Diagnosing acute pancreatitis in dogs and cats is difficult. Abdominal ultrasonography provides specificinformation about the size, shape and homogeneity of the pancreas, but is very dependent on the experienceof the operator and the quality of the echography machine. Abdominal radiography is less useful, whilecomputed tomography is less practicable in veterinary patients because of the anesthesia risks, the need forexperienced operators, and the high cost. Furthermore, computed tomography has low diagnostic value in cats.Biopsy of pancreatic tissue remains the gold standard. Treatment consists of fluid therapy and nutritionalsupport, combined with pain medication, anti-emetics and antibiotics. The prognosis in dogs and cats isvariable and largely depends on the clinical condition of the patient at admission. It is usually guarded,especially in cats.