Experience w/ Pancreatitis?

cgarriso · 12-10-2007, 01:49 PM

Just curious if anyone has had any experience with canine pancreatitis?

My Pippin was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis on Friday night and was lucky to survive the weekend. If he hadn't been so physically fit when he got sick, he probably wouldn't have made it through Friday night - he worsened so quickly from the time he started exhibiting symptoms (sluggish Friday morning to absolutely miserable, sick and dangerously weak when I got home from work). The vet thinks the problem was due to the change from very lean chicken necks in the morning (his main bony meal since starting the raw diet about three months ago) to much fattier chicken backs over the last week; his evening meals are fairly lean as well, and apparently the fat on the backs just overwhelmed his system. His triglycerides were over 16,000 Friday night (my vet has never seen a count over 1,000).

He's been hospitalized and on IVs, anitbiotics, and anti-nausea injections since his diagnosis Friday evening. His temp ranged from 102-104 the last couple of days, but it looks like the fever finally broke last night. This is his third day without food and water (so as not to stimulate the pancreas into creating any more enzymes), and the blood drawn this morning was much clearer (didn't have the 3/4 inch thick layer of fat in it seen Friday). The vet said he may be well enough to go home tomorrow, but will have to be on liver regenerative meds for at least a month, and will have to have a very lean diet from now on; the vet suggested cooked chicken for a while until he's stronger, and we may be using the Nature's Variety raw patties for a while after that until my vet thinks he's well enough to digest bone pieces again.

If anyone else has gone through this successfully and has any advice for his recovery, I'd really appreciate hearing from you. It's been a very scary weekend.

Christie

Anela · 12-10-2007, 03:36 PM

O had a Shepard/Lab experience this when she was about 10 years old. She survived with other serious issues for about 4 more years. She also was in very good shape. At the time she was on a permanent dose of steroids which may have caused it.

I had her on hypo allergic food for a food allergy and switched to a prescription food specifically made for pancreas issues.

I think I would be very careful about what type of food the dog gets. Aside from the fat problem, digestion issues can develop. Bones or anything difficult to digest went off of the menu permanently for my dog.

To make the food more digestible, I ground it in a food processor.

Anela

cgarriso · 12-11-2007, 10:36 AM

Just a quick update on Pippin:

Despite encouraging progress yesterday (temp finally normal, much stronger), Pippin's blood work results this morning weren't good enough for him to come home today. His triglycerides were down from over 16,000 to 144, which my vet tells me is in the normal range, but his amylase level was still six times higher than it should be, which indicates his pancreas hasn't recovered yet. That means he has to remain hospitalized, on IVs, and off oral food and water for at least another two to three days before we can try blood work again.

Anela, thank you for your response. My vet agreed that we're going to have to be very careful with Pippin's food from now on. I'm going to have to keep him on a raw diet because of a grain allergy that causes very frequent head tremors. I talked to the vet about the Nature's Variety premade raw patties, and he said they sounded okay. He also suggested trying cooked meats with bones removed. But no more chicken necks or foods like that with whole bone pieces. I forgot to ask him about the big chewing bones I give Pip for his teeth; we may have to switch permanently to antlers or something that's not going to break off in pieces.

Hopefully he'll continue to improve and I can take him home Thursday or Friday.

sheplovr · 12-11-2007, 11:54 AM

That is such a shame for your dog to suffer with this.

Quote:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What is pancreatitis?

The pancreas is an organ that sits just beneath the stomach and the first part of the small intestine. It is responsible for producing enzymes that aid in digestion and is also the source of insulin production. Pancreatitis refers to an inflammation of this organ. It can happen to dogs and cats of any age, breed or sex. If severe, pancreatitis can lead to irreversible changes in the pancreas and impaired function long term.

The cause of pancreatitis in dogs and cats is not very well understood. There are a few things that we know can predispose to the development of pancreatitis such as fatty diets, certain drugs, underlying diseases, parasites and trauma however, there is also some research that indicates there are genetic factors at play as well.

What are the signs of pancreatitis?

Dogs with pancreatitis may be depressed, lose their appetite, have vomiting or diarrhea. They may also exhibit pain in the abdomen – this may be manifested as restlessness, panting or unwillingness to lie down. Cats can be a little more vague with signs ranging from poor appetite and fever to an elevated heart rate. Unlike dogs, they are less likely to have abdominal pain and vomiting.

Pancreatitis is often divided into acute or chronic cases. Acute cases are usually more severe and may be associated with more dramatic signs. Chronic pancreatitis, which is more common in cats, may have more subtle symptoms and may often be associated with or mistaken for other illnesses.

http://www.gcvs.com/internists/pancreatitis.htm