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Originally Posted by Ellie May  I know of no real exercise restrictions with pancreatitis. I'd hold off the walks for a few days. Then short leash walks only for awhile would probably be best.
I'd talk to the vet about swimming. The possibility of gulping heavily chlorinated water is concerning. So I'd say this is out for awhile.
Also though, you can stop him from not jumping in. You'll be right there to slap hands when people try to give him food. He probably should be watched around grass because eating it may not be good for him now. |
Thanks! Yeah, I could stop him from jumping it for sure. But I didn't want to have to if it wasn't necessary. He enjoys the water so much and it's such a great form of exercise for him in the summer. I'll ask if swims with his lifejacket on are better, since his head doesn't really go under ever with it on... it rarely goes under with it off, but occasionally it will, so lifejacket may be better.
Btw, I just thought of something. Don't know why this just crossed my mind. You might remember I posted a thread a few months ago, maybe May-ish, that he yelped when I barely touched his side a few times in one day -- thought it was odd. Maybe it was pancreatitis, he just wasn't showing any other symptoms, I wonder if it had been building up since then and all the food Friday just made it completely flare up? Just a thought.
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Originally Posted by kjc About your belief: For the sake of argument consider the wolf in the wild who hunts a rabbit and eats the whole thing. Are we agreed that this happens?
Exactly though what did he eat? If the rabbit just had a meal of grasses, berries seeds and whatever rabbits eat in the wild, and has a full stomach, then in fact the wolf has ingested this and the rabbit's intestines, so predigested non meat foods. On TV the wildlife programs show the order in which an animal is consumed after it is killed... I believe the guts is in the top 3. Also may be given to wild pups as that is where the digestive enzymes and bacteria are, and would be easier for the youngsters to digest. ... just something to think about....
As for your vet visit: call in advance and let the vet know that you want to discuss some specific dog foods and nutrition with him in more detail. Let him know you would be willing to pay for an extended office visit, to accomodate for the extra time this may involve. This tells them that you are serious and willing to pay for his expertise on the subject. He will appreciate your consideration that his time is important and that his knowledge is valued. It also allows the office to accomodate your request and will allow him to adjust his scheduling accordingly.
'Natural' vs 'Rx' diets: "Natural' diets are just that, or supposed to be all natural, or ingredients found in nature. Organic? IDK, and I am not sure if the FDA backs these claims, as they are getting involved with the same battle with food labeling in the grocery stores. So, if these foods are not regulated, then I am guessing here, but there may be issues with consistency, which would not affect a 'healthy' dog per se, but may not be the best choice for a dog that may now be prone to pancreatitis.
Prescription diets are scientifically developed and manufactured within specific guidelines to be beneficial for specific disorders in pets. Any deviation in the process could cause illness and/or unbalanced nutritional disorders in the pets being fed the diets. Natural? Maybe not, but a consistant, proven recipe for specific ailments, and may be considered 'supportive medical care'.
Two ingredients in the foods you are looking at have raised some concern with me. One is Bison. This, I believe, would be considered an 'exotic' protein source. Is Bison regulated so that you're feeding the same, consistant quality of food with each bag your open to feed your dog?
Lamb has become a popular ingredient in pet foods recently, and is often used as an alternative protein when dealing with protein allergies. Some dogs do well on it, others cannot tolerate it.
Your vet recommended the foods he did from his prior experience and education in the field. He has confidence that these foods will not hamper Jackson's recovery in any way, and are balanced and safe to sustain growth and maintenance of the canine body.
Also, watch the oils. Canola oil may not be the best, as it is a by-product of a manufacturing process of something else, corn I think. It used to be discarded, till some genius decided we could eat it and he could make money selling it. In some conditions, salmon oil may not be recommended.
As for my nickel's worth, lol... I'd ask him about Coconut oil. But that's just me. You may want to ask him for a better quality, okay if it's more expensive diet that would be good for Jackson and that you would personally feel better about feeding him. Sometimes vet's choices involve what the 'average' dog owner is willing to do for their pet, and how much the 'average' dog owner is willing to spend on food.
I'd print out anything you want to talk about, maybe leave it with him if he agrees to do futher research on a food for Jackson. Make a list of your questions and concerns too, and a copy for him that will jog his memory after a busy day... also tell him that Jackson is a 'performace' dog.... you need recommendations on exercise and training, makes sense that you're seeking a better grade food... |
Thanks for your fantastic post. I'm not going to get into the whole food debate right now just because it's been done so many times before, lol. I feel just how Ellie May feels about garlic, like she said. I don't feel corn, or grains, are a necessary part of their diet but I don't think it's going to necessarily hurt them, either. I don't think the amount that a wolf eats is significant enough to be considered a major part of their diet. I'm also not necessarily saying our canine pets ARE wolves, either, or anything. But yeah, there's my brief feelings. If you do a search, you can see some of my past thoughts.
But now I am in a different situation. I do have a "sick" dog and I am NOT an expert in this, lol. So I'm re-learning everything I already "knew" and making it work for Jackson and what I feel he will do best on in his current situation. It's hard for me because he was sincerely doing so well on his previous diet, minus all the junky human foods he was consuming, so this is weird for me. But like I've said, and even said in the past before this happened, if my dog NEEDS to be on an RX food I wouldn't hesitate but that I didn't like certain brands of food for a perfectly healthy dog. But, I suppose my dog is no more "perfectly healthy" so yeah.
Also, that is a great question about bison. I read it was a very lean meat source which I thought was a good thing but yes, I am not sure where it's supplied from. Natural Balance also has a Reduced Calorie formula which does contain some grains but very low in fat and calories.
Believe me, I am taking all of your advice into my brain, taking the advice and expertise of Jackson's vet, as well as trying to inform MYSELF so that I feel like I have some knowledge about what is going into Jackson's mouth and feeling confident about it. I always felt very confident about his diet before so it's odd having this lack of it right now.