Edited
Martin Goldstein D.V.M.
The Nature Of Animal Healing
Page 236:
When the pancreas stops making insulin to convey blood
Sugar into the cells for energy, the result is diabetes (see "Diabetes"). If the pancreas become very inflamed, the result is pancreatitis, a common condition in dogs, especially overweight dogs. It also occurs in cats.
The trouble likely begins when a pet eats something too rich (like a whole birthday cake) or too foreign (a dead bird) for his digestive system to absorb. The pancreas, overburdened, becomes inflamed. Rather than sending its enzymes to the intestines, it starts to leach them into the abdomen and raises the digestive enzyme levels in the blood. The abdomen becomes distended; the pet also experiences severe nausea, loss of appetite, and pain in the belly. In its acute stage, pancreatitis can be life-threatening and must be treated immediately, likely with intravenous fluids. Serious cases can sometimes be relieved subsequently with surgery. As a lower-grade, chronic condition, it usually responds well to a few simple measures.
For most veterinarians, a simple measure of choice is
Antibiotics . Until recently, they also used atropine. Although it stops the secretions of the pancreas, my problem with it is that it inhibits the parasympathetic nervous system. This is the unconscious nervous system that coordinates internal functions, among them the digestive organs. In so doing, atropine disarms the part of the nervous system which also happens to be the number one facilitator of holistic therapies. Acupuncture especially, but also herbal and homeopathics, all rely on it to help effect the process of healing. So atropine is the very antithesis of holistic medicine--and unnecessary, in my experience, for treating pancreatitis, unless nothing else is working. Now an increasing number of conventional veterinarians are choosing not to use atropine either.
Because it's a food-provoked condition and feeding stimulates pancreas function, the really simple measure for treating pancreatitis is NPO. That's medical shorthand for non per os, or "nothing through the mouth," which is to say: No food! Given time off from its job in digestion, the pancreas usually heals itself. In examining the dog, I'll administer injectable homeopathic pancreas ("Pankreas," by Heel) and prescribe a program of homeopathic remedies: "Pancreas" and "Inflammation" both by BHI, or "Pancreas Drops" (Professional Health Products). Also, I'll use a pancreas glandular like Pancreatrophin (Standard Process Labs). The dog will then be put on a liquid fast for several days--on chicken or vegetable broth and all the distilled water he can drink, though in small amounts each time.