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Pancreatic Insufficiency This arises when the amount of enzymes produced by the pancreas is insufficient to properly digest the food eaten by the animal, as a consequence carbonhydrates and fats are passed within the faeces in an incomplete state of digestion. This causes large volumes of pale faeces and increased appetite. Because the animal cannot digest the increased amount of food a progressive weight loss will develop. The enzyme production is low because the level of functional pancreatic tissue is small, either due to poor development of the pancreas (pancreatic hypoplasia), in which case the problem will present in the young animal (generally less than 3 years old), or it is due to damage to the pancreas by disease or inflammation, for example in cases of recurrent chronic pancreatitis, which generally occur in older animals. Pancreatic Hypoplasia This is a relatively common condition, especially in German Shepherd dogs. The onset of the problem is gradual, the dog remains bright and lively, the appetite is increased with weight loss and soft light coloured faeces. The diagnosis can be confirmed by testing for pancreatic enzyme activity by measuring trypsin like immunoreactivity (TLI). The treatment involves altering the diet to create a high protein, low fat food containing no starch. There are prescription diets available designed for these cases. Addition of commercially prepared pancreatic enzymes to the food will aid its digestion. Because the pancreas also produces insulin, diabetes mellitus is a potential complication in some animals and may require insulin treatment. |
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