancreas to do this, so many dogs live with pancreatitis for their whole lives without developing these problems, when treated.

The Pancreas is a small organ, just behind the stomach and has two very important functions

1. The Pancreas produces enzymes, which go down a duct into the gut and are critical in the digestion of food.  These enzymes are especially important for fat digestion.  If they are deficient, the animal develops what is known as 'exocrine pancreatic insufficiency' (EPI), where they can not digest fat properly and so typically, loose weight in spite of having a 'ravenous' appetite and can have 'smelly, fatty faeces' (this is the one that Berrie was diagnosed with).

This is treated relatively easily, as in your dog, by feeding a low fat diet and adding enzymes to the food.

2. The Pancreas produces a hormone called insulin, which passes in the blood stream to all the organs in the body and is centrally important in the regulation of blood glucose levels and energy supply, to the cells in the body. A deficiency of this hormone results in the development of Diabetes Mellitus, where the blood sugar level is very high and the animal drinks and urinates excessively.  This also relatively easily treated by giving the dog regular insulin injections and keeping daily food and exercise as stable as possible.