TABLE 1.
Suggested risk factors for pancreatitis in dogs
| Category | Potential risk factor |
|---|---|
| Dietary factors | High fat diet 2 , 3 , 4 |
| Ingestion of unusual food items 5 , 6 | |
| Ingestion of table scraps 5 | |
| Ingestion of trash 5 | |
| Drugs/toxins | L‐asparaginase 7 , 8 |
| Phenobarbital and potassium bromide 9 , 10 , 11 , a | |
| Azathioprine 12 , 13 , 14 | |
| Potentiated sulfonamides 15 | |
| Organophosphates 12 , 16 | |
| Corticosteroids, 12 , 17 , b | |
| Furosemide 12 | |
| Atovaquone/proguanil (Malarone) 18 | |
| N‐methyl‐glucamine (Meglumine), 19 , b | |
| Clomipramine 20 | |
| Zinc 21 | |
| Endocrinopathies | Hyperadrenocorticism 12 , 22 , 23 , a |
| Hypothyroidism 12 , a | |
| Diabetes mellitus, 12 , 24 , 25 , a , c | |
| Hereditary/breed predispositions | SPINK 1 mutation, 26 , 27 , b |
| Acute: Terrier breeds, miniature poodles, dachshunds, cocker spaniel, Alaskan malamute, laika, miniature schnauzer 12 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 | |
| Chronic: Cavalier King Charles spaniel, collies, boxers 32 | |
| Lipid disorders | Hypertriglyceridemia 28 , 29 , 33 |
| Miscellaneous | Babesiosis 34 , 35 , 36 |
| Canine monocytic ehrlichiosis 37 | |
| Schistosomiasis (Heterobilharzia americana) 38 , 39 , 40 | |
| Honeybee envenomation 41 | |
| Organic acidemias 42 | |
| Immunoglobulin G4‐related disease 43 , 44 | |
| Increasing age 12 | |
| Obesity/overweight status 5 , 12 | |
| Neutered status 5 , 12 | |
| Previous surgery 5 | |
| Hepatitis/cholangitis 45 |
Note: Potential risk factors for AP in dogs. Many of these factors are implied by a temporal association alone and causation has not been established for many of these factors. Additionally, various definitions and indicators of AP were utilized in the referenced studies and clinical signs of AP were not always noted, thus some of these risk factors might represent risk factors for subclinical pancreatic injury rather than primary clinical AP. The relationship between the proposed risk factors and pancreatitis is often challenging to determine clinically and for some risk factors the direction of causation cannot be determined.
aMay be due to secondary lipid abnormalities.
Contradictory evidence exists.
Reverse direction of causation has been suggested.