Chronic pancreatitis is an underdiagnosed cause of recurring abdominal pain and episodic gastrointestinal signs in dogs, with significant long-term welfare implications.
Chronic pancreatitis welfare is characterised by recurrent episodes of abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and reduced appetite interspersed with variable periods of relative normality. Affected dogs often develop food aversion — classical conditioned responses to meals that have previously precipitated pain. Long-term welfare management requires low-fat dietary restriction, pain management during flares and monitoring for development of diabetes and PEI. The welfare burden of chronic pancreatitis is often underappreciated because episodes appear episodic and self-limiting.