Pancreatitis

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by drabinowitz43

Are there varying degrees of pancreatitis? When I say I am walking Joey, I mean just to do his business outside and then come in, he is not trained on pee pads. The most bizarre thing is he screams in pain when I pick him up, no matter how little pressure I apply to his body. I am beside myself. He ate a few Hepatic LS kibble (Royal Canin) because this was what the vet said I should give him (for now), but that's it for eating. Yesterday he was given fluids subcutaneously, but not an IV. The vet said he wasn't dehydrated yet. Should I get pain meds for him? I have his bloodwork results if anyone can interpret them. My vet is not in today and I would have to take him to Oradell and I'm afraid they will start doing xrays, etc., although I know he didn't injure himself. I don't know what to do. He looks so uncomfortable and can't relax. I put him in his crate so he would be protected from the other pets trying to play with him and he just stands there. I really need some advice. If he eats and takes in fluids, would it be okay to wait until tomorrow when my regular vet gets in? I spoke to the vet last night on the phone and he seems to think Joey is crying from a hematoma at the injection site (where they gave him the anti-nausea med), even though when I pick him up, I am not touching that site. He is so tiny and he went through a lot yesterday that his whole little body is probably throbbing.

Some of them do scream out after they have had injections. I think it is because the injection site does hurt and they fear having that pain no matter where they are touched.
If he is eating, drinking and not vomiting and/or having diarrhea, I would think you need not take him to an EC.

[Ellie May]

Is he vomiting and having diarrhea still or has that stopped?
Are his gums pink?

[ladyjane]

A sign of dehydration in dogs is sticky gums...just lift his upper lip and put your finger against the gum line to see if it is moist.

[drabinowitz43]

Thanks for your help. All his results were normal except for the pancreas.

[drabinowitz43]

Originally Posted by Ellie May

Is he vomiting and having diarrhea still or has that stopped?
Are his gums pink?

Diarrhea and vomiting have stopped. His gums are pink, not really sticky. He isn't eating, but he did just have some water. Hopefully, he will keep it down.

[Izzy Princess]

Oh poor Joey..well you can add Izzy to the list of million dollar babies..lol.

Trust me the people who have responded to your thread have been through it all as well and spent a fortune. Izzy was diagnosed with pancreatitis last November and she wasn't even 2 with no signs except being tired and not eating and when she threw up once that morning and it was brown I knew something was wrong.

Since November we almost lost Izzy 4 times and spent a fortune like the rest of these wonderful ladies on here. But persistance is the key and reading and asking questions of your vet and working together with him will make a huge difference.

I, too, feed Izzy a wonderful diet and she still got sick. I had to bite the bullet to save her and use the S/D W/D and now Purina EN. I am just now slowly adding better food to her diet after talking with a pet nutrionist and doing my own research and talking with people on YT.

Izzy is also on enzymes, probiotic and Vitamineral green. She is also on Tylan and Pepcid AC daily.

I know it's frustrating in the beginning and you do a lot of crying and money spending but don't give up..you can find an answer for your baby that works and we are now going on 5 months without an issue..to us that's a huge milestone. I didn't give up on my baby and she hasn't given up on me..you see we have a deal that she has to live to be 15 years old.

Keep us posted.

[Ladymom]

Did you see the video I posted in another thread a couple of days ago?

What are the risk factors for pancreatitis in dogs? (3:55) - Veterinary Medicine

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by Ladymom

Did you see the video I posted in another thread a couple of days ago?

What are the risk factors for pancreatitis in dogs? (3:55) - Veterinary Medicine

Very interesting video! Thank you!

[dwerten]

Originally Posted by Ladymom

Did you see the video I posted in another thread a couple of days ago?

What are the risk factors for pancreatitis in dogs? (3:55) - Veterinary Medicine

sadly this video does not cover it all though as there are many other factors involved and it is older information so they have come out with newer studies one of which our internal medicine specialist is doing on high triglycerides on a 12 fast showing susceptibility to pancreatitis as high fat content in blood naturally as my yorkie has as well as a few others I have concurred with also it does not touch on ibd in small intestines which triggers pancreatitis so there is alot more that goes along with pancreatitis and it is a very complex disease

[LuvMySissy]

Originally Posted by drabinowitz43

Thanks for your help. All his results were normal except for the pancreas.

Originally Posted by drabinowitz43

Diarrhea and vomiting have stopped. His gums are pink, not really sticky. He isn't eating, but he did just have some water. Hopefully, he will keep it down.

Was a SPEC cpL panel run or just the full blood panel showing and elevated amylase and lypase level? If it was just the full blood panel, please get the SPEC cpL as there are other things that may be going on and the pancreatitis is just a symptom of this........

We have a million dollar baby, too!!!! Pancreatitis was the first symptom, but her diagnosis was really early stage Protein Losing Enteropathy and through careful diet, supplementation and B12 shots, her blood levels are normalizing and she is a very different dog now...........

[dwerten]

Originally Posted by drabinowitz43

Diarrhea and vomiting have stopped. His gums are pink, not really sticky. He isn't eating, but he did just have some water. Hopefully, he will keep it down.

not eating is ok as the stomach needs to rest but water is VERY important - they usually fast and only do ivs for dogs with pancreatitis for 48-72 hrs to rest the stomach as anything including medications can trigger the pancreas so just doing anti-vomitting meds and masking the problem does concern me it is extremely painful as well

Is your dog tossing and turning and unable to get comfortable? If in pain i personally would take him in as this disease is deadly

[dwerten]

Originally Posted by drabinowitz43

Thanks for your help. All his results were normal except for the pancreas.

what was abnormal? as usually with pancreatitis white blood cell count is high and why they put them on antibiotics, amylase and lipase sometimes not always are high and can be all over the place at times like with my dex but it is a factor, triglycerides tend to be high when they have an episode. Did they do inhouse spec cpli as that is the true test? or was this sent out to a lab which takes 3-4 days to really determine whether it is or not? I really would not waste your money on ultrasound as if the spec cpli comes back it is pancreatitis you know the pancreas is inflamed no need to spend $400 for this unless your dog is alot older and a tumor in pancreas is a posibility which does not happen usually in younger dogs.

[dwerten]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

A sign of dehydration in dogs is sticky gums...just lift his upper lip and put your finger against the gum line to see if it is moist.

also you can pinch the skin behind neck if it goes back down quickly then you are fine if it stays up and sticks together for long time then dog is dehydrated

[dwerten]

Originally Posted by drabinowitz43

Are there varying degrees of pancreatitis? When I say I am walking Joey, I mean just to do his business outside and then come in, he is not trained on pee pads. The most bizarre thing is he screams in pain when I pick him up, no matter how little pressure I apply to his body. I am beside myself. He ate a few Hepatic LS kibble (Royal Canin) because this was what the vet said I should give him (for now), but that's it for eating. Yesterday he was given fluids subcutaneously, but not an IV. The vet said he wasn't dehydrated yet. Should I get pain meds for him? I have his bloodwork results if anyone can interpret them. My vet is not in today and I would have to take him to Oradell and I'm afraid they will start doing xrays, etc., although I know he didn't injure himself. I don't know what to do. He looks so uncomfortable and can't relax. I put him in his crate so he would be protected from the other pets trying to play with him and he just stands there. I really need some advice. If he eats and takes in fluids, would it be okay to wait until tomorrow when my regular vet gets in? I spoke to the vet last night on the phone and he seems to think Joey is crying from a hematoma at the injection site (where they gave him the anti-nausea med), even though when I pick him up, I am not touching that site. He is so tiny and he went through a lot yesterday that his whole little body is probably throbbing.

if he is in pain HE NEEDS TO BE HOSPITALIZED just because they gave anti-vomitting meds to mask the symptoms does not mean his pancreas is not inflamed and painful - he needs to be on pain meds now if he is doing this -- they palpatate the dogs for pancreatitis and determine how severe it is - my dog did not scream like yours did and he was severe when they palpatated him and he had to have a plasma transfusion to save his life - PLEASE TAKE THIS BABY to internal medicine specialist as there are varying degrees of this but from the pain you are describing this is SEVERE PANCREATITIS not a mild case and the vet just stopped the vomitting but did nothing for pain !! my mom had pancreatitis and gall bladder attack and she was on SERIOUS morphine it is extremely painful which dogs mask their pain and if your dog is showing signs of pain IT IS REALLY SEVERE AS THEY HIDE IT REAL WELL I would call around for a 24 hr specialty hospital that has an internal medicine specialist on staff and take him in today - sorry but this is really serious and if he was already diagnosed with it it is nothing to take lightly -- i would not be emphasizing this so much if he was not in the pain you are describing

[dwerten]

Originally Posted by dwerten

if he is in pain HE NEEDS TO BE HOSPITALIZED just because they gave anti-vomitting meds to mask the symptoms does not mean his pancreas is not inflamed and painful - he needs to be on pain meds now if he is doing this -- they palpatate the dogs for pancreatitis and determine how severe it is - my dog did not scream like yours did and he was severe when they palpatated him and he had to have a plasma transfusion to save his life - PLEASE TAKE THIS BABY to internal medicine specialist as there are varying degrees of this but from the pain you are describing this is SEVERE PANCREATITIS not a mild case and the vet just stopped the vomitting but did nothing for pain !! my mom had pancreatitis and gall bladder attack and she was on SERIOUS morphine it is extremely painful which dogs mask their pain and if your dog is showing signs of pain IT IS REALLY SEVERE AS THEY HIDE IT REAL WELL I would call around for a 24 hr specialty hospital that has an internal medicine specialist on staff and take him in today - sorry but this is really serious and if he was already diagnosed with it it is nothing to take lightly -- i would not be emphasizing this so much if he was not in the pain you are describing

PLEASE TAKE HIM IN NOW!!!!! just finished reading your whole paragraph DO NOT WAIT until tomorrow - the food can be making it worse as well as that is not a food given for pancreas it is given for liver dogs -- what percentage of fat is it ? my dog is on 8% fat which is really low -- I am afraid if you wait he could die sorry to be so BLUNT but 50% of dogs die from pancreatitis and NO WAY IS A DOG going to stand up and be in that kind of pain from a shot - HE IS NOT LAYING DOWN BECAUSE HIS STOMACH HURTS TOO MUCH he needs to be on pain meds intraveniously, antibiotics intraveneously, iv fluids for food and water for 48-72 hrs NOTHING through mouth to calm the pancreas down AND after this is all over I would get another vet as all he did was mask the vomitting but did nothing for this poor dogs pain -- if the hospital recommends a plasma transfusion which i will not be surprised if they do let them do it - it saved my dogs life and he was not in the pain your dog is in he was just tossing and turning but not crying out in pain and standing