INVESTIGATIONS INTO HYPERLIPIDEMIA AND ITS POSSIBLE ...

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The combination of vomiting and abdominal pain, although suggestive of pancreatitis, is
also seen with other diseases (e.g., gastrointestinal foreign bodies, peritonitis). Other
possible findings include shock, hypothermia, a cardiac murmur, tachycardia, bleeding
diathesis, ascites, a palpable abdominal mass, and/or harsh lung sounds. 64 Patients with
less severe or chronic pancreatitis typically manifest less profound clinical signs, such as
anorexia and depression, or might even be subclinical.
Clinical pathology 64,175
Results of complete blood count (CBC), serum biochemistry profile, and
urinalysis are nonspecific, and thus of limited usefulness for the diagnosis of pancreatitis
in dogs. However, these tests should always be performed in dogs with suspected
pancreatitis because they are useful for ruling out other differential diagnoses and also
provide important information about the systemic condition of the animal.
Often, especially in mild cases, the CBC, serum biochemistry profile, and
urinalysis are normal. Possible hematologic findings in dogs with pancreatitis include
anemia or hemoconcentration, leukocytosis or leucopenia, and thrombocytopenia.
Evidence of coagulopathy, such as prolonged activated clotting time (ACT),
prothrombin time (PT), and/or partial thromboplastin (PTT) time, are seen in some
cases, and may or may not be associated with spontaneous bleeding. In other cases, there
might be clinical evidence suggestive of DIC, such as thrombocytopenia, prolongation of
clotting times (i.e., ACT, PT, PTT), and a positive d-dimer test. Different combinations
of increases in liver enzyme activities and hyperbilirubinemia are common and might