Back
This information is provided by Provet for educational purposes only. 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
Updated January 2016 | |||