You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

It has been known for many years that acute pancreatitis can be induced by a high dietary fat ration and a link to cholecystokinin has been confirmed.

The precise mechanism that leads to the occurrence of acute pancreatitis in dogs has still to be fully elucidated. In one study dogs with liver disease fed a diet containing 77% fat on a dry matter basis developed acute pancreatitis¹, however in another study² sled dogs fed 66% fat for a 9 week period did not develop acute pancreatitis. Sled dogs are believed to have evolved to be able to tolerate exceptionally high dietary fat content - which they need to meet their very high energy requirements to survive and work in extreme environments. The amount of fat needed to induce acute pancreatitis far exceeds the amount that is present in commercial pet foods (8-25%), but fatty foods (eg meat offcuts) should probably be avoided in dogs

Cholecystokinin is secreted in response to fat in food and one study³ has shown that cholecystokinin itself can induce pancreatitic oedema, acinar vacuolation and increased release of the pancreatic enzymes amylase and lipase. Trypsin-like immunoreactivity (TLI) was also increased, as was the secretion of trypsin activation peptide (TAP).  This study gives a partial explanation for the underlying mechanisms involved and also demonstrated that increased concentrations of urine TAP might be an early indicator for  acute pancreatitis.

References

1. Lindsay S. et al. Pancreatitis accompanying hepatic disease in dogs fed a high fat, low protein diet Archives  Pathology (1948)  45:635
2. Kronfeld D.S. Diet and the performance of racing sled dogs Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (1973) 162: 470-473
3. Simpson K.W. et al. Proceedings 12th American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (1994) 981

Updated January 2016