Treatment And Prevention Of Canine Pancreatitis
Treatment of pancreatitis is very important, as this is a degenerative, self-fueling condition that can eventually cause irreversible damage to your dog's system. Since the symptoms of pancreatitis will usually begin long before serious damage, it is important to begin treatment as soon as possible.
The main goal of the treatment is to rest the pancreas, offer supportive care and control the complications.
I. Treatment Options
1. Fasting
Because the swelling of the pancreas is due to excessive levels of digestive enzymes, a very common treatment for pancreatitis is to withhold food from your dog. This may be difficult, and may seem like a cruel treatment. However, when the food intake is stopped, the pancreas will stop producing excess digestive enzymes, and the swelling will eventually subside. This is usually most effective in instances of mild acute pancreatitis.
2. Nutritional Therapy
This treatment method is usually used in combination with the fasting treatment. Dogs that are being denied food will not be receiving adequate nutrition, and will need an alternate source of sustenance. The solution to this is to provide nutrition through intravenous feeding, or by a feeding tube placed in the large intestine.
3. Anti-Nausea Medication
Medication to prevent nausea will not cure pancreatitis, but it will greatly help with your dog's symptoms. This is a supplementary treatment that will help to reduce your dog's urge to vomit, and aid in calming the stomach. This will also help the effectiveness of any nutritional therapy or alternate feeding that your dog is receiving.
4. Pain Medication
Though this is also not a curative medication, pain medicine is important to keep your dog comfortable during pancreatitis. The swelling of the pancreas, and the “digestion” of surrounding organs will cause an unimaginable amount of pain for your dog. To reduce the stress that is caused by this pain, it is strongly recommended to begin a regimen of pain medication for your dog until the condition is less severe.
5. Surgery
This is a treatment option that is rarely implemented, and only in advanced pancreatitis. Surgery can be used with severe pancreatitis, to remove some of the toxic fluids that are damaging abdominal organs. Because of the controversy surrounding this treatment option, most veterinarians will only recommended surgery as a last resort.
II. Prevention
Pancreatitis is most commonly present in dogs that have consumed (either initially, or over a period of time) foods that have a high fat content. The best way to ensure that your dog is much less at risk for pancreatitis is to feed them a diet that is moderately low in fats.
Since dogs that are suffering from obesity are commonly afflicted with pancreatitis, a regular exercise routine is important as well. General good health habits can go a long way in preventing pancreatitis, as well as many other health conditions.
