[natapan]

Should my puppy eat only dry food or can I give him canned and cooked as well?what would you recommend for cooked food for 9 week puppy?

[maddy308]

I personally don't like giving my cats or dogs wet food. Dry food is the best because it helps there teeth with devolpment an reduces tarter an other tooth problems. It you want to give your puppy cooked food try some liver.

[Catsmine]

If you feed a nine week old cooked meats, be extremely cautious about seasonings. Salt and pepper should not pose a problem but heavy amounts of garlic can be dangerous.

I have always fed dry food, sometimes with a few table scraps for dessert. It does help teeth develop and reduce tartar buildup to feed dry food.

[De Maria]

should my puppy eat only dry food or can I give him canned and cooked as well?

Yes. When mine was that age, I gave him what I had left over from the table (and still do). If I didn't have enough scraps, cause sometimes my kids eat every last crumb, I gave him something else from the fridge or sometimes some sardines or tuna fish or some other canned food.

Today he's a healthy and active 6 year old.

When I had three pups and my family was smaller, I didn't have enough scraps left over, so I mixed in dry Purina puppy chow.

what would you recommend for cooked food for 9 week puppy?

Anything you would eat. But personally, I've always kept my dogs on a high protein diet. More meat than noodles. But if noodles is what we've been eating, that's what they get too.

[lJ.]

Please consult your vet for a food plan for your puppy and learn what you can and can't feed him.

[Sariss]

Suggesting feeding what sounds like only table scraps is a bad idea. Just because it's worked for you does not mean it will for everyone. I've seen looooads of cases of pancreatitis because people choose to share their food with their pets. That, and lots of fat dogs.

[De Maria]

Suggesting feeding what sounds like only table scraps is a bad idea. Just because it's worked for you does not mean it will for everyone. I've seen looooads of cases of pancreatitis because people choose to share their food with their pets. That, and lots of fat dogs.

I had a vet that said to me once, "Wow, your dog is in good shape. What do you feed him?"

I said, "table scraps."

And he said, "Bad idea. Why don't you try some of these scientifically designed foods that I have on my shelf?"

And I said, "dogs eat out of the trash, in the wild they eat carrion and from what I've read, they've been eating left overs since time immemorial. And they are still here and thriving. And as you said, my dog is in terrific shape and all my dogs have always been. I'll keep feeding my dog scraps. When I think scraps are making him sick, I'll feed him something else."

Then I took my dog to another vet.

[Sariss]

Like I said, you have been doing it a long while and apparently know what to feed and what not to.
I find suggesting it to obviously inexperienced people dangerous.

[shazamataz]

Hi natapan, canned food is fine for a puppy as long as it is good quality.
However you should feed at least some kibble in conjunction with it or some dry biscuits daily to keep the teeth healthy.

Canned food has a different protein ratio to dry food and also has a much higher water content so be mindful of that.
I can't recommend brands being in Australia but just read the label and check the ingredients. If meat is the first ingredient and there are no fillers like corn then give it a try.

Always remember to add new food slowly.
Start with a mix of 75% old food to 25% new food to avoid upset stomachs and adjust a little more with each meal.

I am currently feeding a product that we call 'dog roll' it looks a bit like that processed sandwich meat you can buy (think spam) but with chunks of meat and veggies in it, it is all natural too, my dogs go crazy for it.

Be careful with liver, they go crazy for it but it can also come out the other end rather quickly... small amounts is the way to go with that.
And avoid table scraps, as a young puppy you need to feed a balanced diet to ensure pup grows as it should (proper calcium, protein ratios etc)

[De Maria]

Like I said, you have been doing it a long while and apparently know what to feed and what not to.
I find suggesting it to obviously inexperienced people dangerous.

I wonder why? Have you only studied dogs from a clinical perspective?

I studied dogs because I simply loved dogs. And what I studied seemed very much in line with what I observed.

Dogs are very adaptable creatures. They eat almost anything. Certainly anything that we eat. They eat out of the trash, whatever they can find. They can even eat stuff that's gone bad and would make us sick.

Now, you said that pancreatitis was caused by people sharing their food with their pet. Did you come to that conclusion because someone actually investigated the cause of the disease? Because in humans, isn't that caused by alcohol abuse?

So, what causes it in dogs?

[shazamataz]

We are talking about a growing 9 week old puppy here.

Ever seen what happens to a Great Dane when not fed a balanced and appropriate diet as a puppy?

Please look up pancreatitis in dogs... I have had a dog with pancreatitis and I can assure you it wasn't an alcoholic.

[Sariss]

I came to that conclusion because pancreatitis in dogs is caused by (among other things), getting into fatty foods, and in our clinic is generally seen after a dog has been going through the garbage, or has been given something from the table. (Christmas and Thanksgiving are our worst pancreatitis times).
That is why I find your advice to an inexperienced dog owner dangerous. I have seen such things like feeding table scraps kill dogs.

[De Maria]

We are talking about a growing 9 week old puppy here.

Ever seen what happens to a Great Dane when not fed a balanced and appropriate diet as a puppy?

Please look up pancreatitis in dogs... I have had a dog with pancreatitis and I can assure you it wasn't an alcoholic.

What did you feed the dog?

[Sariss]

I know the question wasn't directed at me, but it seems to vary depending on the dog, as some breeds (typically schnauzers) are more prone to getting it. I've seen it caused by many things, from beef and pork, to bread with butter, etc.

[De Maria]

I came to that conclusion because pancreatitis in dogs is caused by (among other things), getting into fatty foods, and in our clinic is generally seen after a dog has been going through the garbage, or has been given something from the table. (Christmas and Thanksgiving are our worst pancreatitis times).

Essentially then, you're talking about a guess. No real investigation of the cause of the illness.

That is why I find your advice to an inexperienced dog owner dangerous. I have seen such things like feeding table scraps kill dogs.

How many and what did they eat? And did you actually investigate that or was it also a guess?

[Sariss]

Essentially then, you're talking about a guess. No real investigation of the cause of the illness.



How many and what did they eat? And did you actually investigate that or was it also a guess?

It's documented in the veterinary world. These are not guesses.
A dog suddenly has pancreatitis and the only thing that had been different was that the dog got into the garbage, or was slipped a piece of fatty meat. What do you think caused it?

[shazamataz]

I have seen dogs have attacks after eating sausages and one after eating a meat pie (pastry).

With our Shih Tzu we had to completely cut fat out of his diet or else he would have an attack. Without the fat he lived a relatively normal life after he was diagnosed.

There may be other factors but I have found fat to be the biggest contributor, and I'm sure Sariss has seen a lot more cases than me in her line of work.

[Sariss]

There may be other factors but I have found fat to be the biggest contributor

It seems to be. Sometimes it's idiopathic, but that's usually after they've already had one or two bouts of it due to getting into something. It's a nasty nasty, condition. Sadly we usually see one case every other week, in fact we have one in hospital now over the long weekend.

[De Maria]

It's documented in the veterinary world. These are not guesses.
A dog suddenly has pancreatitis and the only thing that had been different was that the dog got into the garbage, or was slipped a piece of fatty meat. What do you think caused it?

I don't know, I didn't investigate the incident. The other day I got sick and I couldn't remember what I ate. How would I know what caused a dog that I've never seen to become ill.

I know you're a vet, but excuse me if I get a second opinion:

Veterinary Q & A: Pancreatitis in Dogs and Cats

By Janet Tobiassen Crosby, DVM, About.com Guide

What causes pancreatitis?
For the majority of cases, the cause is unknown. Pancreatitis can occur in both dogs and cats, but is generally more common in dogs, especially the acute form. Cats more commonly have the chronic form, and it can be difficult to diagnose. In dogs, obese middle age to older animals have a higher incidence, as do females. Even though exact causes are not known, there are identifiable risk factors. Here are some potential risk factors:

* Hyperlipidemia (high fat content in blood)
* High fat meal (trigger for hyperlipidemia)
* Obesity (especially dogs)
* Concurrent disease - i.e. Cushing's, Diabetes
* Contaminated food or water
* Certain drugs and toxins - i.e. some types of diuretics, antibiotics, and organophosphate insecticide
* Bacterial or viral infection

Here's another opinion:

WHAT CAUSES PANCREATITIS

In most cases we never find out but we do know some events which can cause pancreatitis:

* Reflux of duodenal contents into the pancreatic duct. The pancreas has numerous safety mechanisms to prevent self-digestion. One of these mechanisms is the fact that the enzymes it creates are stored in an inactive form. They are harmless until they are mixed with activating enzymes. The strongest activating enzymes are made by duodenal cells which means that the digestive enzymes do not actually activate until they are out of the pancreas and mixing with food in the duodenum. If duodenal fluids backwash up the pancreatic duct and into the pancreas, e nzymes are prematurely activated and pancreatitis resuls. This is apparently the most common pancreatitis mechanism in humans, though it is not very common in veterinary patients.

* Concurrent hormonal imbalance predisposes a dog to pancreatitis. Such conditions include: Diabetes mellitus, Hypothyroidism, and Hypercalcemia. The first two conditions are associated with altered fat metabolism which predisposes to pancreatitis and the latter condition involves elevated blood calcium which activates stored digestive enzymes.

* Use of certain drugs can predispose to pancreatitis (sulfa containing antibiotics such as trimethoprim sulfa, chemotherapy agents such as azathioprine or L-asparaginase, and the anti-seizure medication potassium bromide). Exposure to organophosphate insecticides has also been implicated as a cause of pancreatitis. Exposure to steroid hormones have traditionally been thought to be involved as a potential cause of pancreatitis but this appears not to be true, though steroids are able to cause an increase in lipase blood tests.

* Trauma to the pancreas as from a car accident or even surgical manipulation can cause inflammation and thus pancreatitis.

* The presence of a tumor in the pancreas can lead to inflammation in the adjacent pancreatic tissue.
Canine Pancreatitis
Home

So, according to these articles there are many potential risk factors for pancreatitis but the causes are unclear.

[Sariss]

I'm not a vet, I am a technician.
Yes, as I mentioned earlier there are other reasons, but the most common tends to be what I mentioned. Your "other opinion" does show other causes yes. I've seen I believe three cases (not including totally idiopathic) that weren't caused by the first two risk factors mentioned in your original opinion.
Actual causes are unknown yes, but risk factors are basically, things that have happened prior to diagnosis that may be causing it.

It doesn't change the fact that feeding table scraps puts a dog at risk for the condition, so I'm not sure what you are getting at arguing that there are other causes/risk factors, when I said that initially. This was a post about food, not about causes of pancreatitis.