my 3 yr old daschund will not eat any solid food

Aurora_Bell · Mar 28, 2012, 08:00 AM

Tsk, tsk, spending more money than you need to (teasing). Because I can't offer a better brand, I would look into the brand your vet recomneds, 95% chance it will also be Hills. I thinking the biggest thing is getting something appropriate for gastrointestinal issues.

ccj · Mar 28, 2012, 04:46 PM

I still cannot get him to eat.@ judykaytee.... How long did it takes yours to get back to eating?????

JudyKayTee · Mar 28, 2012, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aurora_Bell

Tsk, tsk, spending more money than you need to (teasing). Because I can't offer a better brand, I would look into the brand your vet recomneds, 95% chance it will also be Hills. I thinking the biggest thing is getting something appropriate for gastrointestinal issues.

There are some people I will offend, notably my friends, family and Physician.

There are some people I will not offend, namely my hairdresser and Veterinarian. The Vet says, "Here, buy this" ... and I do!

JudyKayTee · Mar 28, 2012, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ccj

I still cannot get him to eat.@ judykaytee.... How long did it takes yours to get back to eating?????

She's always been a picky eater and I tried and tried, including hand feeding her the kibble. Last week she had another flare (although I'm waiting for the results of blood tests right now) and the Vet put her on prednisone for inflammation and to increase her appetite. She's eating!

There were nights I went to bed literally in tears because she simply wouldn't eat and was getting weaker and weaker. It was a battle of the wills. I know she hurt when she ate and she connected the two.

It's a long road.

ccj · Mar 29, 2012, 03:00 AM

@ judykaytee.... Thank you. I can hear his little tummy growling and I know that he is Sooo hungry. He is definitely going on a special diet after this. The research I did says that they will most likely have more flare ups. It's frustrating. I know they said they can give them something to stimulate their appetite. We may have to go with that.

JudyKayTee · Mar 29, 2012, 05:33 AM

For me - and I don't like steroids, I appreciate they can be dangerous - the answer was prednisone. It works on the inflammation and it increased her appetite. I am presently weaning her dosage down so that she can make an attempt to take her completely off - but if she doesn't eat she has to go back on.

I had no idea how many cases of pancreatitis there are in dogs every year.

I kept thinking my dog would get so hungry that she would eventually eat, but she didn't so, yes, I know what it's like.

Aurora_Bell · Mar 29, 2012, 05:35 AM

Judy, is this the dog with diabetes? Can I do some research for you?

Aurora_Bell · Mar 29, 2012, 05:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ccj

I still cannot get him to eat.@ judykaytee.... How long did it takes yours to get back to eating?????

My boss directed me to this website with info, I'll copy and paste (in italics)

Traditionally, the standard recommendation has been to withhold all oral food and water until symptoms subside, in order to allow the pancreas to rest. If symptoms persisted for more than 72-96 hours, nutrition was given parenterally (intravenously, avoiding the stomach and intestines). It was thought that even the sight or smell of food could trigger pancreatic secretions that would make the problem worse.

Today, though, there is growing evidence in both humans and animals that recovery time is reduced and survival rates increased when patients are fed early in the recovery from pancreatitis. It is now accepted that prolonged withholding of oral food and water for more than 48 hours (including the time before the dog was brought in for treatment) can lead to increased intestinal permeability (“leaky gut”), atrophy of the digestive cells in the small intestine, and sepsis (blood poisoning). In turn, sepsis can contribute to multiple organ failure and decreased survival rates.

The goal in the beginning is to feed a diet with low fat, moderate protein, and high carbohydrates, as carbs cause the least amount of pancreatic stimulation. An easy diet to start with is overcooked white rice made with extra water, combined with a low-fat protein source, such as cooked chicken breast, low-fat cottage cheese, or boiled hamburger (boiling removes most of the fat).

Overcooking starchy foods such as rice or potatoes increases their digestibility. Cooking white rice with extra water creates a type of porridge called rice congee, which is soothing to the stomach and digestive tract, and can help relieve vomiting and diarrhea. To make congee, boil one cup of white rice (not Minute Rice) in four cups of water for 20 to 30 minutes. You can offer the rice congee liquid alone to start with, then include the rice, and next add the protein. This progression can happen over the course of a few hours or a day or two.

At first, feed a higher percentage of carbohydrates, and a lower percentage of protein, such as two-thirds carbs and one-third protein. If your dog is doing fine, the ratio can then be slowly changed to half and half after the first few days.

Whatever you feed, start with small amounts fed frequently, six to eight meals a day or more. Small meals stimulate the pancreas less, and are less likely to trigger vomiting. Small meals are also easier to digest than larger meals, and less likely to cause discomfort. If your dog is able to keep the food down without vomiting or showing signs of pain, you can begin to feed larger amounts at longer intervals, but proceed slowly, especially in the beginning; you don’t want to make changes too quickly and end up with a setback.

Transitioning to a normal diet
Once a dog has had an attack of acute pancreatitis, he may be less able to tolerate fat in the future, depending on how much the pancreas was damaged. Some dogs are able to return to a normal diet after they have fully recovered, while others may need a low-fat diet for the rest of their lives to prevent chronic pancreatitis and further acute episodes.

Dogs who experience a single, acute, uncomplicated episode are more likely to be able to return to a normal diet, while dogs with repeated episodes of acute pancreatitis, hyperlipidemia, or steatorrhea (large, greasy, foul-smelling stools caused by fat malabsorption) should be kept on a fat-restricted diet.

Dogs with chronic pancreatitis may also do better on a lower-fat diet. Drugs that predispose dogs to pancreatitis should be avoided if possible in these dogs. If such drugs are needed, e.g., to control seizures, these dogs, too, may benefit from a low-fat diet. Dogs who have had acute pancreatitis should never be fed really high-fat meals, even if they are able to return to a normal diet afterwards.

Is your dog at a normal weight? Many weight loss diets are extremely high in carbohydrates, with low fat and low protein – in fact, some have even less fat than the prescription diets that are recommended for dogs recovering from pancreatitis. A low-fat diet is not required for dogs to lose weight, and higher protein helps dogs lose fat, while low protein can lead to muscle loss. It’s better to feed a diet that has higher protein and moderate amounts of fat and carbohydrates to help your dog lose weight.

Canine Pancreatitis - Whole Dog Journal Article

JudyKayTee · Mar 29, 2012, 05:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aurora_Bell

Judy, is this the dog with diabetes? Can I do some research for you?

No, and this gets confusing. The OTHER dog (my AKC GSD) has the chronic ear infection (and I refused the surgery) and Horners Syndrome.

THIS dog (and she was my late husband's dog) had the pancreatitis attackS and lab work that makes no sense. I did have a diabetic dog, but she died (age age 12). The dog with pancreatitis is the one that just had the blood work done following the diagnosis of gallbladder inflammation. My Vet and the specialist believe she MIGHT have multiple mylenoma. At the moment she takes 2 herbals (thistle and vit E), prednisone, an antibiotic, a multi vitamin, prescription gallbladder medication and a thyroid pill every AM.

BOTH dogs have low thyroid and both are on medication - the Vet said he has never (in all his years of practice) had more than one dog in a household with low thyroid.

Both dogs have had very rough years (to put it mildly). That sound you hear is a cash registered in the background - financially it's been a shock. Emotionally it's a rollercoaster.

At one time I had a diabetic husband and a diabetic dog - so he managed her health care.

I've had my hands full. The GSD is coping. The other one is not.

EDIT: Great website and quote. I printed it out and now I'm reading it over.

Aurora_Bell · Mar 29, 2012, 05:52 AM

Oh dear. I'm sorry!! That is one hell of a ride. Did you have any aggression issues with the low thyroid? I am currently going through blood work to see if I can come to a conclusion on Lady's major malfunction.

Have you ever done any research on Hills diet food? How old is "THIS" dog? Breed?

my 3 yr old daschund will not eat any solid food

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