Friday, November 6, 2015

Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency in Cats

A close-up of a white cat laying down.
Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI), also known as pancreatic insufficiency or maldigestion disorder, is rare in cats.  Though EPI is rare in cats, it's important to know the signs and symptoms of the condition as it can have serious consequences for a cat who suffers from it.

The Structure and Function of the Pancreas

A cat's pancreas is located in its abdominal cavity and consists of two lobes.  The left lobe is located by the stomach, and the right lobe is located along the descending part of the duodenum, which is the first segment of the small intestine.  A small central portion joins the two lobes of the pancreas together.  

A feline's pancreas has two functions.  It produces insulin which helps control a cat's blood sugar, and it produces digestive enzymes that help with digestion.  Acinar cells located in a cat's pancreas produce the digestive enzymes trypsin, amylase, chymotrypsin, and lipase.  Chymotrypsin and trypsin break down protein molecules, lipase breaks down triglycerides and fats, and amylase breaks down starches.  Once broken down, the cells lining the intestine can absorb the food molecules.  From there, the nutrients can be sent to the rest of a cat's body through her bloodstream.  

What is Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency?

Close-up of an orange tabby's face.Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency occurs when a cat's pancreas fails to make enough of the digestive enzymes needed to break down fats, proteins, and starches in his diet.  When this happens, the food molecules cannot be absorbed into the intestinal wall.  The undigested food molecules remain in the gastrointestinal tract and are passed out of the body through the cat's feces.  Without treatment, a kitty with EPI can starve to death even though he may be eating an adequate amount of food.



Symptoms

Weight loss is the most prominent symptom of EPI in cats and will occur despite a normal or increased appetite.  In fact, many affected cats have a ravenous appetite.  Cats with this condition often have chronic, voluminous diarrhea or semi-formed stools as well.  Stools may contain large amounts of undigested fat, according to Dr. Becker at Mercola, making them appear greasy.  Flatulance is also a common symptom experienced by felines with EPI.  Some kitties with Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency look unkempt and have poor coat quality.  

A cat eats from a dish.

Causes

Though there are several possible causes of EPI, the most common cause of the condition in cats is chronic inflammation of the pancreas.  Parasitic infestations and cancer can also lead to EPI. 

Diagnosis

The condition is diagnosed using the serum trypsin-like immunoreactivity test.  According to The Merck Veterinary Manual, a serum trypsin-like immunoreactivity concentration of 8mcg/L or lower is diagnostic of EPI in felines.  Because the symptoms of EPI are similar to those of other conditions, such as hyperthyroidism and Irritable Bowel Disease, other tests should also be done to rule out additional diseases.  Sometimes cats with EPI also have diabetes, which will need to be addressed as well. 

Treatment

Close-up of a Siamese cat's face.
Treatment of EPI involves replacing pancreatic enzymes.  Treatment is lifelong, and the enzymes are available in both tablets and powder.  Powder is generally the recommended form of administration as it is more effective than capsules, tablets, and enteric-coated products, according to The Merck Veterinary Manual.  The powder is mixed into each meal a kitty eats to ensure she can digest her food.  

If you have a cat with symptoms of EPI, please take him to the vet.  Your veterinarian will take a symptom history and determine which tests are necessary to make a proper diagnosis. 

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32 comments:

  1. It is great that this disease can be treated. How frightening it must be for both the cat and the human. I was not aware of this so thanks for sharing.

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  2. That was sure good information , thanks for sharing it!

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  3. I wasn't familiar with this illness. Great info.

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  4. I knew about this disease and that dogs could get it but I didn't know cats could too.

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  5. Thanks for sharing this information.

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  6. WOW.....we didn't know about this.....thanks for the information!

    Hugs, Sammy

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  7. Thank you for sharing this important information.

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  8. Georgie never got tested for this but the vet suspected it and put her on digestive enzymes which are helping a lot. Thank you for your support in the loss of our Minnie and for coming to Snowball;s Gotcha day party.

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  9. Excellent post and I hope to never have to deal with this.

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  10. Thank you for posting about this! I had no idea cats could get EPI!

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  11. Pawsum posty full of gweat infurmation.

    Luv ya'

    Dezi and Lexi

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  12. Thanks for an excellent post on this important health issue.
    Love & biscuits,
    Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them

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  13. Thanks for an excellent post on this important health issue.
    Love & biscuits,
    Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them

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  14. Thanks for sharing. I had never heard of this before.

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  15. Wonderful post, very informative and very scary!

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  16. Thank you for such an informative and well-researched post. Mom had never heard of EPI. XOCK, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo

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  17. Wow, I had never heard of this. Very interesting and sad to think that cats who suffer from this may never get the treatment they need because their humans just don't know about it!
    Sierra, you always do such an awesome job with these informational posts - your explanation of EPI was simple and easy to understand. Just how I like it! Thank you for this.

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  18. Wow-I was not aware of this disease. Thank you for such an informative article.

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  19. I did not know details about this disease. Scary how many things can go wrong and so important to have a good vet.

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  20. I actually have not heard of this before. Thank you for sharing this information, it sounds painful and scarry!

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  21. Oh no! Didnt know this was a thing!!! Thank you so much for the information.

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  22. Oh no! Didnt know this was a thing!!! Thank you so much for the information.

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  23. I had never heard of this before and found it super interesting! I'm sharing it wif my readers - thank you so much for posting on dis topic!

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  24. Very informative post. This is not something I was aware of.

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  25. This is a really crazy disorder. I imagine that it is really hard for many cat owners to see the early symptoms. I hope my kitties never have this.

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  26. I know dogs can get this and it is so hard to figure out sometimes - I am glad to see you sharing this for cat parents, too.

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