Study links diabetes in dogs and cats with repeat pancreatitis markers
Dogs and cats with diabetes may have concurrent pancreatic disease more often than routine exams suggest, according to a new Journal of Small Animal Practice study that tracked pancreatic biomarkers over time in 52 dogs and 19 cats with diabetes mellitus. Investigators found serum pancreatic lipase concentrations in the range considered indicative of pancreatitis in 31% of dogs and 26% of cats at initial presentation, rising to 42% of dogs and 37% of cats at at least one recheck. By contrast, trypsin-like immunoreactivity concentrations consistent with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency were uncommon and seen only in dogs, affecting 4% at presentation and 6% at any re-examination. The paper was published online ahead of print on February 11, 2026, and involved researchers from the University of Thessaly, the University of Bologna, and Texas A&M’s Gastrointestinal Laboratory. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
Why it matters: For veterinary teams managing diabetic patients, the study adds weight to the idea that pancreatic comorbidity can be intermittent, subclinical, and easy to miss if testing is done only once. That fits with earlier work showing increased canine pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity in some diabetic dogs even without overt clinical pancreatitis, and with feline literature suggesting elevated pancreatic lipase markers are relatively common in diabetic cats. Broader consensus guidance also supports pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity as the clinicopathologic test of choice when pancreatitis is suspected, while noting that diagnosis still works best when biomarker results are interpreted alongside history, exam findings, and imaging. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
What to watch: Whether this leads clinicians to build more routine repeat pancreatic biomarker testing into diabetic monitoring protocols, especially for patients with fluctuating control, gastrointestinal signs, diabetic ketoacidosis, or unexplained changes in insulin needs. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)