Pet Lovers

[nada54]

@chiclet   That is a great sign!   When you said he wasn't eating that did not sound good.

One of my dogs got pancreatitis before,  he had another injury and they gave him pain medication for it,  I believe the pain medication was too much for his belly and that is what brought on the pancreatitis.

They then gave him a different medicine to coat his belly and he loved eating plain white rice and boiled chicken breasts.

I hope things continue to improve for you guys.   

[Sammycat1]

@chiclet 

Good news that your pup is eating!  That is a miracle in and of itself. I have a cat with chronic pancreatitis and something called "triad disease" where the pancreas, liver/gallbladder and small intestine can go berserk all together or one organ at a time. This is a condition of ongoing management in dogs and cats. But there are some helpers.

A few tips: 

- Cerenia has a pain relief component but it's mostly for nausea--and dogs and cats with this have more nausea than you think. Insist on the injectable variety...it gets to work faster and avoids the problem of giving a dog a pill when they're nauseated to begin with.

- Cerenia is NOT enough pain relief for pancreatitis on its own. Insist on something stronger, such an buprenorphine (buprenex) to do the heavy lifting. At first we were given gabapentin, but as in people, that's best for nerve/spine pain. Proper pain control alone may help your pup feel better.

- Ask about subcutaneous fluids that you can administer at home. They're less expensive and help hydrate your pup.

- Take your dog's temperature. The first sign of trouble (besides vomiting) is a fever on the rise and excessive drinking.

Best of luck to your family. This is a tough condition and we have lived it for a number of years. The key for us is learning to read the tea leaves, having medicine on hand, in the house, ready to go when trouble comes knocking. Our goal is quality of life, not quantity, and with your vet's help, you hopefully can get your dog back to more of an even keel.

That he's eating is fantastic!  Rice and chicken breast (no seasonings!) also got our collie who was ill many years ago back on his feet.

Prayers from our pancreatitis family to yours!

[chiclet]

Again thank you all.  It has been so helptful just to have people to talk to.  I am not happy with this vet.  Some vets are like some doctors they go by what they have been taught and never listen to you.  Every person is different and so are dogs.  We have been with this dog for 14 years and know how difficult he is about eating.  She never suggested anything but the science diet. She believed that if he was well enough to eat the canned food he would and if he didnt he was still sick.  They never tried or suggested to me anything but the canned dog food.  Most dogs will eat anything if hungry  enough but this dog would literally starve himself to death before eating food he does not like.  When I gave him the rice and boiled ground up chicken breast he ate it up.  My Pomeranian thought the canned science diet food was the best thing he ever had.  They are all different and the vets need to listen and understand all dogs don't react the same.   I remember when we took vacations and took him and the other dogs he would eat very little till we got back home.  If I feed him when my husband is taking a nap or gone to the store he won't eat till he is right where he can see him.  Difficult dog for sure.  

[nada54]

@chiclet    One of my dogs will eat ANYTHING!    The other one refuses if I don't put a little something extra in his bowl.  He will keep pushing the bowl and flipping it over.  lol    They all have different personalities.   The bowl flipper is the one who had the pancreatitis before.  I think its because he got very spoiled with all the boiled chicken.  After 14 years   your dog deserves all the spoiling you can give.

I hope things keep improving for you guys.

[Marp]

chiclett,  I can certainly sympathize with you about picky eaters.  My now deceased Pom mix would only eat one style of one brand for the 17 years he was with me-Beneful Simmered Chicken.  He would occasionally eat chicken or turkey I cooked and canned tuna but beyond that only the Beneful Simmered Chicken.