[ccj]

My 3yr old daschund just spent 5 days @ the vets form vomitting. The only thing they could find was that his pancreas was a little inflamed. I got him to eat 2-4 morsels of food and he I did get about half a dog biscuits down him last night and it has all stayed down. But this morning he won't eat any thing. He has been drinking though. Any suggestions? Any questions to ask the vet?

[JudyKayTee]

I have a dog that has had 2 bad pancreatitis attacks since late November. I was told not to persuade her to eat, to let her system rest.

She continued to drink water.

Is she on medication?

[ballengerb1]

I have no experience with pancreatitis but if my dog was in the vet's kennel for 5 days and is still sick I would either leave him at the vets or start considering a speciality vet for a second look at the problem. Read this, especially half page down where it describes treatment. Dog Pancreatitis: Types, Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments Stop feeding your guy and call the vet to maintain his fluid balance.

[Aurora_Bell]

Usually dogs who are having issues with their pancreas are on special low fat diets. Has your vet recommended any special diet or eationg routine? A lot of times dogs with underlying medical issues like chushings will develop issues with their pancreas, but in smaller dogs a lot of the cause can be narrowed down to high fat meals, lots of table scraps and "treats". Mild pancreatitis produces loss of appetite, depression, intermittent vomiting, and diarrhea and weight loss. So him not eating isn't that un-common. Making sure he drinking water on a regular basis is very important. Diabetes is one of the most common developments AFTER a pancreatic attack, so the symptoms for this is something to be on the watch for.

The most important step in treating pancreatitis is to rest the gland completely. This usually means not feeding the dog for several days and maintaining hydration and electrolyte balance either naturally or via IV. Is your dog on anti biotics now? If he is unresponsive to at home treatment his gland will need to be drained through surgery.

I would call the vet and ask about diet. You don't necessarily need to buy the food the vet is promoting, but ask about how much fat vs protein they should be taking in each day.

[ccj]

Usually dogs who are having issues with their pancreas are on special low fat diets. Has your vet recommended any special diet or eationg routine? A lot of times dogs with underlying medical issues like chushings will develop issues with their pancreas, but in smaller dogs a lot of the cause can be narrowed down to high fat meals, lots of table scraps and "treats". Mild pancreatitis produces loss of appetite, depression, intermittent vomiting, and diarrhea and weight loss. So him not eating isn't that un-common. Making sure he drinking water on a regular basis is very important. Diabetes is one of the most common developments AFTER a pancreatic attack, so the symptoms for this is something to be on the watch for.

The most important step in treating pancreatitis is to rest the gland completely. This usually means not feeding the dog for several days and maintaining hydration and electrolyte balance either naturally or via IV. Is your dog on anti biotics now? if he is unresponsive to at home treatment his gland will need to be drained through surgery.

I would call the vet and ask about diet. You don't necessarily need to buy the food the vet is promoting, but ask about how much fat vs protien they should be taking in each day.

They did a round of antibiotics while he was there. They did not recommend any type of diet. But I suspect it was his diet. He is not on any meds. They did not really say much other than his pancreas seemed inflamed. Thank you for the info. It has been very helpful. How long should I become worried for him not eating. He is drinking and it is staying down.

[ccj]

they did a round of antibiotics while he was there. they did not recommend any type of diet. but i suspect it was his diet. he is not on any meds. they did not really say much other than his pancreas seemed inflamed. thank you for the info. it has been very helpful. how long should i become worried for him not eating. he is drinking and it is staying down.

his vet said he feeds his animals purina dog food.

[Aurora_Bell]

I'm not a fan of commercial brands as they are usually high fat and all filler. I would look for a low fat natural food. Are you in the US? You could try a bland diet for a few days of boiled rice and boiled chicken or lean hamburger. No added fat or salt. Seeing as your dog is a young adult stage, a senior diet may not be the best choice, but something with a moderate protein and low fat intake.

[JudyKayTee]

It was an inflammation of the pancreas and the dog isn't on a special food? I've had two rounds of this - and anything containing fat is absolutely forbidden for my dog.

I would call the Vet and ask.

[Aurora_Bell]

Judy, what foods are you feeding? Can you recommend a good brand?

[JudyKayTee]

Mine eats - let me go and look at the bag - Hills ID prescription diet for gastrointestinal something-or-other. It's a kibble. She also eats the same thing canned (which she absolutely hates). She can have Hills biscuits as treats but I actually tasted one and they're like cardboard and not a big hit in my house.

It's hard when there are two dogs to keep one on such a restrictive diet but until the rest of her lab work comes back, she's stuck with it.

(I buy the dog food at the Vet's office)

[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.

[ccj]

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

[JudyKayTee]

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]

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]

@ 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]

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]

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

[Aurora_Bell]

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]

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]

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?