EPI

BACK TO PANCREAS - DEVELOPMENTAL BACK TO PANCREAS - DEGENERATIVE BACK TO PANCREAS - INFLAMMATORY BACK TO PANCREAS - HYPERPLASTIC AND NEOPLASTIC

• Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) is a syndrome caused by insufficient synthesis and secretion of digestive enzymes by the exocrine portion of the pancreas
• Leading to insufficient activity of digestive enzymes in the lumen of the small intestine
• Pancreas has considerable functional reserve, large proportion needs to be non-functional to show signs of EPI
• Most common in dog - usually associated with pancreatic atrophy or chronic pancreatitis
• Occurs occasionally in other species, esp. calves with pancreatic hypoplasia and in cats
• Clinical signs
  • Steatorrhoea
  • Diarrhoea
  • Weight loss
  • Increased appetite

• In contrast, horses with very little pancreatic tissue develop hypoinsulinism but rarely EPI