Acute Necrotizing Pancreatitis and Acute Suppurative Pancreatitis in the Cat

Medical records and histologic sections of 40 cats with acute pancreatitis were reviewed. Two distinct groups of cats with pancreatitis were established by histologic analysis of tissue. Group I (32 cats) had acute pancreatic necrosis (APN). Group 2 (8 cats) had suppurative pancreatitis. Ages of affected cats ranged from 3 weeks to 16 years. l h e majority consisted of indoor cats of the Domestic Short-Haired breed but Siamese cats were over-represented relative to the general population ( P > 0.05). Twenty-two percent of cats were obese and 57%were underweight. Thirty-eight percent of cats had acute disease. In the other cats, two stages in the progression of the disease were evident: (1) anorexia. weight loss, and lethargy, followed by (2) acute deterioration, development of shock, and a moribund state, despite fluid therapy. The most common clinical signs were severe lethargy (100%), reduced appetite (97%), dehydration (92%), and hypothermia (68%). The initial hemogram occasionally showed a neutrophilia (30%) and anemia (2670)but packed cell volume (PCV) decreased markedly to the extent that 555% of cats were anemic terminally. Serum biochemical abnormalities included increased activities of A1, T (68%) and ALP (50%). and increased conrentrations of bilirubin (64%) and cholesterol (64%).Cats with APN were hyperglycemic (64%)), glycosuric (60%) and ketonuric (20%), whereas cats with suppurative pancreatitis tended to be hypoglycemic (7%). Renal failure and electrolyte abnormalities were mild or infrequent escept for hypokalemia (56%)).This study characterizes a severe necrotizing pancreatitis in the cat similar to that reported in other species, and a histologically distinct suppurative pancreatitis.