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Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency in Dogs: Symptoms and Treatment

If a dog suffers from pancreatic insufficiency, it has serious consequences for the four-legged friend. For this condition, timely treatment is essential to counteract the effects on the animal's health.

Below we will explain what pancreatic insufficiency actually is, how it develops in dogs and what treatment is available.

Pancreatic insufficiency in dogs – the main points at a glance

  • If the dog's pancreas no longer produces enough digestive enzymes, the animal suffers from pancreatic insufficiency.
  • Due to the lack of digestive enzymes, the nutrients in the food cannot be properly absorbed.
  • Symptoms of pancreatic insufficiency include foul-smelling stools, diarrhoea and weight loss.
  • In order to compensate for the insufficient endogenous enzyme production, dogs with pancreatic weakness are given enzyme preparations.
  • Feeding dogs with pancreatic insufficiency easily digestible dog food is part of the treatment.

What is exocrine pancreatic insufficiency?

The pancreas is a gland that produces enzymes and hormones such as insulin that facilitate digestion.

Health problems that can occur in connection with a dog's pancreas include diabetes, pancreatitis and so-called exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI).

If a dog suffers from pancreatic insufficiency, this means that their pancreas can no longer produce sufficient digestive enzymes. Such pancreatic weakness has serious consequences for affected dogs.

Causes of pancreatic insufficiency in dogs

Pancreatic insufficiency in dogs can have a variety of causes. It can occur, for example, as a result of pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas). If it is left untreated and becomes a chronic problem, it can lead to damage to the pancreatic tissues.

As a result, the number of cells responsible for producing the enzymes decreases. Thus the chronic inflammation of the dog's pancreas can sometimes eventually lead to pancreatic insufficiency.

In some dogs, the cause of the weak pancreas can be genetic. In this case, it usually becomes noticeable for the first time between the 6th and 18th month of life. In affected animals, the pancreas, which was usually completely intact at birth, shrinks. It is believed that this process is probably due to an autoimmune reaction.

The breeds that are at higher risk of developing pancreatic insufficiency include:

  • Collie
  • German Shepherd
  • Dobermann

Symptoms of pancreatic insufficiency in dogs

In dogs with pancreatic insufficiency, the pancreas is no longer able to produce enough of the enzymes needed to digest food.

If the enzymes are lacking, the body can no longer absorb proteins, carbohydrates and fats and excretes them with the faeces instead. This is obviously not without consequences.

The typical symptoms of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in dogs include:

  • Weight loss despite ravenous appetite
  • Sometimes also vomiting and lack of appetite
  • Dull fur and dander
  • Chronic, sometimes mucoid diarrhoea
  • Noticeably large and foul-smelling faeces
  • Developmental disorders in young dogs

Occasionally, dogs suffering from pancreatic insufficiency eat faeces or other inedible things, such as garbage.

Diagnosing pancreatic insufficiency in dogs

If symptoms that may indicate pancreatic insufficiency occur in a dog, a prompt visit to the vet is of course indispensable. A blood test is required to determine whether the animal suffers from pancreatic insufficiency.

The veterinarian will look out for the concentration of trypsinogen in the blood for a diagnosis. It is a precursor of the digestive enzyme trypsin. If the value is below a certain limit, the dog suffers indeed from exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.

The veterinarian will normally also determine other blood values and check, for example, whether there is a vitamin B9 or B12 deficiency and whether a severe nutrient deficiency already exists.

Treating dogs' pancreatic insufficiency

The treatment of pancreatic insufficiency essentially consists of compensating for the lack of enzyme production. For this purpose, the veterinarian will prescribe an enzyme preparation for the dog. The four-legged friend must take this in the correct dose for the rest of their life.

If harmful intestinal bacteria have got the upper hand in a dog with pancreatic insufficiency, a course of antibiotics at the beginning of the treatment may also be necessary. After treatment with antibiotics, supporting the dog's intestinal flora with a suitable food supplement such as Bellfor Gastro Activia is often beneficial.

How to feed a dog with pancreatic insufficiency

It is important to feed dogs with pancreatic insufficiency small portions of food. Instead of one or two large meals, three or four smaller portions throughout the day are preferable. In this way you go easy on the four-legged friend's digestive system. If possible, make sure to stick to set feeding times.

For the sake of your four-legged friend's well-being you should avoid giving dog treats and other snacks, even if you find this difficult.

If your dog does not gain weight despite the digestive enzymes that you have added to the food, the vet might suggest a slight increase in the amount of food.

What food is suitable for dogs with pancreatic insufficiency?

In addition to feeding small portions at set times, it is very important that dogs with pancreatic insufficiency are offered food that is particularly easy to digest. We recommend our insect-based dog food varieties for this purpose.

The insect protein it contains is made from the larvae of black soldier flies (Hermetia illucens). It has a high biological value, an extremely low allergy potential and can be easily digested by dogs.

Furthermore, our dog food with insects is grain-free. Instead, it contains potatoes and sweet potatoes as an easily digestible source of carbohydrates.

Get to know dog food with insects.

Can I BARF a dog with EPI?

Depending on the severity of the dog's pancreatic insufficiency, BARF can prove problematic. This is because the raw ingredients in the meals tend to be more difficult to digest.

You should also consider the potential contamination of raw meat with germs. Especially with regard to the often weakened intestinal flora in dogs with EPI, the associated risks should not be underestimated.

Prognosis and life expectancy of dogs with pancreatic insufficiency

In most cases, the condition improves shortly after the start of treatment. Dogs that have lost a lot of weight due to pancreatic insufficiency usually regain weight fairly quickly.

If the treatment is not effective, the dose of the enzymes may need to be adjusted, or there may be other problems, such as a disease of the small intestine. If the latter is the case, further treatment measures that are not directly related to the pancreatic insufficiency may be necessary.

With professional treatment, however, pancreatic insufficiency will usually not shorten the dog's life expectancy and the animal can live largely free of symptoms.

EPI and diabetes in dogs

The pancreas consists of an endocrine and an exocrine gland. While the exocrine part serves the production of digestive enzymes, the endocrine part is responsible for hormone production.

If the latter is also damaged, dogs can also develop diabetes in the course of pancreatic insufficiency. Diabetes then also requires special treatment measures.

Our conclusion on the subject of pancreatic insufficiency in dogs

Without treatment, the malnutrition associated with pancreatic insufficiency can become life-threatening over time. To prevent this, an early visit to the vet is crucial.

Fortunately, the administration of enzymes can usually bring the symptoms under control, so that dogs with pancreatic insufficiency normally recover quite quickly and their quality of life is not too badly affected despite the restricted function of the pancreas.

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