my dog has pancreatitis

[JackieOnLine]

Bunny had one bad bout of it and, sadly, the lab test showed "very high normal" after 2 weeks on the prescription diet (very low fat), making the vet recommend this diet forever. I'm online right now to figure out how to best to do this (probably shop online, maybe chewy.com)

I thought I'd ask about it here since in the facebook group I'm in someone just recommended homeopathy.

despite working in healthcare I have no prior experience with pancreatitis but have been reading online. apparently one of the most common causes in people is alcoholism. in dogs, it's a high fat "indiscretion" like you gave your dog a big plate of turkey/stuffing/gravy or they ate a dead squirrel* or something

but I am pretty sure Bunny didn't eat anything different so the vet says it's just because she is getting old (11, the equivalent low 60s by the chart) and "can't handle it", meaning normal fat, I guess.

and - how do you figure fat in people food when added to their dog food? (my other dog Fritz is even older and smaller so I'm worried about him, too) - vet says below a certain percentage (it's written down somewhere... one figure for canned dog for and one for dry) but can I add unlimited cheerios? I use those for treats

the facebook group says they can have chicken meat but only white and no skin. well, and some people are feeding raw but I just can't, at least now.

science is hard! I know other labs being off affects the pancreas and Fritz has something happening because he has started to go through spells where he drinks lots & lots of water but his labs don't show why yet. the dog I had put down last year had that for years: one vet insisted it was his kidneys even though it didn't show in the labs but, eventually, it turned out to be a tumor on his parathyroid gland.

I think that - like people medicine - vet medicine is a lot better with a sudden acute problem than it is with long term problems or "lifestyle" issues like diet.

and the vet is SO expensive. and when it was acute it was horrible: despite pain meds Bunny spent over 12 hours very uncomfortable and actually shook with pain when having diarrhea. so I really, really want to control this if I can.


from the link:


Pancreatitis can be a very unpredictable disease. In most cases, if the pancreatitis was mild and the pet only had one episode, chances of recovery are good and keeping the dog on a low-fat diet may be all that is necessary to prevent recurrence or complications. In other cases, what appears to be a mild case may progress, or may be treated successfully only to have recurrences, sometimes severe.



*I assume a squirrel would be high fat at this time of year

 

[newanatomy]

I don't have any wisdom to share although, I am sure someone will be along shortly. I just want to say that I hope your dog feels better soon. Precious little thing!

 

[southernlady]

Jackie, I am sorry you are dealing with this. I have three cats that are not healthy now. One is exhibiting signs of inflammatory bowel or pancreatitis and no real way to tell the difference in a cat. Surgery is recommended but on a cat 15 years old (76 is the equivalent), I am not sure surgery is wise. The other two, her daughters are not happily aging. They are both 14 years old...and while blood work is normal, they AREN'T.

Just do what you can. I have no advice, just hugs.

 

[JackieOnLine]

thank you both: actually, they are currently feeling good so YAY but I am looking long term, here. hoping it doesn't come back.

but with old pets, it will be something, always, won't it?

One is exhibiting signs of inflammatory bowel or pancreatitis and no real way to tell the difference in a cat. Surgery is recommended but on a cat 15 years old (76 is the equivalent), I am not sure surgery is wise. The other two, her daughters are not happily aging. They are both 14 years old...and while blood work is normal, they AREN'T.

oh, man - I'm sorry Liz.

 

[southernlady]

It happens, Jackie...Cats and dogs age faster than we do. They pack a whole lot of love in their lifetime tho.

 

[JackieOnLine]

Bunny is having what is probably a flare up, despite having been on a prescription low fat food all this time. I have been reading via google and asking questions on the FB group Living With A Pancreatic Dog (good lord) and still I have tons of questions. and I hate the format of facebook groups, btw, it's so hard to find stuff - you only see what's up at the top currently or pinned.

since Bunny has only thrown up once and isn't having other symptoms I don't want to bring her to the vet for a blood test because STRESS. she might be having problems because she was at the groomers all morning Monday (symptoms started Tuesday) so why more stress? (very high strung dog) but: the vet won't let me just come in and pay for her time so I can have questions answered. there will none of that without a blood test, apparently.

what I know for sure is dogs can have it once or chronically and it can be very mild to life threatening. what I don't know is if we can calm this down with fasting/small bland meals or if it has to "run it's course" and it's going to get worse. probably Saturday since then the vet will be closed all weekend.

well. I guess I will wait and see.

 

[southernlady]

Hope you figure it out.

 

[k9ophile]

I'm sorry to hear Bunny is having problems. We order from chewy.com and like it. We also go to Sam's for a roast chicken. DH husband will take a bit for sandwiches or soup and the dogs get the rest. He removes the meat from the bones and throws out the skin or most of it. They're $5.00 plus or minus.

 

[JackieOnLine]

I've been reading various sites - everything from straightforward to getting them off kibble is the answer to everything.

the problem with vet advice is the more acute it is, the more they can tell you. they have very little advice for this stage - they used to say FASTING was the first thing, rest the pancreas by giving no food for 24 hours at least.

now, vets say as long as they keep it down small bland meals are better than fasting. but I don't know how good that info is, what's it based on? I don't see any indication that stress can bring it on, which is what I really want to know.

it's a very common problem, feels like there should be more info out there. but I find the endocrine system very hard to understand. so complex!

 

[bearmom]

I'm sorry you and Bunny are going though this

I had a dog with what I thought was pancreatitis (I think it was actually called "exocrine pancreatic insufficiency" years ago, but used green tripe, which was a total PITA to get, as well as expensive. It was something about her not making enough enzymes, which raw tripe has. She was also hypothyroid, with I think the vet said may have put her at higher risk. There are apparently a few different reasons or types of pancreatitis, so I just looked it up again, and tripe is way fatty, so clearly different, which brings up the other thing I'm wondering (and the fact that she doesn't seem to be eating anything very suspect already).
Is your vet really good? I used to go to a guy that the dogs adored (so did we) and he was OK, but over the years, he did miss a few things. I went to another vet at one point, and she was not just very experienced, but also intuitive, and often told me what her hunch was before going through tests, and she was always spot on. She maybe didn't get on the floor and kiss the dog on the nose and lay on the floor snuggled up to him while she sneakily did an exam (like the super nice vet), but she caught some unusual things that I'm pretty sure would have been missed with the nicer vet. Make sure they've ruled out other causes, like an abscess or blocked duct. Some medications can also cause problems, as can flea products with organophosphates.

I don't see 11 as old in a tiny well cared for dog at all, so am really hoping she's young enough to heal and get past this without reoccurrences.

 

[JackieOnLine]

besides EPI there is also something called HGE - I am unclear if or how much they overlap. no, I don't think I have a particularly good vet but so far all of them at this place have seemed competent. I don't feel like they "know" my dogs, really, and wouldn't hesitate to go somewhere else. but I have tried a couple others and they seem the same. they are all really, really expensive.

I think Bunny is 12 by now and she has had some bad health, she used to get crystals in her urine all the time and since her urine really tends to not be acidic enough, I have been giving her a supplement DL-Methionine, for years and the urine problems just stopped showing up.

she has always been a very nervous, high-strung dog. you'd think that would be bad. meanwhile, she is keeping down "supper" which was about a teaspoon of her canned food with broth and white rice. she let me know she didn't get anywhere near enough but better safe than sorry.

thanks for your advice and kind words, folks.

 

[bearmom]

Sounds like she is feeling good, which has to be encouraging. I'm laughing about the whole teaspoon of food, which is such a tiny amount. Bear was a ridiculously light eater at about a cup of food every other day, and weighed 110 lbs, but a teaspoon with rice sounds unbelievable. I need a tiny dog. Keeping fingers crossed that Bunny stays on this better track.

 

[JackieOnLine]

she has been doing fine all day so I gave her a tablespoon (plus rice!) three times now

there are a lot of nice things about small dogs like small poops and being able to leave food on the counter and they can't reach it I think in the future though I would prefer 15 to 25 pounds kind of size, not under 10 like these two.

although when I look at the price of vet care I wonder if I will be able to keep having pets. but that's very sad to think about.

 

[DSRIGGS]

That stinks. I am sorry.