Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency

Malassimilation is failure of nutrients to pass across the intestinal wall in quantities sufficient to maintain body weight and condition ( Jacobs et al, 1989). Malassimilation can be caused by either maldigestive or malabsorptive diseases. Malabsorption occurs with diseases that alter the structure and function of the small intestinal mucosa including the lymphatics. Maldigestion occurs with defects in intraluminal digestion and may result from gastric, pancreatic or biliary dysfunction. Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) refers to a partial or complete deficiency of pancreatic enzymes and is the most common cause of maldigestion in dogs (Williams, 1994). Occurring most commonly in young dogs as a congenital disorder, pancreatic acinar atrophy, EPI may also develop as a sequela to acute and chronic pancreatitis (Williams, 1994) or pancreatic neoplasia (Westermarck and Wiberg, 2003). EPI is rare in cats but has been reported to occur in juvenile and acquired forms (Williams, 1994a; Steiner and Williams, 2000). PATIENT ASSESSMENT