What it is
The pancreas has two jobs: it makes hormones such as insulin, and it makes the enzymes that break food down in the gut. In exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, the enzyme-making part stops working well, either because its tissue wastes away or because long-lasting inflammation has damaged it. Without those enzymes, fats, proteins and starches pass through largely undigested.
When the tissue wastes away, signs can show in young adult dogs; damage from inflammation can show later in life.
Living with it can mean a dog that feels hungry all the time and steals food, scavenges on walks or even eats its own droppings. Extra trips outside and a lot of cleaning up are part of the picture, and a thin dog may feel the cold more. It is not bad behaviour: the dog is genuinely short of nourishment.
Signs you may notice
- Always hungry, scavenges
- Large, pale, greasy stools
- Loses weight despite eating
- Rumbling belly and wind
- Dull, poor coat
- Eats its own droppings
The picture is quite distinctive: the dog is always hungry, even scavenging off the ground, while the stools are large, pale, greasy and smell worse than usual. The coat may look poorer, and the dog fails to gain weight despite a hearty appetite.
When to see a vet
Book a visit if your dog loses weight while eating eagerly, or if its stools stay large, pale and greasy for more than a few days.
This is general information, not veterinary advice. For your own dog's health, tests and treatment, see a vet.