INVESTIGATIONS INTO HYPERLIPIDEMIA AND ITS POSSIBLE ...

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Obesity
A relationship between obesity and pancreatitis has been suggested for dogs.
Studies have shown that dogs diagnosed with pancreatitis are more frequently obese than
dogs that do not have pancreatitis. 64,65,163 However, a pathogenetic link between obesity
and pancreatitis has not been convincingly shown to date.
Other factors
Age is often listed as a risk factor for pancreatitis because most dogs with
pancreatitis are middle aged or older. No clear sex predisposition has been identified to
date. Hypotension (e.g., during anesthesia or after severe blood loss), hypercalcemia
(both iatrogenic and as a result of diseases such as neoplasia and hyperparathyroidism),
abdominal trauma, extensive surgical manipulation of the pancreas, certain infections
(e.g., an infection with certain Babesia spp. strains) and obstruction of the pancreatic
duct (e.g., due neoplasia) are also suspected risk factors for pancreatitis in dogs, but
scientific evidence is weak or lacking at this point. 161,173 Chronic gastrointestinal disease
might also be a risk factor for pancreatitis in dogs. 174 Primary or metastatic neoplasia of
the pancreatic parenchyma is often associated with secondary inflammation of the
exocrine pancreas. Previous surgery and epilepsy have also been reported as potential
risk factors for canine pancreatitis. 65,163