Pancreatitis in cats causes significant pain and is frequently associated with other concurrent diseases, requiring careful diagnosis and multimodal management.
Feline pancreatitis is a welfare condition that is almost certainly underdiagnosed due to its non-specific presentation and the difficulty of recognising pain in cats. Cats experiencing pancreatic inflammation suffer from nausea, abdominal discomfort, and the progressive weakness of prolonged anorexia. Without adequate analgesia, the pain experience may persist for days before appropriate treatment is initiated. The concurrent triaditis complex means that treating pancreatitis alone may be insufficient if IBD and cholangitis are simultaneously active. Owners who seek veterinary care for relatively non-specific signs of lethargy and reduced appetite provide their cats with the opportunity for diagnosis and management that prevents prolonged suffering from underrecognised pain.