Index
Why Your Dog’s Pancreas Deserves Your Attention and Love
Other Possible Causes of Pancreatitis
Why Your Dog’s Pancreas Deserves Your Attention and Love
Pancreatitis is a relatively common condition in dogs, and in its acute form, it can be life-threatening.
My goal here is to outline a plan of how it can be prevented or successfully treated by drug-free, natural methods that work.
How Does the Pancreas Work?
The pancreas is a complex “biochemical factory” producing life-essential digestive enzymes and insulin — a substance that every cell needs to stay alive.
It has two core functions:
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- Exocrine (enzymatic)
- Endocrine (hormonal) organ.
- Exocrine (enzymatic)
Pancreatic secretions contain enzymes for the digestion of all three major types of food – proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Pancreatic juice contains the enzymes trypsinogen, chymotrypsinogen, amylase and lipase. It also contains sodium bicarbonate, which plays an important role in neutralizing the acidic stomach content to protect the small intestines from acid damage.
The endocrine function of the pancreas focuses on the production of three hormones:
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- Glucagon, which raises blood glucose.
- Insulin, which lowers blood glucose.
- Somatostatin, which inhibits the secretion of insulin, glucagon and growth hormone from the anterior pituitary, as well as gastrin from the stomach.
- Glucagon, which raises blood glucose.
See the pancreas as the control centre for digestion and glucose (blood sugar) management.
Causes of Pancreatitis
Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) is caused by multiple factors, but it is much more common in dogs fed processed kibble and carbohydrate-rich diets. Here is why:
Anatomically dogs are designed for digesting meat, bones, organs and some plant material. Nature never intended dogs to eat a heavily-processed, grain-based diet. Complex carbohydrates are digested into simple carb’s with the end product being glucose. In order to maintain the optimal blood sugar levels, the pancreas has to step in and increase insulin production. This generates an unnatural degree of stress as dogs have not evolved for high carbohydrate diet.
Extra strain on the pancreas may lead to inflammation, which we increasingly see in many dogs.
Inflammation can trigger a premature activation of digestive enzymes, which can damage the pancreas, the abdominal lining and surrounding organs.
Pancreatitis is a serious and often life-threatening condition that needs to be taken seriously.
Symptoms
Acute pancreatitis is the most serious form and the onset happens relatively suddenly. Symptoms include loss of appetite and vomiting, diarrhea (may or may not be present), signs of lethargy, dehydration and abdominal bloating and pain in the front portion of the abdomen.
Chronic pancreatitis often presents with no symptoms, often with the only sign mild to moderate elevation of pancreatic enzymes.
See the acute pancreatitis as a lava flow from an active volcano, and the chronic form as a more dormant, less violent process.
Diagnosis
The best way to confirm your dog's diagnosis is by a blood test, which consists of CBC, chemistry panel and pancreas-specific enzyme tests, such as lipase. In recent years, testing for canine-specific lipase became the more specific value in dogs.
A physical exam and ultrasound or x-rays can be helpful to confirm the diagnosis and also help rule out other causes of abdominal discomfort, vomiting, diarrhea and loss of appetite.
Note: In the past few years, I've seen many dogs that were misdiagnosed with pancreatitis, especially very healthy animals on a natural diet.
These dogs tend to have higher healthy levels of pancreatic enzymes and do not have pancreatitis.
The reason is that most veterinary labs use reference values that are ‘normal’ for animals eating processed food and there is much less understanding of normal values for raw fed dogs.
Pancreas and Energy Flow
Injuries that result in energy flow congestion at the thoracic-lumbar junction are a lesser-known, but very common cause of pancreatitis. The area where the thoracic spine transitions into the lumbar spine energetically supplies the stomach and pancreas.
When this segment is injured or congested, the pancreas gets weakened, and the chances of pancreatitis are greater.
To determine if there is a problem in the stomach/pancreas association point, you can feel along the region of the spine where the last rib begins to check for any signs of energy flow congestion, such as increased sensitivity, heat or muscle pain.
This area can be a predisposing factor for pancreatitis and gastric dilation volvulus, or stomach bloat, in dogs.
Other Possible Causes of Pancreatitis
The ingestion of garbage or gorging on a large amount of aggravating foods can also be a cause of pancreatitis. While some people say that a high-fat diet causes pancreatitis, I see that carbohydrates and mainly grains are a more common cause.
Mineral and nutrient deficiencies are a common and frequently underestimated cause. No organ can function properly without the presence of essential minerals, especially the very hard-working pancreas. It needs nutrients to function normally.
Generally, processed food quality is very low, and deficiencies are very common. We live in a time when soils are being depleted of minerals because they have been overused, and nutrients are not returned to the soil.
Is Hormonal Health a Part of the Problem?
In recent years, there has been much discussion about the effect of conventional spaying and neutering and the consecutive absence of sex hormones.
Research has now confirmed that the absence of testosterone, estrogen and progesterone leads to a 30x elevation of luteinizing hormone.
This extreme shift leads to an increase in inflammation of muscles, ligaments, skin, brain and internal organs, including the pancreas.
If your dog is suffering from chronic pancreatitis, you may also consider hormone replacement therapy to improve general metabolic health and reduce inflammation.
I have seen this approach remarkably successful. Click here for more information.
Treatment of Pancreatitis
Please note that any case of vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and lethargy has to start with an immediate veterinary clinic visit. If your vet gives your dog an acute pancreatitis diagnosis, follow their recommendations until your dog is discharged to home care.
Here is a natural protocol to address prevention or recovery from acute or chronic pancreatitis, proven by more than three decades of clinical practice.
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Let your dog fast for at least 48 hours in the case of acute pancreatitis to rest the pancreas. Dogs can fast safely for a couple of days.
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After the fast, start a 50/50 mixture of pumpkin or squash and cooked lean meat such as venison, rabbit or turkey.
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Add natural digestive enzymes to the food. My suggestion is a papaya and pineapple based product.
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Stop feeding processed food because it is not species-appropriate and is, in fact, the primary cause of pancreatitis. Initially, feed lean meat - venison, rabbit or similar to help your dog’s pancreas to settle.
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Detox, cleanse and nourish with LiverTune - a natural detox, cleanse and adaptogen that is known to calm the immune system down and reduce inflammation.
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Provide a high-quality certified organic multivitamin - SoulFood and mineral support GreenMin.
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Use a dog-specific probiotic and prebiotic formula - GutSense to optimize digestion.
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Give FeelGood Omega, an essential fatty acid supplement intended to reduce inflammation and support cell repair.
Note: Some people mistakenly assume that adding essential fatty acids - Omega-3 is not good for dogs, but this is NOT TRUE. In fact, Omega-3 is a very important part of pancreas recovery. Also, the amount of “fat" is very small. I generally suggest giving regular doses of EFAs to dogs with pancreatitis.
- Treat any back muscle tightness or injuries and focus especially on the thoracic-lumbar junction. Ideally, see a chiropractor, physiotherapist, osteopath or experienced massage therapist monthly.
- If your dog suffers from repeated pancreatitis and has been neutered or spayed, seriously consider hormone replacement therapy, as the absence of hormones may be the core reason for any organ inflammation, including pancreatitis.
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Let your dog fast for at least 48 hours in the case of acute pancreatitis to rest the pancreas. Dogs can fast safely for a couple of days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is IV Therapy Necessary?
While most textbooks recommend withdrawing water completely, I've learned that if the pancreatitis case is moderate, the steps above should be sufficient, and water deprivation and IV fluid therapy are not needed.
However, if your veterinarian suggests IV fluid therapy, it will be beneficial.
Note: If you agree with this treatment, you should insist that your dog is supervised 24/7 because there are still clinics that leave hospitalized patients unattended at night, which in my opinion is unacceptable.
If there is no 24/7 supervision, keep your dog on IVs during the day and bring it home overnight to monitor. If your dog needs more IV fluids, you can bring them back the next morning.
In very serious cases, most people have access to 24/7 veterinary clinics that your dog can be transferred to.
Are Antibiotics Necessary?
I mentioned before that the most important part of treating any disease is to eliminate what doesn’t belong in the body, and provide the body with what it needs.
In general, pancreatitis is not caused by bacteria nor is it triggered by “antibiotic deficiency.” I have not used antibiotics in the treatment of pancreatitis in most cases unless there were signs of sepsis, which is rare.
Antibiotics are toxic substances, and they create an additional burden for the body if not necessary. We also understand that a healthy microbiome is preferable and important for digestive and immune system health.
Some people advocate that antibiotics have to be used to prevent secondary sepsis or bacterial spread. I find antibiotics unnecessary in most cases.
How About Metacam?
Drugs that suppress inflammation, like steroids and Metacam, seriously block the body’s efforts to heal because they put the natural defences to sleep.
It's not any different than taking a sleeping pill after finding out that your house has caught on fire. I feel that many more dogs with pancreatitis could be saved if they weren’t poisoned in the course of treatment.
Is a Low Protein Diet Good?
In my opinion, a high-quality protein diet is much better for dogs suffering from pancreatitis than starch, rice or a grain-based diet. I do not recommend low-protein food. Instead, feed low-fat cooked meats and vegetables.
How About Low Fat?
I do recommend lower-fat meats for dogs with pancreatitis. Venison, turkey, rabbit and eggs are good examples of low-fat foods. I don't recommend fatty meats, such as duck or lamb.
I hope this article will be the answer to many questions and, mainly, that it will save many canine lives. Thank you for sharing this article with others!
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© Dr. Peter Dobias, DVM
