Laboratory findings of acute pancreatitis in dogs and cats

Pancreatitis is the most common exocrine pancreatic disease in both dogs and cats. Acute pancreatitis is an inflammation with acute onset and characterized by necrosis and edema. Premature activation of trypsin in the acinar cells starts a cascade of reactions that result in autodigestion. Dogs are often presented with gastrointestinal signs, whereas lethargy and anorexia are the most commonly observed symptoms in cats. Acute pancreatitis may cause cardiovascular shock, disseminated intravascular coagulation or disability of multi organs and/or death. Diagnosing acute pancreatitis in dogs and cats is difficult. Several diagnostic methods have been proposed for the diagnosis of pancreatitis over the past few years, most of which are not applicable due to poor performance, inaccessibility or aggressiveness. Besides, many radiographic methods are used yet none of them are efficient except ultrasonography. Although several laboratory tests including measurement of hematology and biochemistry factors are available, none of them are specific for pancreatitis and they are merely beneficial in rejecting other diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the more specific diagnostic tests for acute pancreatitis in small animals.