why are they always sick on the weekend? - YorkieTalk.com Forums

anab1 · 12-13-2008, 04:29 PM

My yorkie is a spayed female and is 6 years old. 2 years ago she appeared to have a run in with pancreatitis and has been on Hills Prescription I/D diet ever since. Since then, she has these occasional "episodes" that I try to take in stride but end up stressing me out and making me worry myself to pieces. It starts with her starting to shake a little, then she contorts herself into awkward poses, stands on two legs, with her head torqued around, falls over, etc. I pick her up and try to keep her calm and relaxed and then she usually throws up.. sometimes twice.. then seems to feel better for a while. Then after about.. oh 6 or so hours, she'll try and eat a little and then it starts all over. When she had the pancreatitis the vets told me to pick up her food and water for 24 hours.. but when she is like this she gets very thirsty, as you can well imagine. So today, Saturday, she woke up and went out. Ate her breakfast and an hour or so after that, she did the routine above and threw up her food.. settled down for about 20 minutes then routine repeats and she threw up some foamy chunkless stuff. Then I took her for a little walk ( because she gets very happywhen she goes for walks) and she was fine for the rest of the day. Then she decided to have a bite to eat for dinner and has been unwell ever since. She threw up twice again.. with chunks then without. It's now midnight, she's thirsty and shaky but hasn't thrown up again. She wont' settle down and I expect her gut is very uncomfortable. I've been letting her have small licks of water and even made a bit of sugar water for her and given her about a couple tablespoons of that. She just looks at me with that "fix it, mom" look and I don't know what to do to make her more comfortable. I will probably call the emergency vet if she's not settled down by morning but in the meantime, any suggestions? advice? etc?

patty58 · 12-13-2008, 04:46 PM

Oh I don't have any answers for you but wanted to welcome you to YT. I know there are some very knowledgable people on here who will be able to give you some advice. Good luck.

anab1 · 12-13-2008, 04:53 PM

Thanks Patty. I'm crossing my fingers but she's settled down now and sleeping now that the lights are off. I've got a movie going on my laptop so I can stay awake to make sure she stays comfortable for this first hour or so. Then I can relax and hope she's better tomorrow.

Patti · 12-13-2008, 05:14 PM

Sorry to hear your baby is sick. Mine also only get sick at night and weekends. I hope she is settled for the night and you can both get some sleep and that she wakes up feeling better. Maybe you can ask the vet for medicine to help her when she has these episodes.

Ellie May · 12-13-2008, 07:18 PM

I'm not really sure what advice to give because the vets are saying when this happens that food should be withheld for 24 hours but usually pancreatitis is considered a disease where hospitalization is required if they keep throwing up. If she dehydrates, her electrolytes can get out of balance which is very dangerous. I'm not sure that sugar water is the answer either.

A lot of her symptoms do sound like pancreatitis but not the falling over part. That sounds a bit neurological and I'd have her bile acids tested for liver function just to make sure there isn't another issue going on here in addition to her pancreas issue.

yorkiezfamily · 12-13-2008, 10:23 PM

My heart goes out to you! Please keep us updated. I cant imagine the worry you must feel. I must admit, I did not know anything about this particular problem so researched a little and posted it below for those of us who are not knowledable...

A little about the pancreas:

The pancreas is a V-shaped organ located behind the stomach and the first section of the small intestine, the duodenum. It has two main functions: it aids in metabolism of sugar in the body through the production of insulin, and is necessary for the digestion of nutrients by producing pancreatic enzymes. These enzymes help the body promote the digestion and absorption of nutrients from food. Acute pancreatitis is a sudden onset of pancreatic inflammation.

The goal of treatment is to rest the pancreas, provide supportive care and control complications. If vomiting is severe, treatment usually begins with a withholding of food, water, and oral medications for at least 24 hours. The lack of oral intake stops the stimulation of the pancreas to produce digestive enzymes. Depending upon the animal's response food intake can be started again after a day or more. The pet is generally fed small meals of a bland, easily digestible, high-carbohydrate, low-fat food. Over the course of a week or more, the size of meals and quantity of food fed are increased. The dog may need to stay on a special diet for life, or it may be possible to gradually reintroduce the former diet. High-fat diets or treats should be avoided.

The signs of pancreatitis include but are not limited too: anorexia, vomiting, dehydration, and fever. Sometimes you will notice abdominal pain, diarrhea, and collapse. The treatment for pancreatitis generally includes IV fluids. The fluids will rehydrate the animal and the treatment will also balance electrolytes. The animal will be taken off of food and water for a few days, just until the vomiting stops, the fluids will maintain the animal until oral food and water can be given. Medications for pain, as well as antibiotics, are usually a part of the protocol.

The second major component of treatment is fluid therapy. Dehydration and electrolyte imbalances are common in dogs with acute pancreatitis, and water intake is often restricted so fluid therapy is usually needed. Fluids are either given subcutaneously or intravenous.

Acute pancreatitis can be a life-threatening condition, and early recognition and treatment can improve chances of recovery. In dogs, fever, lack of appetite, depression and vomiting are the most common signs. Treatment is based upon reducing or stopping all oral intake to rest the pancreas, correcting the dehydration and maintaining proper fluid and electrolyte balances, and treating any complications or underlying conditions.

My Note: we have given injections subQ with sterile iv solution and glucose if necessary. Sure has worked very quickly with any dehydration issues when the animal cannot hold anything down. I wouldn't begin to know the dosage for a small Yorkie however... As you said, this always seems to happen on the weekend when vets are not readily available in some locations. I will be asking my vet about the subQ injections for dehydration and glucose. It may not be feasible for a small yorkie, but has worked for my 5 pound lambs per his instruction. So maybe it could work to see them through a day or two when a vet would be available??? Just an idea.... I have given the glucose injection at vets prescribed dosage to a lamb that was almost clinically dead, (born weak with no strengh to suck or bottle) the glucose works quickly and in no time it was up and nursing... Really dont know if it would appy to our babies, but I will ask my vet. Would be nice to use for dehydration use and glucose boost if need be, as a temporary emergency fix until veterinary care could be obtained.

Yorkieluv · 12-14-2008, 01:03 PM

While her symptoms may sound like pancreatitis, they also sound neurological or liver related to me as well, especially the part of her turning her head and falling over...
Has her liver function been tested? Has she had a bile acid test to rule out liver disease? It almost sounds like pre-seizure activity...

Have you had her strictly on i/d when she does this? or is it when you give something else? Do you know what triggers this?

anab1 · 12-14-2008, 01:40 PM

Thanks for the words of advice and comfort all. I was getting a bit overwrought myself last night. My girl finally settled down at about 1am and slept through the night and seems right as rain today, although she hasn't eaten much to speak of.
My girl is highly strung and can get overwrought when she doesn't get her way and I think what triggered this episode is that I was sadly ignoring her while eating my breakfast yesterday at the bar in my kitchen. I looked down after I was done and she was shaking at my feet and it all snowballed from there. I think her symptoms are mostly stress related. She gets wound up and it triggers this vomiting and tight gut behaviour. Perhaps a bit like irritable bowel syndrome in humans. I would say that her behaviour and symptoms were very different than the time she had pancreatitis (which was triggered by eating a bloody fat ball that had fallen to the ground in my neighbours garden. (fat ball = suet and birdseed thing for feeding birds in winter)
She is strictly on I/D and she does get a very small quantity of treats which are also designed to be low fat and for dogs with sensitive tums. maybe like 3 kibble sized pieces a day.. if even that many. She does vacuum up anything you might spill whilst eating or preparing food in the kitchen though I can usually get stuff up off the floor before she does.
She's due to go to the vet for her yearly in a couple of weeks and I intend to ask for a medication I can keep on hand to relax her stomach/gut cramps when this happens again.

thanks again all.

12-13-2008, 04:29 PM	#1
anab1 YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Blackburn, UK Posts: 3	why are they always sick on the weekend? My yorkie is a spayed female and is 6 years old. 2 years ago she appeared to have a run in with pancreatitis and has been on Hills Prescription I/D diet ever since. Since then, she has these occasional "episodes" that I try to take in stride but end up stressing me out and making me worry myself to pieces. It starts with her starting to shake a little, then she contorts herself into awkward poses, stands on two legs, with her head torqued around, falls over, etc. I pick her up and try to keep her calm and relaxed and then she usually throws up.. sometimes twice.. then seems to feel better for a while. Then after about.. oh 6 or so hours, she'll try and eat a little and then it starts all over. When she had the pancreatitis the vets told me to pick up her food and water for 24 hours.. but when she is like this she gets very thirsty, as you can well imagine. So today, Saturday, she woke up and went out. Ate her breakfast and an hour or so after that, she did the routine above and threw up her food.. settled down for about 20 minutes then routine repeats and she threw up some foamy chunkless stuff. Then I took her for a little walk ( because she gets very happywhen she goes for walks) and she was fine for the rest of the day. Then she decided to have a bite to eat for dinner and has been unwell ever since. She threw up twice again.. with chunks then without. It's now midnight, she's thirsty and shaky but hasn't thrown up again. She wont' settle down and I expect her gut is very uncomfortable. I've been letting her have small licks of water and even made a bit of sugar water for her and given her about a couple tablespoons of that. She just looks at me with that "fix it, mom" look and I don't know what to do to make her more comfortable. I will probably call the emergency vet if she's not settled down by morning but in the meantime, any suggestions? advice? etc?

12-13-2008, 04:46 PM	#2
patty58 Donating YT 5000 Club Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: texas Posts: 5,272	Oh I don't have any answers for you but wanted to welcome you to YT. I know there are some very knowledgable people on here who will be able to give you some advice. Good luck. __________________ Decide To Make It A Good Day

12-13-2008, 05:14 PM	#4
Patti Donating YT 30K Club Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Illinois Posts: 35,509 Blog Entries: 6	Sorry to hear your baby is sick. Mine also only get sick at night and weekends. I hope she is settled for the night and you can both get some sleep and that she wakes up feeling better. Maybe you can ask the vet for medicine to help her when she has these episodes. __________________ Cali Pixie Roxie : RIP Nikki; RIP Maya;RIP my sweet Dixie girl 1/17/08 http://callipuppyscastle.bravehost.com/index.html

12-13-2008, 07:18 PM	#5
Ellie May And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI Posts: 17,928	I'm not really sure what advice to give because the vets are saying when this happens that food should be withheld for 24 hours but usually pancreatitis is considered a disease where hospitalization is required if they keep throwing up. If she dehydrates, her electrolytes can get out of balance which is very dangerous. I'm not sure that sugar water is the answer either. A lot of her symptoms do sound like pancreatitis but not the falling over part. That sounds a bit neurological and I'd have her bile acids tested for liver function just to make sure there isn't another issue going on here in addition to her pancreas issue. __________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶

12-13-2008, 10:23 PM	#6
yorkiezfamily Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: great lakes state Posts: 154	For those of us who are not familiar with pancreas issues My heart goes out to you! Please keep us updated. I cant imagine the worry you must feel. I must admit, I did not know anything about this particular problem so researched a little and posted it below for those of us who are not knowledable... A little about the pancreas: The pancreas is a V-shaped organ located behind the stomach and the first section of the small intestine, the duodenum. It has two main functions: it aids in metabolism of sugar in the body through the production of insulin, and is necessary for the digestion of nutrients by producing pancreatic enzymes. These enzymes help the body promote the digestion and absorption of nutrients from food. Acute pancreatitis is a sudden onset of pancreatic inflammation. The goal of treatment is to rest the pancreas, provide supportive care and control complications. If vomiting is severe, treatment usually begins with a withholding of food, water, and oral medications for at least 24 hours. The lack of oral intake stops the stimulation of the pancreas to produce digestive enzymes. Depending upon the animal's response food intake can be started again after a day or more. The pet is generally fed small meals of a bland, easily digestible, high-carbohydrate, low-fat food. Over the course of a week or more, the size of meals and quantity of food fed are increased. The dog may need to stay on a special diet for life, or it may be possible to gradually reintroduce the former diet. High-fat diets or treats should be avoided. The signs of pancreatitis include but are not limited too: anorexia, vomiting, dehydration, and fever. Sometimes you will notice abdominal pain, diarrhea, and collapse. The treatment for pancreatitis generally includes IV fluids. The fluids will rehydrate the animal and the treatment will also balance electrolytes. The animal will be taken off of food and water for a few days, just until the vomiting stops, the fluids will maintain the animal until oral food and water can be given. Medications for pain, as well as antibiotics, are usually a part of the protocol. The second major component of treatment is fluid therapy. Dehydration and electrolyte imbalances are common in dogs with acute pancreatitis, and water intake is often restricted so fluid therapy is usually needed. Fluids are either given subcutaneously or intravenous. Acute pancreatitis can be a life-threatening condition, and early recognition and treatment can improve chances of recovery. In dogs, fever, lack of appetite, depression and vomiting are the most common signs. Treatment is based upon reducing or stopping all oral intake to rest the pancreas, correcting the dehydration and maintaining proper fluid and electrolyte balances, and treating any complications or underlying conditions. My Note: we have given injections subQ with sterile iv solution and glucose if necessary. Sure has worked very quickly with any dehydration issues when the animal cannot hold anything down. I wouldn't begin to know the dosage for a small Yorkie however... As you said, this always seems to happen on the weekend when vets are not readily available in some locations. I will be asking my vet about the subQ injections for dehydration and glucose. It may not be feasible for a small yorkie, but has worked for my 5 pound lambs per his instruction. So maybe it could work to see them through a day or two when a vet would be available??? Just an idea.... I have given the glucose injection at vets prescribed dosage to a lamb that was almost clinically dead, (born weak with no strengh to suck or bottle) the glucose works quickly and in no time it was up and nursing... Really dont know if it would appy to our babies, but I will ask my vet. Would be nice to use for dehydration use and glucose boost if need be, as a temporary emergency fix until veterinary care could be obtained. __________________ Addsion & JessicaAdopted 10/17/08 Consider a rescue! I always love to talk Yorkies!

12-13-2008, 04:53 PM	#3
anab1 YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Blackburn, UK Posts: 3	Thanks Patty. I'm crossing my fingers but she's settled down now and sleeping now that the lights are off. I've got a movie going on my laptop so I can stay awake to make sure she stays comfortable for this first hour or so. Then I can relax and hope she's better tomorrow.

12-14-2008, 01:03 PM	#7
Yorkieluv Donating YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: USA Posts: 7,178	While her symptoms may sound like pancreatitis, they also sound neurological or liver related to me as well, especially the part of her turning her head and falling over... Has her liver function been tested? Has she had a bile acid test to rule out liver disease? It almost sounds like pre-seizure activity... Have you had her strictly on i/d when she does this? or is it when you give something else? Do you know what triggers this? __________________ Miko 's his Mommy Last edited by Yorkieluv; 12-14-2008 at 01:05 PM.

12-14-2008, 01:40 PM	#8
anab1 YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Blackburn, UK Posts: 3	Thanks for the words of advice and comfort all. I was getting a bit overwrought myself last night. My girl finally settled down at about 1am and slept through the night and seems right as rain today, although she hasn't eaten much to speak of. My girl is highly strung and can get overwrought when she doesn't get her way and I think what triggered this episode is that I was sadly ignoring her while eating my breakfast yesterday at the bar in my kitchen. I looked down after I was done and she was shaking at my feet and it all snowballed from there. I think her symptoms are mostly stress related. She gets wound up and it triggers this vomiting and tight gut behaviour. Perhaps a bit like irritable bowel syndrome in humans. I would say that her behaviour and symptoms were very different than the time she had pancreatitis (which was triggered by eating a bloody fat ball that had fallen to the ground in my neighbours garden. (fat ball = suet and birdseed thing for feeding birds in winter) She is strictly on I/D and she does get a very small quantity of treats which are also designed to be low fat and for dogs with sensitive tums. maybe like 3 kibble sized pieces a day.. if even that many. She does vacuum up anything you might spill whilst eating or preparing food in the kitchen though I can usually get stuff up off the floor before she does. She's due to go to the vet for her yearly in a couple of weeks and I intend to ask for a medication I can keep on hand to relax her stomach/gut cramps when this happens again. thanks again all.