Nutritional management is central to feline pancreatitis recovery, with maintaining caloric intake and identifying concurrent nutritional needs being critical for welfare and healing.
Nutritional management of feline pancreatitis has direct welfare implications because anorexia triggers hepatic lipidosis that compounds the original welfare harm. Unlike dogs, cats with pancreatitis should be encouraged to eat normal protein and fat levels: the prolonged anorexia from fat restriction would cause more harm than the dietary fat itself. Assisted feeding through oesophagostomy tubes prevents secondary hepatic disease and provides the caloric support needed for pancreatic recovery. Antiemetic treatment reduces the nausea that prevents voluntary eating and is an underutilised welfare intervention in cats with pancreatitis.