Acute Pancreatitis in Cats

Acute Pancreatitis in Cats

By: Dr. Debra Primovic

Section: Information In-depth

Other medical problems can lead to symptoms similar to those encountered in acute pancreatitis. It is important to exclude these conditions before establishing a definitive diagnosis.

  • Acute pyelonephritis is an infection of the kidneys

  • Biliary tract obstruction caused by cancer or gall bladder stones (rare in cats). Also, severe pancreatitis can cause compression of the bile duct and clinical symptoms of biliary obstruction (icterus or jaundice – a term that refers to yellow color of the mucous membranes such as the sclera of the eye and the gums).

  • Intestinal perforation by a foreign body or tumor

  • Diabetes mellitus with ketoacidosis (accumulation of acid ketone by-products in the blood resulting in metabolic acidosis) can cause symptoms similar to those observed in cats with pancreatitis. Also, some cats with diabetes mellitus may have complicating pancreatitis.


  • Intestinal foreign body. Treatment usually requires surgery to remove the foreign body.

  • Some inflammatory liver diseases can cause abdominal pain, vomiting and lethargy and thus be confused with pancreatitis

  • Peritonitis is an inflammation of the lining of the abdominal cavity, and can be caused by several mechanisms including intestinal perforation. Peritonitis can also occur as a complication of pancreatitis.

  • Acute prostatitis is an inflammatory condition of the prostate gland usually caused by bacterial infection that can cause severe abdominal pain, fever and lethargy.

  • Pyometra is an bacterial infection of the uterus in intact female cats.

  • Pancreatic abscess can complicate pancreatitis and usually requires surgical treatment.

  • Kidney failure can produce clinical symptoms (loss of appetite, vomiting, lethargy) similar to those observed in cats with pancreatitis.

  • Body-wide bacterial infections can also cause clinical symptoms (loss of appetite, vomiting, lethargy) similar to those observed in cats with pancreatitis.

  • Intestinal volvulus is an abnormal twisting of the intestine that can cause clinical symptoms similar to those observed in pancreatitis.

  • Intestinal intussusception is a telescoping of the intestine onto itself that can cause clinical symptoms similar to those observed in pancreatitis.

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