# Pancreatitis



## cjc (Oct 12, 2016)

I am wondering if anyone has any experience with dogs that have Pancreatitis. I have a Chihuahua that got Pancreatitis a few years ago and almost died from it, I managed to get her healthy again. When she got it, it made sense. I took her to a party where everyone was feeding her, she started throwing up that night a TON and ended up getting a hernia. I took her into the vet to get the hernia repaired and that's when the Pancreatitis was found. It ended up getting worse and worse and worse until I ended up taking her into a vet specialist where she stayed for a week and slowly got better. At that time I remembered the specialist saying one reason they felt it got so much worse was because the vet who initially treated it was using antibiotics and the use of antibiotics can be counter productive. This dog still has bouts or attacks from this and now I have to be very careful what hits her stomach, but it is manageable.

The other day my Rat Terrier, he's an old dog, 12 years old, started deciding he wasn't eating anymore. After 2.5 days I took him to the vet and it was Pancreatitis. The vet again has put him on antibiotics like she did our other dog. That and metronidazole. He is eating again now and seems to be fine but his levels were no where near as high as our other dogs when she got sick, so this is a minor case. I am really confused by this one as well as this dog is on a very strict diet due to having cushings disease and 4 bouts of kidney stones.

I am wondering if anyone has ever had a dog with Pancreatitis? What was the treatment? I am just worried about these antibiotics because of what happened to my other dog.


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## babsbag (Oct 13, 2016)

@samssimonsays  Didn't Rumley have Pancreatitis when he first got sick?


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## samssimonsays (Oct 13, 2016)

Rumely is a 145# Saint Bernard/Great Pyrenees mix who was not even two years old. He got into bear bait at the neighbors property that caused pancreatitis. From how it was explained by our really good vet was that anything can trigger it. Even if they have been eating something their entire life. Systems change but they very well could have eaten something you didn't see, dogs are sneaky. Makes sense. BUT, it is more likely to occur in older dogs from what my vet explained as well. A change in diet can be a huge factor. Rum was on antibiotics for an entire month and what he got into had a dog affecting neurotoxin in it and it triggered severe seizure activity so he has also been on meds for that as well. Antibiotics are more times than not used to treat it BUT, that doesn't FIX it if you don't know what caused it. Some have a fluke flare up, others are caused by something. It is normal for them to have flare ups once they have had a case of it according to the 3 vets I have now seen with Rumely.


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## cjc (Oct 18, 2016)

Thanks for your story. The plot has thickened slightly for my 2 dogs. One 10 one 12, both little dogs. They both now have acute pancreatitis AND Cushing's disease. Vet says "this is just a story of really bad luck". Cushing's disease happens but it is by no means so common that both of my dogs should have it. They both eat the same food, Medi-cal  Urinary SO as one of my dogs has constant stones. She says food has nothing to do with it in this case but I just don't believe it. I think I have to risk the stones and take my dogs off of this food. Cushing's disease is VERY price to treat, about $500 per dog a month. But on top of that it is also very time consuming and taxing. You can push the dogs into seizures or death very easily if you don't pay very close attention to them.


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## babsbag (Oct 18, 2016)

That does seem a little coincidental and I would be suspect of the food as well. I would also look at some homeopathic support for them as well as the treatment that your vet suggests.


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## cjc (Oct 18, 2016)

Yes I think I will take them to a local animal nutritionist. I put them on some homeopathic support a few years ago when the first dog got pancreatitis and the other was battling stones. Strangely the recommendations of the homeopathic doctor caused both dogs to have really elevated levels of calcium. I didn't realize it could be a bad thing but it is when you are dealing with calcium oxalate stones. Well my poor puppies and my poor bank account haha.

Both dogs are getting ultrasounds next week as both have inflamed livers and swollen adrenal glands. Just so odd.


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## Green Acres Farm (Oct 18, 2016)




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## samssimonsays (Oct 18, 2016)

I too would suspect food. I had a vet try to prescribe science diet for my cat with stones. I refused. I know enough about science diet from my nutrition classes to know I don't want my animals eating it. I switched him to royal canine prescription food instead and he did great. He almost died from a urinary blockage caused by a stone. Who knew! If you have a holistic vet near you, and not sure how you feel about raw feeding but I have heard miracle stories about raw diets curing more than cushings :/ good luck and I pray it all turns out for the better for them both!


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## cjc (Oct 18, 2016)

Thanks so much! I may be wrong but I believe Science Diet and Medi-cal may be the same company so that's no good.

I may go back to trying the raw diet. My Chihuahua just throws up each time I feed it to her and cleaning blood off the carpet is never fun! I will let you know how I make out with the appointments. Thanks for your help.


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## samssimonsays (Oct 18, 2016)

Good luck!


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## Green Acres Farm (Oct 18, 2016)

Read these reviews:

https://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/science_diet.html

People are saying this is causing vomiting in their cats, pancreatitis in dogs, etc.!!!


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