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Miller Animal Clinic ~ Case of the Month

“Emma Louise”

May 2010

“Pancreatitis and Diabetes”

Emma is an 8-year-old pug that came to Miller Animal Clinic in January because she had been vomiting since the previous evening. An x-ray of her abdomen showed no sign of obstruction. However, despite some subcutaneous fluids and anti-nausea medication, she was feeling much worse the following day. Her bloodwork showed a very high blood glucose level, increased liver values and a positive test for pancreatitis. She was started on fluids, anti-nausea medication, and pain management.

Pancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreas, is usually a result of the pet consuming a very fatty meal. The most common cause is the dog whole stole the whole Thanksgiving turkey, or ate the trash. However, breed predisposition and other illnesses can also be a factor. Sometimes patients whose owners are sure they did not get into anything abnormal can still develop pancreatitis. An abdominal ultrasound confirmed a large degree of swelling in Emma’s pancreas which was causing partial blockage of her gall ducts, thereby leading to the elevated liver values. Pancreatitis is treated primarily with supportive care until the inflammation goes down; the dog stops vomiting and eats normally.

However, Emma had another complicating her factor. She was also now diabetic. Diabetes is when the body either stops producing insulin or becomes resistant to insulin. Since insulin is what is necessary to transport sugar from the bloodstream into the cells, the decreased production or inability to use it leads to high blood levels but starving cells. Diabetic patients tend to drink and urinate excessively as their initial symptom, but with time can become very ill if left untreated. Emma was started on insulin injections twice daily. She was also started on antibiotics for a urinary tract infection. UTI’s are also very common in diabetic patients because excess blood sugar spills over into the urine providing the ultimate feeding ground for bacteria. After several days in the hospital, Emma began to be less painful in her abdomen, stopped vomiting, and slowly regained her appetite.

Today she is doing well, and her diabetes thus far is under control with regular insulin injections. Diabetes is a fairly common disease that can affect mostly middle-aged to senior dogs and cats. Be sure to contact Miller Animal Clinic if you notice weight loss despite good appetite, or changes in your pets drinking and urination habits, as these could be early signs of this disease.