Originally Posted by Ellie May (Post 2553353)

The ZP looks way too high in fat.
The Evangers would need to be converted to dry matter.
I can do it for you if you can give me the moisture %.
The fat % that is recommended depends on the vet.
Usually 10% or under to start or so.

Do you have copies of the blood work that you can post?

Originally Posted by LuvMySissy (Post 2551833)

Unfortunately, I think there are many of us here with much too much experience with pancreatitis!!!!

When both vomiting and diarrhea are present, it is usually a pretty acute attack. At my vet clinic, a full blood panel is $120, the Spec cPL (which includes the cPL, TLI, folate and cobalamine levels) runs another $200. The only overnight care we've ever had with with their spaying though, and I've not had to have xrays or ultrasound.

The full blood panel is just as important (if not more so) than the Spec cPL, as you need to know the amalayse and lypase levels and immune system markers are also very important. Even in an acute attack, the cPL can still be normal. However, all of these tests are important in making an accurate diagnosis. It seems like from lots of the threads here that most vets automatically go with a pancreatitis diagnosis. However, if immune system markers are off and TLI is either high or low, combined with folate and cobalamine levels, many times there is truly an intestinal disorder of some kind rather than a true pancreatitis. Early detection and diagnosis when dealing with intestinal disorders can mean the difference in a long and healthy life!!!

Unfortuantely, yorkies are also prone to intestinal disorders such as Protein Losing Enteropathy, IBD, and such.

Special diets are almost always in order - low in fat, many times low in protein and also limited ingredients. There are also many great supplements out there to help your baby, such as a probiotic.

Cyndi's Izzy (IzzyPrincess) just had her 2nd hospitalization in 4 months for pancreatitis. This last one was 2 nights and cost close to $1000.

Good luck and feel free to PM me!!!!

Originally Posted by chandracz (Post 2553540)

What is IBD?

Originally Posted by Ellie May (Post 2553425)

It looks like about 23% fat which is way too much...

Originally Posted by LuvMySissy (Post 2553331)

Ziwi Peak is a great food, but unfortunately the fat content is too high. I don't know much about Evanger's wet food. We are using The Honest Kitchen Preference (which is the veggie/fruit mixture) That I add cooked Salmon and Talapia to for one meal each day. The other meal is The Honest Kitchen Embark (turkey is the meat source). Sissy has done great on this, but her diagnosis was intestinal disease not pancreatitis.

I do know that Mango (Laurenr) is also using The Honest Kitchen Preference mixed with Salmon for one meal and Primal Venison for the other. Chicken tends to be very high in fat content in comparison to Venison, Turkey, Pheasant and Rabbit, so these are the recommended protein sources.

Home cooking is often recommended as well. If your vet doesn't feel the need for a special diet now, I would personally avoid any "prescription" diet foods sold at the vets and use that money instead to formulate a solid nutrition plan with a consultant.

Originally Posted by LoveMyGirlz (Post 2553668)

How can I figure this out on my own so I can check out other foods? Oh and thank you ;)

Originally Posted by LoveMyGirlz (Post 2553687)

I just may have to contact the nutritionist. Do you ONLY use the Preference version of the Honest Kitchen or are the others ok? Do you use raw meats or do you cook yours? I was home cooking for a while...chicken/brown rice and veggies, and they suddenly all stopped eating it! Like they got bored? IDK? They loved loved loved it initially, and then they turned up their noses :rolleyes:

Originally Posted by LoveMyGirlz (Post 2553689)

OH! And treats? Honest Kitchen treats? My girls just love freeze dried liver - is this ok??

Originally Posted by LuvMySissy (Post 2553790)

We use THK Preference with cooked Salmon & Talapia. Sissy gets only 1/2-1 oz of fish in hers as she needs to be lower protein. That is one meal, the other is Embark prepared just as is - nothing added. We do not use the other formulas as she cannot have chicken (that rules out Force and Thrive and she doesn't care for Verve. We could use Keen if we wanted to). We don't use any other raw as I simply cannot get Sissy to eat any of the medallions or grind formulas. If she would eat them, that would be our 2nd meal with the Preference with fish remaining as our first meal. Acceptable meats for her are rabbit, venison, turkey, pheasant and quail.



Liver is very high in fat content, so my guess would be no.

For treats, we use Farmstand Apple or Carrot Slices by Cloud Star. They are super lowfat and break off into tiny pieces. We also like Fruitables Pumkin & Apple treats, but these are limited as they are a little higher in fat.

Originally Posted by chestermama (Post 2554976)

My girlfriends dog has had problems with pancreatitis, yorkies are more prone and females are more prone to I think, I would look into a low fat food, my friend feeds her dog the solid gold low fat and has done very well with it. No fatty foods, that will trigger it pork, cheese, peanut butter lots of stuff. The whole dog journal recently had some info on pancreatitis, about protein levels and how to figure how how rich a food really is by calories and stuff, very good article. They will send you past issues, november 2008 issue and the dec 2008 as well, I could copy them off and send them to you if you are interested, pm me sandy