Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency - contd.
Treatment of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency is usually necessary for life. Most dogs with EPI due to pancreatic acinar atrophy respond well to enzyme replacement alone, and have a good long-term prognosis. Although affected dogs do not always regain the weight they lost, most of them develop normal stools and no longer continue to lose weight. Animals requiring additional medications to boost the effectiveness of enzyme therapy generally do well.
In cats and in older dogs with EPI due to chronic pancreatitis, the outcome is much less predictable. If other conditions are present, particularly diabetes mellitus, then the prognosis may depend more on the ability to treat these complicating factors successfully.
Less is known about the prognosis of cats with EPI because it occurs much less frequently in felines.
