Diagnosis of Feline Pancreatic Disease

Webb, C. B. and C. Trott (2008). "Laparoscopic diagnosis of pancreatic disease in dogs and cats." J Vet Intern Med 22(6): 1263-6.

Despite advances in diagnostic testing, the diagnosis of many pancreatic diseases is not straightforward. The pancreatic-lipase immunoreactivity (PLI) assay is sensitive and specific for pancreatic disease, but cannot identify the source of the inflammation. Pancreatic disease may be due to many different causes, such as acute nonsuppurative or chronic lympoplasmacytic pancreatitis, or pancreatitis secondary to another disease process such as inflammatory bowel disease or bile duct obstruction. Noninvasive imaging methods such as ultrasound or radiology have variable degrees of sensitivity and specificity. The gold standard for the diagnosis of exocrine pancreatic disease in animals remains biopsy and histopathology. Laparoscopy offers a minimally invasive route by which to obtain pancreatic biopsies. In this retrospective case series, the medical records of 18 dogs and 13 cats examined between 1999 and 2007 at Colorado State University that underwent laparoscopy during which observation or biopsy of the pancreas was recorded were examined. The presenting complaints, imaging studies, and histopathologic findings were recorded. For comparison, all hospital admissions were searched for animals with the same presenting complaints and of those it was determined which animals had exploratory surgery and their pancreas biopsied. In 14 animals a laparoscopic biopsy of the pancreas resulted in a histopathologic diagnosis when the sonographic findings or the gross assessment failed to do so. Results of this study suggests that laparoscopy is a safe and potentially underutilized diagnostic tool in animals where exocrine pancreatic disease is a prominent differential diagnosis, as in dogs and cats examined for vomiting, anorexia, or both.
>> PubMed Abstract

Related articles:
Richter, K. P. (2001). "Laparoscopy in dogs and cats." Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract 31(4): 707-27, ix.
>>PubMed Abstract

Zoran, D. L. (2006). "Pancreatitis in cats: diagnosis and management of a challenging disease." J Am Anim Hosp Assoc 42(1): 1-9.
>>PubMed Abstract

More on cat health: Winn Feline Foundation Library

We adopted a 10 week old kitten who is so affectionate and just loves to nuzzle and go…

People colds tend to stick with people and cat colds stick with the cats. Although, it can seem sometimes that everyone in the house (including the cat) is sick with colds at the same time. I attribute this more to the time of year and being closed up inside rather than virus sharing! So don't worry about your little one, just let her take good care of you all! And congratulations on your new kitten!

Can you tell me a safe product that I can use to clean my sink drain? My cats love to…

I had a very similar question to this several weeks ago. In doing some research, I did find that some people will use baking soda followed by vinegar. A Google search should give you specific directions for this. There are multiple organic drain cleaners that use enzymes and digesters. I don't have any personal experience so I'd be hard pressed to recommend one but they should be available at your local hardware store or natural food store. Even if you use one of these, be sure to rinse profusely after. A plumber is also an option, he could likely clean it without chemicals but it would likely be more expensive. Hope this helps.

We adopted our cat at 5 months old from a shelter. She has had blood in her stool since…

Many cats and kittens may have occasional blood in their stool especially if the stool is too soft or too hard. If the cat is healthy otherwise, and testing turns out o.k., I tend to not overreact. I think a diet change is a very reasonable thing to do at this point. Be sure to give the diet a chance to work; at least a couple weeks is ideal. This is something she could outgrow as well. I'd recommend keeping up a conversation with your veterinarian, express your concerns about more aggressive testing and see if you can reach a compromise that you're all comfortable with.

How long can I expect my cat to live? She is 18 years old right now, very lively, plays…

Great question! In general, I consider the average life expectancy of a cat to be around 16 years. With that said, many cats will not live that long and others may live longer. I just saw a relatively healthy 23 year old cat the other day! I'm so glad your cat has been so healthy throughout her life - must be all your good care!

I have a 12 year old male/neutered (strictly indoor) cat. In the past two weeks there has…

Hopefully by the time you get this you will have an answer from the biopsy. I would still consider infection/abscess as a possibility. In general, abscesses wall themselves off and can make it hard for antibiotics to get to them. Some fungal infections can cause swelling of the face; cytology or biopsy should show this. I would also be concerned about the possibility of cancer; in particular, squamous cell carcinoma is one that targets the bones of the face and can cause swellings/masses. It sounds like we should know soon and from what you've said I think you’re in great hands. If you have any questions after the biopsy comes back, let us know. We'll be hoping for the best.

I have two cats. Flash is the younger cat and he eats until he vomits if I leave food out…

It is not uncommon to observe a cat vomit up what it's eaten if it eats very quickly. This is commonly seen in cats consuming very small kibbles that require very little chewing so they basically swallow the small kibble whole. You can prevent this by feeding a dry cat food that contains bigger kibbles that require some chewing. The Purina Cat Chow line of products contains a variety of products with different kibble shapes and sizes you could try. The second option is to offer small amounts of food more often during the day. This may not work for your own personal schedule, but if your cat eats smaller meals throughout the day he theoretically will get the nutrition he needs and hopefully not eat so much so quickly. The last option is to conform to the twice a day feeding schedule. Your one cat may not like this regimen, but he will adapt to this feeding schedule over time.

Are all Purina Cat Chows PH balanced?

All Purina Cat Chow brand dry cat foods are formulated to yield a urine pH (6.3-6.6) in the range that has been shown to be helpful in promoting a healthy urinary tract. Although diet plays an important role in urinary tract health, it should be noted many other causes of urinary tract problems have been identified that have no connection to diet. These include things like infections (either bacterial or viral), trauma, stress, obesity, and even congenital abnormalities. Even certain types of cats are more prone to urinary tract problems. Urinary tract problems are can be common in neutered male cats between the ages of 1 and 6 years of age. These cats are usually indoor cats that are fairly inactive and overweight. So although diet is one of the factors involved in promoting a healthy urinary tract, many other factors are involved that have nothing to do with diet. If you are concerned about the health of your cat when feeding a particular diet, it is recommended you speak with your veterinarian to discuss alternative dietary options.

I just adopted Smokey, a male adult shy cat. He refuses to leave his litter box. I have…

Bless your heart for adopting this shrinking violet and saving his life. And of course replacing him isn’t an option! Bravo, you’re doing what any self-respecting cat lover would do and looking for help to make this a lifetime relationship. You can enhance this relationship with patience, time, and understanding.

But you also must be realistic. You see, Smokey is an adult (you don’t mention his age) who has been “practicing” his shy routine for quite a while. Think of this as both a coping mechanism and feline self preservation behavior. I suspect he was in at least one (possibly more) homes prior to moving to the shelter—a scary place for a shy cat, with new people, strange smells, scary sounds and no real routine to count on. His litter box in the shelter may have been the one comforting constant in his life—it smelled like him, was always there, and the small container to snuggle in made him feel more secure. That’s his “security blanket” like a child carries around. He doesn’t know if this new place with you will last or not, and it will take him time to trust that you won’t go away, and he won’t be thrust into another strange, scary situation. I’m talking “time” in terms of weeks, not days.

Try sitting on the floor near Smokey, and petting him that way. If he’s interested, engage him in a chase toy like a fishing-pole lure or even the beam of a flashlight. Playing with you can be an incredibly rewarding bonding experience that teaches him to associate your presence with good stuff, and happy emotions. I also like the Feliway product, which is an analogue of the cat’s cheek pheromones that tells kitty the environment is safe and there’s nothing to fear. You can find Feliway at pet product stores as a spray or plug-in product.

You’re already doing a lot of things right. Adding lots of snuggle beds, hiding spots, and cat-friendly toys are a great way to make the new home more welcoming. But I’m also a big believer in “listening to the cat” and giving him what he’s telling us he wants. So…where is his litter box? If it’s on the floor, perhaps you need to offer him another resting spot on the floor nearby.

As to staying in the potty, perhaps he prefers the familiar plastic because he’s never seen/experienced a fluffy cat bed. So why not get a second “clean” litter box, and put a small hand towel inside for him to snuggle? Pet him all over with the hand towel (especially his checks) so the towel smells like him, safe and familiar. Once he starts using that as a bed, you may be able to put similarly Smokey-scented towels in the real beds and/or slowly move the clean litter box into the movie-viewing room. With cats, it’s all about transitioning to change in baby steps (kitten-size steps) rather than rushing too much too soon. Frankly, Smokey may never become a snuggle-lap-cat. But with these shy felines, simply resting in the same room with you can be testament to a huge leap of kitty-faith and undying gratitude. These first weeks of patience will be rewarded with years of love, I have no doubt.

Whenever we return home, our thirteen-year-old cat, Keesa, has “gifted” us with…

It can be difficult to second-guess what’s happening between those furry ears. I suspect, though, that Keesa carefully selects items for her “gift-giving” activities. She’s also probably quite persnickety about where she leaves these items.

Remember that when we wear clothing, it holds our signature scent. That aroma can be quite comforting to a lonely cat. So when Keesa has been alone for a period of time, she may seek out these items. Are they mostly worn by one family member, or items from several different folks? Perhaps she’s very closely bonded with one or both of you. The head of the stairway would likely be a very important territory/look out for a cat. Other areas where she “plants” the clothing also may have cat-ly significance. But she wouldn’t need to bring these items to you, because once you return home, she has no further need of surrogate items.