Pancreatitis in cats requires veterinary treatment. Acute pancreatitis almost always requires hospitalization and supportive care. Chronic pancreatitis can usually be managed at home, but requires veterinary care if and when flare-ups occur. Effective feline pancreatitis treatment includes fluid therapy, pain management, and nutritional support. Once your kitty is released from the hospital, natural supplements can help support recovery and prevent relapse.

The most common clinical signs of feline pancreatitis include poor appetite, lethargy, vomiting, weight loss, dehydration, and diarrhea. Unlike dogs with pancreatitis, cats rarely show obvious abdominal pain. Most cats that are hospitalized with pancreatitis will remain in care for a few days and receive intravenous (IV) fluids and medications for hydration and to help detoxify the pancreas. Your veterinarian may use a variety of medications and treatments in an effort to help your cat feel better. The goals of the treatment are:

Prevent Infection - Your vet may prescribe antibiotics to manage infection. This can help fight any bacteria that may have moved from the gastrointestinal tract towards the pancreas. Antibiotics can be administered in the IV fluids. Those fluids will also help to flush out pathogens and cleanse the system. Using Power Probiotic is important if your kitty has been on antibiotics as it helps to replenish the friendly bacteria needed for a healthy immune system.

Reduce Nausea - During pancreatitis, digestive enzymes are released within the pancreas, instead of the intestinal tract, and they begin to digest pancreatic and intestinal tissue. Cats with pancreatitis generally have nausea, inappetence and acid stomach. Anti-nausea medication may be given to neutralize gastric acid in the stomach and to stimulate the appetite. Gastro ULC is also helpful for reducing acid stomach and can be used as an at-home remedy for acid stomach resulting from your kitty's pancreatitis.

Soothe The Stomach & Intestinal Lining - The self-digestion of the pancreas releases inflammatory toxins that can rapidly spread to the intestines, stomach and liver. A high percentage of cats with pancreatitis also suffer from other inflammatory conditions such as IBD. Many vets will prescribe steroids or anti-inflammatory medications to control the inflammation and antacids to reduce stomach acid production and protect the stomach and intestinal tract. Ask Ariel's IBD Kit contains three time-tested home remedies to relieve digestive discomfort and help repair your cat's intestinal lining by reducing inflammation.

Pain Management - Cats are good at hiding pain and feline pancreatitis is a very painful condition. Pain prevents recovery, so most vets begin analgesics through the IV fluid or with transdermal patches. For at home pain relief for cats, use Happy Paws Hemp Extract for feline pancreatitis. Once the pain and inflammation are under control, your cat can begin to heal.

Most cases of feline pancreatitis are related to inflammation in the GI tract and the overproduction of enzymes needed to digest food. Many cats have been fed commercial pet foods which may contain grains and allergens that cause chronic inflammation in the GI tract and stress the pancreas. Pet food, especially dry cat food, is very high in carbohydrates which also taxes the pancreas as one of its core roles is to regulate blood sugar. For long-term management of pancreatitis, cats need to eat a high moisture, anti-inflammatory diet free of grains. Using specific digestive enzymes for cats with pancreatitis is essential. Power Probiotic and LypoZyme have been very helpful for treating pancreatitis in cats naturally. Cats with pancreatitis can be finicky eaters, so it's important to use supplements that are tasteless and easy to administer.

Digestive enzymes for cats are biological catalysts that are necessary for thousands of important functions in the body. They support digestion and immune function. They are produced naturally in the salivary glands and pancreas. When food leaves the stomach, the pancreas secretes digestive enzymes into the food to break it down so the intestines can absorb the nutrients. When a cat has a pancreatitis attack, the natural digestive enzymes activate too early (within the pancreas) and can digest pancreatic and intestinal tissue instead of food. Pancreatitis enzyme supplements for cats can be helpful for kitties that have had or are at greater risk for pancreatitis.

Benefits of Pancreatitis Enzyme Supplements for Cats:

Improve digestion

Increase nutrient absorption

Support immune system function

Reduce gas, bloating and digestive discomfort

Help to alleviate food sensitivities

Support healthy teeth and gums

One of the most crucial functions of digestive enzymes is to break down and absorb nutrients from food. The three most important enzymes for digestion are lipase, protease and amylase. The highly purified enzymes in Ask Ariel's LypoZyme are concentrated for optimal digestion of fats and proteins. LypoZyme contains the following digestive enzymes in an exclusive proprietary blend:

Lipase – Released by the pancreas to break down fat into fatty acids and glycerol. Helpful for digestion, as it is naturally found in gastric and intestinal fluids. Can help to reduce symptoms such as diarrhea and abdominal pain. Lipase is helpful as a natural gallbladder supplement since it improves fat digestion and the use of bile.

Protease – Breaks down protein into amino acids, which the body can then use for energy. Studies have shown that protease can help to reduce inflammation and boost immunity. May also help to relieve common digestive symptoms, such as bloating, gas, constipation and abdominal pain.

Amylase – Breaks down starches and carbohydrates into sugars. The amylase found in saliva is the start of the digestive process. It is also made by the pancreas to convert starches to energy.

Pancreatitis in cats occurs when the pancreas becomes inflamed. The pancreas is a small organ located between your cat’s stomach and intestines. It produces hormones that help to regulate blood sugar and also makes digestive enzymes that break down fat, protein and carbohydrates. The digestive enzymes produced by the pancreas are activated too soon and the pancreas can begin to digest itself. Due to the wide range of pancreatic functions, the symptoms may be similar to other health issues and cat pancreatitis may be difficult to diagnose.

Dogs with pancreatitis will vomit and show signs of abdominal pain, while many cats do not show any obvious clinical signs. The most common signs of pancreatitis in cats are:

Lethargy

Loss of appetite

Dehydration

Weight loss

Increased thirst and urination

Jaundice (yellowing of gums, skin or whites of the eyes)

Some cats will develop vomiting, fever, increased heart rate, and a tender abdomen, but these symptoms are rarer in feline pancreatitis.

Feline pancreatitis is common but most of the time, there is no one specific cause (whereas in dogs it is most often due to eating high fat or spoiled foods). The development of pancreatitis in cats has been linked to the following:

Adverse drug reactions

Inflammatory Bowel Disease – Chronic pancreatitis is often experienced concurrent to IBD in cats.

Liver Disease – Cholangitis is often concurrent with pancreatitis in cats.

Infection – Certain infectious disorders, such as toxoplasmosis and feline infectious peritonitis, have been cited as possible causes of pancreatitis. Toxoplasmosis can cause respiratory and nervous system inflammation and weaken immune response. Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a viral disease in which the body creates an intense inflammatory response to certain strains of feline coronavirus.

Trauma - Being hit by a car or a high fall can trigger the onset of pancreatitis.

Parasites – Gastrointestinal parasites such as worms (Hookworms, tapeworms) or protozoan parasites (coccidian, giardia) are possible causes of pancreatitis.

Diet also has a huge impact on a cat’s chances of getting pancreatitis, as do genetics. Siamese cats have been shown to have a predisposition for developing the disease. It is also more common in middle age and older cats.

Triaditis is the concurrent inflammation of the pancreas, liver and small intestines. Many cats with pancreatitis also have Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and cholangitis or hepatic lipidosis, both liver diseases.

The triad begins just beyond the stomach, in the duodenum - the first section of the small intestine. In cats, the bile duct (from the liver) and the pancreatic duct both open into the duodenum. The feline duodenum is rich in bacteria and vomiting, a common symptom of all three conditions, can cause reflux back into both the liver and pancreatic ducts, easily spreading illness to other organs. This triangle of organs are involved in the same processes and inflammation can occur concurrently. The three separate conditions share similar symptoms, so it can be hard to diagnose one or all of the diseases. Triaditis has been reported* in over 50% of cats diagnosed with pancreatitis and approximately 40% of those with cholangitis or inflammatory liver disease.
*Reference:NAVC - How I Treat Feline Triaditis.World Small Animal Veterinary Association World Congress Proceedings, 2014.

Hepatic lipidosis (feline fatty liver) can develop when cats go as little as three days without food. The liver stops functioning properly and stores fat, instead of metabolizing it, causing the cells to swell and become "fatty". This build up of fat inside the liver cells can be associated with diseases that cause decreased appetite or metabolic disorders. Approximately 40% of cats with hepatic lipidosis also have pancreatitis.

Treatment for triaditis is focused on the organ most responsible for the clinical signs. All three conditions can be caused by bacteria or abnormal immune response. Cats with triaditis do best when they support all three organs affected by the inflammatory response.

Click here for IBD support supplements.
Click here for liver support supplements.