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Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency in Dogs |
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Exocrine pancreatic deficiency is a disease that is commonly seen in dogs. It occurs when the pancreatic cells that produce enzymes for digestion are destroyed. When this occurs, certain food elements such as fats cannot be properly digested and absorbed. The affected dogs then lose weight and often acquire a huge appetite. In addition, many of these dogs defecate abnormally voluminous amounts of stool with or without diarrhea. Left untreated, the disease is fatal.
A condition known as acinar cell atrophy is the most common cause of this disease. The cells of the pancreas that produce the digestive enzymes (acinar cells) simply die out. Young (less than 3 years of age) German shepherd dogs are most often affected although it can occur in any breed dog at any age. The exact mechanism is unknown but there could be a genetic predisposition. A less common cause is chronic pancreatitis that is an inflammatory condition of the pancreas that kills the acinar cells. Chronic pancreatitis is most likely to occur in obese, older dogs on diets too high in fat. Thus, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency resulting from this cause is usually preventable. The other form of the disease is not.
Treatment is pretty straightforward. Pancreatic enzyme supplementation will usually control the disease nicely. Some of these patients temporarily require vitamin B12 supplementation for several months as well as antibiotics. The B12 is required because of previous malabsorption of this vitamin. The antibiotics may be required for a few weeks because of an overgrowth of bacteria in the intestine that occurs until the disease is properly treated.
The pancreatic enzymes can be fairly expensive. An alternative is to stock up on pig pancreases and freeze them. In a good freezer they will keep for at least 3 months. Thaw out the required pancreas the night before (do not cook) and add 3-4 ounces of the chopped up pancreas per 20 kg. body weight of the patient to each meal. The treatment is lifelong but this certainly makes the treatment more affordable. Most of the patients diagnosed with exocrine insufficiency can have normal longevity and quality of life once the disease is diagnosed and properly treated. |
