Originally Posted by llapan  Again, thanks to all who continue to offer advice on Miss Kitty's management post- what we all believe is an attack of Pancreatitis, although that hasn't been positively confirmed by the vet --as he still has other things to rule out (a Lepto test is supposed to be ready by Wednesday--that is my vet's last concern--that it could be that instead of Pancreatitis).
First, concerning everyone's continued speculation that perhaps a Thanksgiving guest surreptiously fed Miss Kitty something fatty--bringing on the attack of (probably) Pancreatititis--that's impossible, as we had no guests on Thanksgiving. We were packing for a temporary move / our old house sold / our new house is being built). But--the Royal Canin Babydog 30 which WAS her regular dry food (before the attack) has a very high fat content (20%). Not that she ever eats a lot of the dry, but some days she does choose that over the wet offerings I give her on the same plate (chicken or beef baby food / chicken liver, etc.). As I've posted, the night of the start of her sickness, she ate only chicken liver off her plate of four small offerings of her various foods (which always included the Royal Canin Babydog 30). However, a meal or two prior to the meal where she ate only the liver, I can't remember exactly when--she ate only the Royal Babydog 30--turning up her nose at the other offerings on her plate. (You will recall from prior postings that, due to her finicky eating--I had been giving her four different choices, each meal (each just a small portion)and that she rotated as to which was her "favorite of the day/meal"--and that she would eat one choice that particular meal, pretty much leaving all the rest almost entirely untouched. So, if anything caused the Pancreatitis attack (if that's what it was) then it was probably the Royal Canin Babydog 30, don't you think? That had, by far, the highest fat content of any of the other food offerings I ever offered her for consumption.
Next, concerning postings that I must never deviate from her vet-recommended food, so as to avoid future Pancreatitis attacks, I have to ask a question about the one treat I've been giving her to assist in training her to come, to sit, etc. Especially, I need a treat to reward her for coming--because otherwise, she plays "keep away" from me. (I keep a very light leash on her (while she is loose), when outside, so that, if I go to pick her up, and she starts the "keep away" game, I can simply step on the leash to stop her flight, then pick her up. But, I prefer to instead reward her WHEN she comes (and she's been getting better about it, knowing there's a treat at the end if she comes, then sits on command, and stays still so I can pick her up without "trapping her" with the leash). The lunch mean (Oscar Mayer) that I've previously used for the treat--the ONLY food that she never turns her nose up, are cut into miniscule slivers--I'm talking probably 50 to 75 pieces out of a single THIN slice of lunch meat. In fact, the pieces of ham are SO SMALL, that when I give a piece to my Corgi, after wolfing it down, she always immediately searches the ground to see if she dropped it -- she can't actually taste that she swallowed anything!! (I generally carry different, bigger size treats for rewarding my Corgi, while training outside.) Anway, the fat content for the ham, according to the packaging, is only 3% / the protein is 10% / the salt is less than 2%. Can I not continue to use that ham as the treat for outside potty breaks? In the past, I NEVER gave her more than 3 or 4 tiny slivers of ham per potty breaks (which generally come every 2 to 3 to 4 hours--depending on her requests to go out.) I only gave her those small portions BEFORE, to keep from spoiling her appetite at meal times. Now, I think it would do no harm to continue the same, very small treats, in training---and that it wouldn't endanger her in connection with possible future Pancreatitis attacks. There has to be some reward, in training--otherwise, where's the joy for her? If that ham is absolutely WRONG to give her (to manage the Pancreatitis), there is NOTHING I've discovered that is tasty enough that she would eat it everytime offered. Certainly none of the dog foods I've tried--including the vet-prescribed one, which she continues to eat inside, but turns down outside, if she has eaten within the last four hours or so. Any other suggestions? Remember, it has to be unbelievably palatable, or she won't continue to eat it--although she might eat it for a day or two. (Her appetite has slowed down, she's no longer wolfing down the vet-prescribed food, but she is continuing to eat a "life-sustainable" amount, at least.
Thanks, again, for the advice previously given, and hopefully, the advice that will come in as a result of this post. |