Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in cats causing weight loss
By Steiner, Jörg M·Published in Topics in companion animal medicine·2012·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in the cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A cat with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) showed symptoms like weight loss, loose stools, and increased appetite. The vet diagnosed the condition using a specific blood test and started treatment with enzyme supplements, which help with digestion. Many cats with EPI also need extra vitamin B12, so they may receive injections for that. With proper treatment, most cats can live a normal, healthy life.
People also search for: cat weight loss loose stools · cat EPI treatment · cat vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms
Abstract
Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) is a syndrome caused by an insufficient amount of pancreatic digestive enzymes in the small intestine. Clinical signs most commonly reported in cats with EPI are weight loss, loose and voluminous stools, steatorrhea, polyphagia, and in some cases a greasy soiling of the hair coat in the perianal region. Serum feline trypsin-like immunoreactivity concentration is the diagnostic test of choice for the diagnosis of affected cats. Treatment of cats with EPI consists of enzyme supplementation with either a powdered pancreatic extract or raw pancreas. Most cats with EPI also have severely decreased serum cobalamin concentrations and may require lifelong parenteral cobalamin supplementation. Most cats respond well to therapy and can have a normal life expectancy and quality of life.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23148851/