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The incidence of exocrine pancreatic disorders is quite large in both dogs and cats. In a large retrospective study of necropsy findings 1.5% of 9,342 canine and 1.3% of 6,504 feline pancreata showed significant pathological lesions [1]. In cats these necropsy findings are contrasted by clinical data from 180,648 cats entered into the Veterinary Medical Data Base (VMDB) at Purdue University over a ten-year period, of which only 0.57% (1,027) were diagnosed with exocrine pancreatic disorders [2]. Thus it appears that, while cats are affected with diseases of the exocrine pancreas nearly as frequently as are dogs, these disorders often escape definitive diagnosis. Approximately 50% of all canine and feline patients with exocrine pancreatic disorders have pancreatitis. In dogs approximately 2/3 of animals with pancreatitis have acute disease, while in cats 2/3 have chronic disease [3]. According to the current classification system of human pancreatitis acute pancreatitis is an inflammatory condition of the pancreas that is completely reversible after removal of the inciting cause [4]. Chronic pancreatitis is characterized by irreversible histopathologic changes of the exocrine pancreatic tissue, such as atrophy or fibrosis. Both forms can be mild or severe. Mild forms of pancreatitis are associated with no or little pancreatic necrosis and systemic effects and often allow recuperation of the patient. In contrast, severe forms of pancreatitis are associated with extensive pancreatic necrosis, multiple organ involvement, and often a poor prognosis.
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