Very ill Yorkie - need help/advice
 

Nikki, my 12 year old female Yorkie was diagnosed with pancreatitis 10 days ago. She went through the IV thereapy and is now home on medication (anti-biotics, anti-emetics, pain and anti-inflamatory). She refuses to eat so we have to force feed her food and water with syringes. Her weight was always steady at 6 lbs. - she now weighs 4.1. Has anyone experienced this? Any ideas? The vet doesn't understand why she refuses to eat.

Sorry I can't add any advice or experience, but just wanted to say I'm sorry to hear your girl is so ill. Will keep you both in my prayers.

Have you tried special food? I know with pancreatitis you have to be careful, but if she is used to dry, maybe try some canned? Can she have home cooked chicken & brown rice? How about trying things like banana, cooked carrots, sweet potato, or pumpkin?

I am so sorry to hear Nikki is so sick. I have not had any experience with pancreatitis but several people on here have so hopefully they will be able to give you some advice. I hope she feels better soon.

I don't know anything about pancreatitis, but have you tried letting her lick some Nutri-Cal, kara syrup, honey off your finger? It might trigger her desire to eat. Is she too weak to be interested? If so, that may be why she's got no desire to eat. Even people are often not interested in eating when they are very ill. You could try boiling some chicken & offering her little bits at a time. What are you feeding her now?

Keep doing what you're doing & keep an eye on her weight. You don't want her to lose much more. Notify the vet if she continues to lose. She may not start gaining until she feels better.

Hugs coming your way!

Is she on a prescription diet?
Was extensive bloodwork done to look at everything going on?

Nikki is on prescription diet and also boiled lean beef with rice. Extensive blood work and xrays were done. The vet and I have spoken everyday. I will try the pumpkin idea. I must find something that works. Thanks for the replys!

Any reason why she is getting beef?
My Yorkie got pancreatitis after she had been eating lean roast beef for a week or so. No idea if there is a connection but I have also heard from someone else that it is not a good idea to give this to pancreatitis patients.

If you are using Science Diet, the I/D or W/D should be okay.
If she won't eat the vet will have to get her nutrients by another route.
I have no idea why she isn't eating unless her stomach is still upset.
Because she has lost 1/3 of her body weight, I would take her to an internist if her vet can't figure it out. :(

Pancreatitis (Inflammation) in Dogs

i'm sorry your babys going through this! usually dogs that won't eat can be force fed a moosy food a/d from the vet made by science diet when they absolutely won't eat anything else even the chicken and rice. but dogs who have been feed people food over many years develop Pancreatitis.

Multiple factors can contribute to the development of pancreatitis. Certain medications, infections; metabolic disorders including hyperlipidemia (high amounts of lipid in the blood) and hypercalcemia (high amounts of calcium in the blood); obesity; and trauma and shock can be associated with the development of pancreatitis. Middle-aged dogs appear to be at increased risk of developing pancreatitis; as a breed, Schnauzers and Yorkshire terriers appear to be more prone to pancreatitis. Nutrition also plays a role. Dogs with diets high in fat, dogs who have recently gotten in to the trash or have been fed table scraps, or dogs who 'steal' or are fed greasy 'people food' seem to have a higher incidence of the disease. In addition, dogs who have previously had pancreatitis or abdominal surgery appear to be more at risk.

also any pet with digestive or stomach problems are fed the i/d but its a harder food with rice chunks in it and won't really be so easy to force feed espically if your using syringes

how scary...I sure dont have any suggestions but I do have prayers, and youll be in them. Gosh I sure hope she gets better.

Pancreatitis in Yorkies
 

My first two un-related Yorkies were both diagnosed with this. The first one was terribly sick and hospitalized three times before he was diagnosed. Both dogs were placed on Hill's Prescription Diet Canine I.D. dog food for the rest of their lives. One lived to be seventeen and one to sixteen. Please ask your vet about this food. As far as I'm concerned, it worked miracles after the dogs being so horribly sick. Good luck and I hope Nikki feels better soon.:aimeeyork:aimeeyork:aimeeyork

I think this is interesting. I was told for years that Yorkies rarely are diagnosed with this.

Before the pancreatitis Nikki was on Royal Canin for Yorkies. The food she is on now is the Hill's ID. The vet wanted me to try the lean boiled beef and rice to check Nikki's interest - it did not work. Thanks for the replys and kind thoughts.

Maybe try very lean boneless, skinless chicken breast instead?

Yup, sadly not true. The longer I'm on YT, the more I hear of it.

My Trixie is in the hospital right now with pancreatitis. She was finally diagnosed yeaterday and is in the hospital til tomorrow. The nurse calls me every few hours and said she is alert and eating and drinking. I hope she likes this food they are giving her. I will do anything to help her. I just can't figure our what she ate to so this. All 3 eat health extension holistic little kibble, They have been eating this since they were 12 weeks old. I guess I have to be more alert as to what they eat. My kids are instructed not to give them anything. My children are not babies so they understand the danger. Sure hope yur little one ia feeling much better soon. My baby lost 1/2 lb in 2 days. I hope she feels better enough to eat. Good luck.

I'm so glad that your little one is doing well. Pancreatitis is horrible - and you feel so responsible, but like you I don't know what brought it on. The weight loss comes on so fast. I'll be thinking about you and precious Trixie.

Thank you so much. I do feel very guilty because everything she eats I should be watching. I feel horrible. My poor baby. We miss her terribly. We didn't go visit her today because I couldn't bear to leave her after the visit. I couldn't watch them walk away with her in their arms. Tomorrow I will be there bright and early to pick up my baby girlie and take her home where she belongs. Mu poor other 2 babies are confused and miss her too much. They constantly look for her. I can't wail til morning. She has been miserable all week. Not even lifting her little head off the pillow. I can't wait to see her awake and ready to play !! yay!!

Pancreatitis
 

I had a cocker with this problem. He had to stay on a very low fat diet for the rest of his life. Your dog may associate eating with pain at this point. Make sure he is well hydrated. You can give Pet NutriDrops to supplement. they are available at Revival. AD is way too high in fat. I wound up feeding venison and rice kibble and he did well on that for years. You can also try boiling chicken and using the broth with instant mashed potatoes as an alternative to rice if he doesn't want it. The vets at Texas A&M are the ones that redirected me to the mashed potato. hope this helps

solid gold has a low fat food that my friends dog is on she has had pancreatitis, it is called the holistique blend it has 6% fat which is low for a decent food, much better than science diet

I will try the mashed potatoes and broth. Thanks for the suggestion. This morning she drank some water and sniffed the food, but would not eat it on her own. I tried both a low fat kibble and a low fat canned food.

Do you know if this is a veterinary prescription diet or if I can buy this at a pet store?

I have a 12 year old who has been very ill with pancreatitis and he also is in stage 3 renal failure. He was in the hospital three times in a two month period...last time was about a month ago.
He has to be on a low fat (for the pancreas) and also low protein (kindneys) diet...additionally he has allergies to wheat and corn.
In researching all diets...both rx and others, I found that none of them were good for him.
You must be VERY careful in the foods you feed her. Do not feed anything that people suggest until you thoroughly review it and speak with your vet. Fat is a big no no with pancreatits as I am sure you know.
I ended up with a dietary consult with a nutritionist (he is also a vet) at Texas A & M and I have two recipes that were custom made just for Cody. The cost for this was only $120!! My vet called, spoke with him, and he made up two recipes for me...and they give exact amounts to feed...and tell me exactly what the fat and protein content is.
These pups with pancreatis are very ill and their appetites are poor. I find that I have to swap out these recipes to get him to eat...he is often very fussy.
Since I have been cooking for him, he is eating SO well and he looks amazing! He is no longer losing weight. Everyone is amazed...he was on death's door step not that long ago.
Ohh...and also he is on a medication for his appetite.. Mirtazapine It was originally used in humans as an anti-depressant. They found out that it works in animals as an appetite stimulant, an anti-emetic and an anti-nausea medication. It is amazing how well it works! You might want to ask your vet if perhaps this would help?
I hope this helps you and you can find a way to help your baby!

Nikki has always been a picky eater and has never been overweight. She always maintained 51/2 to 6 pounds until now. I am curious if the meds she is on makes the food taste different or smell different. She will smell the food and turns away. I am very aware of her limitation to fat now and have been syringe feeding her accordingly. Would love to see her eating something on her own. She does drink water on her own now which is a major improvement. Thank you for your advice. I will be talking with the vet tomorrow - can't imagine what the next steps will be.

My Cody did the same thing. They just don't feel well. They don't usually give them meds for pancreatitis...unless it is to settle their tummies. That really should not do anything but help her appetite. That medicine I mentioned has helped him tremendously. That...and I believe he loves his new food that I am cooking for him!
I do hope Nikki is better soon! Keep us updated please!

I will ask her Vet tomorrow about what you have shared with me. Thank you so much. I will let you know what happens.

Oh I am so sorry to hear about your Nikki...I agree with Ladyjane...don't feed your baby anything unless you discuss it with your vet or a nutrionist. My Izzy is 2-1/2 and first diagonosed with pancreatitis this past November - she has since then been in the hospital for this 4 times. This last time we think it's IBS with SIBO which can trigger pancreatitis. She is now on Purina EN and Purina HA. Plus supplements and Tylan - it's the Tylan right now that has been the wonder drug for her. Her stomach sounded like a freight train and then she would get violently ill and a trip to the vet was in order. The Tylan helps with the bacterial overgrowth.

She is only 3# and has always been a picky eater. Before her attack in November she was on The Honest Kitchen (freeze dried RAW) and never a problem until November. Then on Science Diet WD and ID - but when they switched her to ID she had another attack - found out the ID has pork which is a no-no for pancreatic doggies. So we went on the Purina EN which is so low in fat and protein.

What tests did you have done on her find out that she has pancreatitis? Did you have a Spec CPl and a lipase and analyse done?

Ladyjane you are so lucky to be near TAMU they are the best for this terrible illness. This is the first I am hearing about the Mirtazapine...I will have to check that out. Thank you.

I have been to A&M in the past with my very ill pups. This one was seen at Gulf Coast in Houston for his ultrasounds and work up. He had been in and out of the EC and my vet quite a few times prior to that.
The consult at A&M was done by telephone, so I did not even have to go there.
Anyone, anywhere can have their vet call for a telephone consult which is free. Then, if you want the diets, the price was $120 for Cody which I thought was very reasonable.
The vet's name there is Dr. Bauer. I did speak with him one day after I got the recipes as I had a question...I found him to be wonderful!

I just picked my Trixie up from the hospital this morning. She ate a whole small can of food when we got home. I gave her half at 1:00 and the other half at around 1-ish. I was thrilled. They rehydrated her and gave her antibiotics. They told me to feed her Royal Canin LF or Hills w/d. I hope she never has another attack again. It is very scary to watch her just lay there. She is a puppy and is supposed to play. Hope your baby feel better soon.

Maybe this will help
 

So sorry to hear about Nikki's problems. My 9 year old Yorkie, Gypsy, was hospitialized twice with pancretisis late last year. She is doing well now. Her vet put her on Royal Canin digestive low fat twice a day with Digest-Rite Pet Top Dress on one feeding. Very often for the first feeding of the day, Gypsy doesn't want to eat. When that happens, we give her some Proviable-KP paste (she licks it off my finger, really her own lips....looks like she's eating peanut butter). This seems to stimulate her appetite almost immediately. I think when dogs who tend to have this problem go too long without eating they get nauseated and don't want to eat. The vet also prescribed the Proviable. He said it's kinda lilke a doggy yogurt, replaces the good bacteria they need in their guts. I have no idea why it seems to work so quickly, but somehow it stimulates her appetite.
Hope this helps.

Becca and Gypsy and Sasha

Pancreatitis
 

Avoid fatty foods, fruits, butters and vegetable oils because their digestion stresses the pancreas. Give digestive enzymes with meals, give additional vitamin C complex with bioflavonoids and vitamin E complex. Avoid cold foods; serve foods at room or body temperature. Feed several small meals instead of 1 or 2 large meals, so as not to over stress the pancreas. The pancreas is important in the digestion of fats, and it produces insulin. Animals with chronic pancreatitis can become diabetic as the organ malfunctions.