dog will not eat

    • Silver

    dog will not eat

     Hey I have a rat terrier dog who is 4 years old and her name is Prissy and she will not eat.  The vet says she has pancreatic insufficiency and inflammatory bowel disease and she also has a abscess on her incision where she was spayed, she already had in drained several times and again yesterday, if it doesnt get better the vet is going to do surgery.  The vet said he doesnt know if something else is wrong causing her not to eat, if she doesnt get better he is going to do explatory surgery.  Sometimes she will act like she wants some food I am eating but I give her a bite she throws it up, now she acts like she wants it and I give her a bite she gags and spits it out, the vet said not to give her any people food, he said to put her food in her bowl and give her 30 minutes to eat it and take it up, he said maybe she will get hungary, but this hasnt helped.  I am so worried about her, because I cant get her to eat and she doesnt do anything but lay down.  Any suggestions on what I can do to get her to eat.

    • Gold Top Dog

    What meds is she on?  Sounds like something is making her nauseated.

     

    • Gold Top Dog

    Try some Slippery Elm - http://www.holvet.net/slippery_soup.html

    It is nutritious and soothes the GI tract. 

    Here is a good site on digestive problems:  http://www.dogaware.com/health/digestive.html

    This site is specifically on pancreatic insufficiency (with diet advice):  http://www.dogaware.com/articles/wdjepi.html

    This may sound "off the wall", but have you done a tick panel? 

    • Gold Top Dog

    Kimw30
    the vet said not to give her any people food

    Frankly, I would try some raw meat, but I am sure that a vet that talks about "people food" wouldn't approve of that. 

    http://www.dogaware.com/articles/wdjepi.html
    "Raw and home-cooked: Over the last few years, many owners have been able to stabilize their EPI dogs by feeding a raw diet. Raw food has the innate advantage of maintaining natural food enzyme activity that aids digestion. Many vets disapprove of feeding a raw food diet, especially to compromised dogs (possibly exposing them to further complications), while other vets suggest that raw is best for an EPI dog. There have been many anecdotal cases of dramatic improvement when the owners feed their EPI dog a raw diet, especially when all else fails.

    Most EPI dogs cannot handle the 20 to 25 percent bone content in the diet that is commonly fed to normal dogs. With EPI dogs, it's smart to start with only 10 to 12 percent of bone. Some dogs still have difficulty digesting this amount of the bone and the ratio will need to be reduced even further, to 3 to 5 percent bone. Note we are talking about the amount of actual bone, not the amount of raw meaty bones, which are usually at least half meat."

    • Gold Top Dog

    Kimw30
    The vet said he doesnt know if something else is wrong causing her not to eat, if she doesnt get better he is going to do explatory surgery.

    Since she is having trouble healing from the spay, I would really want to avoid further surgery if at all possible.

    • Gold Top Dog

    If you are near a vet school, I would take Prissy there.  They might even be cheaper!

    I would certainly want a vet school doing any further surgery if it has to be done.

    I would have tried to locate a vet school near you, but your profile doesn't say where in the country/world you are located. 

    • Silver

     

    Thanks so much for the information, She is on cerenia and pepcid and she been getting antibiotic shots and she gets a B12 shot.  How do I find a vet school.  I live in vidalia georgia.  The vet got on to me bad for giving her people food, I was not wanting to hurt her, I was just trying to feed her something.  She is losing weight,  I hope she will get better.  The vet said he really doesnt want to do surgery because just with the spay surgery she didnt do good with it
    • Silver

     no she hasnt had a tick panel done, should she get one

    • Gold Top Dog

    Kimw30
    no she hasnt had a tick panel done, should she get one 

    I would.  Lyme disease can damage the pancreas.

    • Gold Top Dog

    Kimw30
    she been getting antibiotic shots

    Then she should be getting a good probiotic 2-3 hours before or after her antibiotics.  Antibiotics can mess up the digestion by killing "the good guys" along with "the bad guys".  The need for probiotics when you take antibiotics is true in people, too.

    Kimw30
    The vet got on to me bad for giving her people food

    Most vets have very little nutrition training and most of what they do get comes from dog food reps.    There are LOTS of people who feed their dogs raw or homecooked diets and who have very healthy dogs - despite the dire warnings that come from a lot of vets.

    Keep in mind that dogs evolved on raw meat and that the introduction of commercial dog foods is a fairly new development.  What you are going to have to find out is the type and the amount of fat that your particular dog can handle.  People who have dogs with EPI are the best people to advise you.

    What are you feeding right now?

    Kimw30
    How do I find a vet school.  I live in vidalia georgia.

    There is a good vet school in Athens, Georgia, but that is a 3-hr drive for you.  http://www.vet.uga.edu/

    There are several that are closer to you, but you would need to find out if they have a small animal section.  I have no idea how good all the other schools are.  The 3 closest to you don't show a ranking on the site below.
    http://www.educationnews.org/career-index/veterinary-schools-in-georgia/

    • Gold Top Dog

    Kimw30
    She is on cerenia and pepcid

    Cerenia is to reduce vomiting and Pepcid is to reduce stomach acid.  What kind of digestive enzymes is she taking?

    http://dogaware.com/articles/wdjepi.html

    "Enzyme supplementation is the first step in managing EPI. The dog will need pancreatic enzymes incubated on every piece of food ingested for the remainder of his or her life. The best results are usually obtained with freeze-dried, powdered porcine enzymes rather than plant enzymes or enzyme pills. Plant enzymes and enzymes in pill form do work for some, though with enzyme supplements, as with diet, much is dependent on the individual EPI dog.  Some of the most widely used prescription enzyme supplements are Viokase, Epizyme, Panakare Plus, Pancrease-V, and Pancrezyme. Bio Case V is a non-prescription generic equivalent."

    • Gold Top Dog

    Please be sure to contact these folks:

    EPI Information and Support

    • Gold Top Dog

    Sorry I missed most of this

     The nearest vet school for you that's good would be Auburn (and they are excellent).  Call their small animal hospital and see if you can self-refer.

     My other concern would be whether she had pyometra when she was spayed.  that could acount for the infection post-op and it could certainly mimic the "I don't feel good" symptoms you're seeing.

    She can only take Cerenia for a few days -- if she continues to be off food, ask the vet for Reglan. 

     But seriously?  Given the way the vet has bounced around on this?? If she doesn't get better *fast* I would go to Auburn.  It's too possible for it to be several really not good things -- but stuff that is fixable if it gets diagnosed.

    • Gold Top Dog

    calliecritturs
    The nearest vet school for you that's good would be Auburn (and they are excellent).  Call their small animal hospital and see if you can self-refer.

    That phone number is 334-844-4690.  See if your vet will do a referral first, but if he/she won't, call anyway and tell them that you are afraid you are going to lose your dog.

    http://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/hospital/appointments
    "Outside Our Practice Area (30 mile radius):

    • Appointments with specialty services at the teaching hospital are available by referral only.
    • Referrals are initiated by your regular veterinarian.
    • Walk-in appointments are not available.  All services require that clients have a scheduled appointment."

    Referral Form:
    http://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/home/teaching-hospital/companion-animals/referral-information/referral-form

    • Silver

     she is taking epizyme pancreas supplement