Help With Pancreatitis

Pancreatitis is miserable and they FEEL miserable and if you caught it THERE you did **VERY** well because it can be fatal, and/or it can be much much MUCH worse.  When Prissy's came on she was throwing up bloody vomit and pooping red blooded vile diarreha.  And she was weeks in the hospital (and that was 33 years ago)

That's when I started cooking (and the vet gave me the recipe when I took her home -- ground beef & rice and a bit of garlic) -- but they have to get them stable first.

Ultra low fat (probably forever)

NO Dairy -- the "regular" vet likely won't tell you that.  Dr. DiNatale clued me in on that -- and she's the one who 'found' his pancreatitis and he was pretty well with NO symptoms at all   But that was a biggie even with Billy when he had it last year (even with no-fat ricotta he actually didn't WANT it -- *GASP SHOCK HORROR* - and Billy turning down dairy is just world-altering calamity!!)

The blood results will come back with the amylase & lipase darned near one double of the other, almost exactly.  That's another thing not all vets will know but it seems to be experiential -- cos Dr. Bailey (my regular vet) LOOKED for that in Billy's bloodwork as well as Dr. D.  And that's how Dr. D *found* it -- I knew he wasn't recovering from being off the steroids after the IMHA as well as I wanted him to, so we pulled a "post-steroid blood panel" (our name for it) and she slapped him right on antibiotics immediately -- Baytril if I recall (and yeah, that was the holistic vet!)

Pancreatitis is literally an infection in the pancreas -- yeah, it's inflammation and we tend to usually think of it as something that "irritated" the pancreas (like something fatty and/or undigestible) but it's actually an infection and that's usually why they slap them on antibiotics so fast.

Prissy LOOOOOOOOOOOVED nuts -- pecans and walnuts in particular, and if I was baking man, she was THERE and it was nuts, virtually every time she relapsed (like twice or three times over the next 17 years) it was because she got hold of a danged nut.  And *sigh* it didn't have to be a bunch -- all it took was ONE.

I felt just like you when Billy was diagnosed -- we'd just been thru the two years of H-E--Double Hockey Sticks with the IMHA and he was FINALLY off the danged steroid stuff and *then* he got both pancreatitis and hepatitis at the same time.  They figured in his case the liver was already so "sensitive" because of the steroid drugs and b/c the liver and pancreas are pretty 'close' that the infection just happily jumped b/c he was so immune-compromised. 

But I can remember having darned near a melt-down at the vet that night because I remembered HOW sick Pris had been .... I don't think any other word could have struck terror in my heart like "pancreatitis" because she had been so unbelievably sick so many years ago.

Buck up girl -- you CAUGHT it and for that you deserve a medal!!  Give me a call if you want -- you're welcome to cry on my shoulder ANY time (I wear shoulder-pads made by Bounty!!! *grin*).  You're entitled but Aspen still says YOU ROCK MOM!!!!

Callie, you totally rock!  Right now Aspen is saying "moom I feel like poop".  Yep. I have the bloody poop happening & it's scary as all get out.  Right now, Dr. S wants Aspen on bland diet & has him on heavy D probiotics.  No antibiotics.  I will ask him about them.  Right now my focus is on getting him stable.  My head is spinning.

Gotta run Maghee back to the vet for her post cardiologist meeting.  The good news is that she seems to be responding well to the drugs.

Poor Aspen!!!  No real advice, but if I were you, I'd probably check out some of the Schnauzer boards.  Schnauzers are notorious for pancreatitis, so I would expect to be able to find some good information there.

Fingers crossed for a good meeting with the cardiologist.  I must have missed the thread on Maghee's problems.

  Ann; be sure the diet is low fat and low protein. It shouldn't be more than about 8% fat and 18% protein. I had Jessie on a cooked diet for her pancreatitis and a week's worth of food was about 16 ounces of mackerel and 2 ounces of beef liver to 21 cups of rice.  Most of the calories need to come from carbohydrates. The pancreas needs to rest, and fat, followed by protein, stimulate it produce the most enzymes. Introduce whatever diet you use very slowly, just a handful of food every few hours, and feed several small meals a day if you can. Did the vet do IV fluids; usually when a dog has diarrhea as bad as you're describing the vet fasts the dog for 24 to 48 hours and does IV fluids. Poor Aspen; I'll be sending healing thoughts.

  I'm glad Maghee is doing better.

I don't know what else to say except that I know how scarey and exhausting having a sick dog is.  I hope they are both are feeling much better soon. 

Lori

jessies_mom

It shouldn't be more than about 8% fat and 18% protein. I had Jessie on a cooked diet for her pancreatitis and a week's worth of food was about 16 ounces of mackerel and 2 ounces of beef liver to 21 cups of rice.  Most of the calories need to come from carbohydrates. The pancreas needs to rest, and fat, followed by protein, stimulate it produce the most enzymes. Introduce whatever diet you use very slowly, just a handful of food every few hours, and feed several small meals a day if you can

This is so true---This can be managed.  My friend's chow mix has pancreatitis and has been doing very well on Solid Gold's Holistique Blend (18% protein, 6% fat).  She feeds 4 small meals a day plus an evening "snack".  After 4 years on just the Holistique Blend, she has been able to add sources of low fat protein (ground beef, fat drained and rinsed, chicken breast and salmon--to name a few) with great results.  Best of Luck with all of your doggie "troubles".

First of all, Thanks to everyone for your support & advice.  It definitely has helped calm me down & arm me some knowledge to help my boy.

So, today he finally ate with gusto his bland meal & is perkier.  He's looking like a Papillon again instead of a sad pancake.  Yay!!!!  Yesterday he only picked at his food.  Can you say panicked mom?  I knew you could.  I was just pleased that his pooping slowed down to reasonable amounts.

I just got off the phone with Dr. S.  We were discussing Aspen's blood work.  Bottom-line is that he has a low grade chronic pancreatitis.  I can deal with this because it's now official & I know what needs to be done.  I need to go get some antibiotics for Aspen & a starter bag of RD.  I think that Aspen will be pleased with this food because he will get more of it. ~L~  I call Aspen my pig with fur.  He'll eat almost anything he's given & will try to get some things he's not supposed to have.  Dr. S. said that I could give him skinless chicken breast & veggies for snackies.

So, anywho, it's not the best news but it's something that is dealable.

It will be fine, Annie.  I have more than one friend whose dog has chronic pancreatitis.  And, they live very normal lives.  They just have to watch the diet very closely.