Miles Has Pancreatitus

[Guest GriffinsMom]

Miles was in very poor health when I adopted him less than a year ago. He had 28 teeth removed from an extremely septic mouth, a raging ear infection treated, diagnosed as hypothyroid, and multiple corns on both back feet removed as soon as they could be pulled out, although they have grown back, and the cream from the "Corns" thread applied daily. Miles also has a wobbly back end possibly cased by a degenerating disc in his spine.

 

Our latest challenge is his vomiting episodes. Every 6 to 10 weeks, with no trigger that I can determine, Miles becomes nautious and throws up 2 - 3 times in a about a 12 hour period. He is miserable with a drippy nose and copious amounts of drool. Today was one of those days. I managed to get him an appointment with his vet so he could see Miles while he was sick instead of trying to find out the problem while he was "healthy". The x-rays and bloodwork came back positive for pancreatitis. More bloodwork was sent off to determine what the levels were. I'm not really sure what that means.

 

Miles is fed raw: bone in chicken, beef, buffalo, tripe, sardines, and occasionally chicken hearts, gizzards, and livers. Also with each meal he gets veggie slop - cooked yams, and raw spinach, bock choir, celery, carrots, green beans, and apples. For treats he gets cheese and dried duck strips.

 

Supplements: acidophilus, multivitamin that includes kelp for his hypothyroidism as well as synthroid, bee propolis for his corns, and a high quality salmon oil pill.

 

What can I do to help Miles, or is there something I am already doing that I shouldn't?

 

I am just starting my research on pancreatitus now. Any help or advise would be appreciated.

 

 

[Guest buttonwillow]

What did the vet say? Did s/he put Miles on fluids? Any pain medications? Did the vet recommend you withhold food for a short time?

Pancreatitis is serious and I'm surprised you aren't being given any recommendations.

I'm no expert in canine pancreatitis but have been through it with a couple of cats. oh and my dad!

They all got over it btw but it was painful for everyone and required close attention and care.

Edited August 3, 2010 by buttonwillow

[Guest mcsheltie]

Most vets will put a dog that is having a severe flare up on IV fluids, antibiotics and fast to rest the pancreas.

 

You want to feed a diet that is very low in fat and protein until the pancreas heals. Foods high in fat and protein will trigger a bout. Most of what you are feeding is out until he gets stabilized. All to high in fat- chicken, beef, cheese, salmon oil, sardines and gizzards. Pancreatitis is nothing to fool around with. I don't want to scare you, but it can turn deadly. A friend had a dog with it, her son fed him an egg and they almost lost him.

 

An inflamed pancreas can not tolerate any stimulation. Keeping him VERY hydrated is critical.

 

I am a raw food advocate, but it helps to cook for a dog with pancreatitis because you can skim off even more fat. A diet that does not stimulate the pancreas is usually too low in calories. So it helps to include carbs such as white rice that you cook the daylights out of (easy to digest) while they are healing. You are looking for a bland VERY easy to digest diet.

 

A diet for pancreatitis might look something like this:

 

cooked white fish

a little braised liver (about 3 oz)

long grain white rice

and supplements to balance the diet: human multi vit/min (dose to weight) plus bone meal, magnesium, zinc, kelp, B Vits, Vit E, No-Salt (for potassium)

 

If your dog can not tolerate fish you can substitute one raw turkey neck a week (no bone meal would be needed)& cooked dark chicken meat (no bone or skin) with the fat skimmed off. But fish is more easily digested.

[Hubcitypam]

Poodle really did almost die from pancreatitis after my sister fed him ground beef and bacon. He stayed at the vet one whole day for sub Q fluids and had to go back the next day for more. They were trying to avoid an IV for some reason (maybe my thin at the time pocketbook). They gave him antibiotic shots.

 

He was fasted then put on a boiled chicken and white rice for several weeks. Fat is your enemy.

[Guest argolola]

Lola almost died from it in December of last year. Our vet put in a line and taught us to give a drip of lactated ringers twice a day. At the time, she couldn't even keep water down. We had to fast her for a bit, but slowly introduced i/d food and vanilla Ensure. She finally got well, but now I cook for both dogs (lowfat beef, turkey, whole grain pasta, oatmeal, rice, etc.) over a low fat kibble. Please keep us posted. I feel that IV fluids are the critical thing at first. God bless.