What is pancreatic insufficiency?
A decrease or absence of these enzymes in the dog also referred to as'maldigestion syndrome.' With this disorder, the proteins, starches, and fats found in their diet cannot be broken down into small enough pieces that allow them to be absorbed through the intestinal wall. The value and substance of the food, therefore, stays in the gastrointestinal tract and is passed out in the feces undigested. Without proper treatment, the dog literally starves to death even though it may be constantly eating even in LARGE amounds. Based on various research, it is estimated that 90% of the pancreas must be destroyed before we see symptoms of insufficiency!!!
What causes pancreatic insufficiency?
There are several potential causes of pancreatic insufficiency. Inflammation of the pancreas is a common cause of pancreatic insufficiency. In some young animals, the cells of the pancreas just start decreasing in number and functioning. Although the cause for this is unknown, it may be an inherited condition. This problem it is more common in large breeds, especially German Shepherds.
Signs of pancreatic insufficiency
Common symptoms are that they dogs show rapid weight loss, poor coat quality and light yellow of clay-colored diarrhea with the consistency of mashed potatoes. Most noted is that the dog will seem constantly hungry and eat as much food as it can ingest at one time, as though the dog were starving to death at times eating odd object such as plants, dirt, even rocks! (some folks notice that even lightbulbs and such are eaten!) The dog, in its appearance and behavior behaves as one that is starving to death, and in reality, he is!
Treatment of pancreatic insufficiency
The good news about this nasty and life threatening problem is that treatment can easily be accomplished. The bad? It is an expensive and lifelong dosing. Treatment involves supplimenting with enzymes from other sources usually freeze-dried and ground-up extracts of hog and cattle pancreases which are formulated either into tablets or powder.
The tablets or powder are given prior to a meal while the powder is usually mixed with food and allowed to set 30 minutes before feeding. Response to therapy is immediate and the animal will usually return to near normal health. Although there are holistic measures that help, they are rarely enough to successfully treat an affected dog.
In most cases an affected dog needs their diet to be changed. A highly digestible diet is fed, containing fat sources that do not require breakdown by pancreatic enzymes, and multiple vitamin supplements are given (especially Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) and the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.
Since the deficiency is one of enzymes and is cured by the addition of the same enzymes back into the diet, many dog owners regretfully try other cures. There are many products, nutritional and otherwise, that advertise they contain natural enzymes which aid in digestion. Examples of these are K-ZYME, ProBalance, Prozyme, and so on. These really do contain real and natural enzymes and in normal dogs can be very useful nutritional supplements. However, they are not the enzymes associated with Pancreatic Insufficiency. This is a very specific disorder with specific enzymes needed to correct it. The general nutritional supplement will do no harm, but regretfully, they will do no good either.
