stages of pancreatitis?

[blades]

CAn someone out there shed some light on this for me? My 9 year old yorkie had an attack of pancreatitis about 3 months ago. She was put on special prescription food, no table scraps and has been doing well. Out of the blue, today she has very loose stools with blood. My vet is low key and just gave me flagyl to give her. He assumes it will clear up in 3 days. I'm a wreck. Any suggestions?

[yorkieusa]

Originally Posted by blades

CAn someone out there shed some light on this for me? My 9 year old yorkie had an attack of pancreatitis about 3 months ago. She was put on special prescription food, no table scraps and has been doing well. Out of the blue, today she has very loose stools with blood. My vet is low key and just gave me flagyl to give her. He assumes it will clear up in 3 days. I'm a wreck. Any suggestions?

I can give you a little info, but not a lot and I can tell you my opinion for all it's worth. I have a friend with a little one that has pancreatitis and is now a rich old age.

I will refer you to this page to start with:

http://www.judithstock.com/Speaking_...s_in_dogs.html

Little one's with pancreatitis seem to always think they are hungry, too. There are two kinds: acute and chronic. Her vet did a blood test and prescribed viokase which is in pill form and she gives her two 425 mg pills a day as well as a special food. She splits them into halves and feeds her 4 little meals a day and she smashes the pill half into the food and mixes it in. It is important that her little doggie not go too long with an empty stomach.

Viokase is used as a digestive aid and in the treatment of pancreatic insufficiency.

I can't remember which kind (acute or chronic) hers has off the top of my head, but she can go a long time (maybe a year even) without any problem and then she might have an attack. In these last years, she hasn't had any for some years now. She takes very good care of her, too. She also gives her pepto bismal and her vet also prescribes antibiotics whenever she does have another siege of it. The antibiotic is important to fight the bacteria.

I hope this helps you some.

[Zeus' Mom]

Hi! I am so sorry you are going through this. I too have a little one who has been diagnosed. Zeus was diagnosed about 9 months ago and he was put on prescription diet food also. He was doing great until he got into the cats food and then he had another attack. The vet said that the cat's food had too much protein in it and his little tummy just couldn't handle it. So, we are now on Hill's RD. We stay away from treats other than greenies. So far, so good. Anytime that Zeus appears to have a tummy ache, we just give him half of a Pepcid AC, per the vets instructions, and it seems to do the trick. I would just make sure that there isn't anything around that your little one could get into. As you probably already know, once they are diagnosed, they are very easy to have another attack.

Good luck. I hope she feels better soon!

[Bentley&BitsysMom]

What are the sypmtoms???

[Zeus' Mom]

Originally Posted by Bentley&BitsysMom

What are the sypmtoms???

The only symptoms that Zeus had was the vomitting. It was the yellowish liquid that they have sometimes when their tummy is empty. Since Zeus had never done this before, we took him to the vet immediately to avoid dehydration and they did a blood test to reveal pancreatitis. Thank God we caught it early, as some dogs end up in the ICU.
After that happened I did think back to a few days earlier when I went upstairs to find Zeus lying on the couch in our bonus room all by himself. He is always right under foot, so that is a sign as well. Anytime a dog goes off by themself, and this isn't something they normally do, it usually means that something is wrong.
It is just so frustrating because they can't tell us what's wrong, if there is even anything wrong. So I say you can never be too careful.

[Bentley&BitsysMom]

Thanks so much!!!I've been concerned a little about Bentley's digestive system I'll mention this to the doctor and see what he thinks.

[yorkieusa]

Vomiting with yellow bile, diahrrea that is mucousy, painful abdomen as I recall.

[yorkieusa]

I just found a very good article here:

The pancreas is a V-shaped organ located behind the stomach and the first section of the small intestine, the duodenum. It has two main functions: it aids in metabolism of sugar in the body through the production of insulin, and is necessary for the digestion of nutrients by producing pancreatic enzymes. These enzymes help the body promote the digestion and absorption of fats. Acute pancreatitis is a sudden onset of pancreatic inflammation.

Causes

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); 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, or dogs who 'steal' or are fed greasy 'people food' seem to have a high incidence of the disease.

Symptoms

Common symptoms of the acute form of pancreatitis in dogs include a very painful abdomen, abdominal distention, lack of appetite, depression, dehydration, a 'hunched up' posture, vomiting, diarrhea and yellow, greasy stool. Fever often accompanies these symptoms. Animals with more severe disease can develop heart arrhythmias, sepsis (body-wide infection), difficulty breathing, and a life-threatening condition called disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), which results in multiple hemorrhages. If the inflammation is severe, organs surrounding the pancreas could be 'autodigested' by pancreatic enzymes released from the damaged pancreas and become permanently damaged.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of pancreatitis is made through information obtained from the history, the physical exam, and laboratory testing. Dogs with pancreatitis generally have an increased blood levels of the pancreatic enzymes called amylase and lipase. If the liver also becomes inflamed, liver enzymes as measured in the blood may be increased. A rather new test, serum trypsin-like immunoreactivity, may prove to be a valuable diagnostic aid. The white blood cell count is generally increased in acute pancreatitis. Radiography (x-rays) and ultrasound can also help in making the diagnosis. Biopsy can result in a conclusive diagnosis, but is not commonly performed.

Treatment

The goal of treatment is to rest the pancreas, provide supportive care and control complications. Treatment always begins with a withholding of food, water, and oral medications for at least 24 hours. The lack of oral intake stops the stimulation of the pancreas to produce digestive enzymes. Depending upon the animal's response, food intake can be started again after a few days. The dog is generally fed small meals of a bland, easily digestible, low-fat food. Over the course of a week or more, the size of meals and quantity of food fed are increased. The dog may need to stay on the special diet for life, or it may be possible to gradually reintroduce the former diet.

The second major component of treatment is fluid therapy. Dehydration and electrolyte imbalances are common in dogs with acute pancreatitis, and water intake is often restricted so fluid therapy is usually needed. Fluids are either given subcutaneously or intravenous.

Dogs who are experiencing severe pain can be treated with pain relievers such as meperidine or butorphanol. Antibiotics are often administered prophylactically to protect against infection.

If the pancreatitis was caused by a medication, the medication should be stopped. If it was caused by a toxin, infection, or other condition, appropriate therapy for the underlying condition should be started.

In rare instances, where there are intestinal complications or the development of a pancreatic abscess, surgery may be necessary.

Long-term management and prognosis

Pancreatitis can be a very unpredictable disease. In most cases, if the pancreatitis was mild and the pet only had one episode, chances of recovery are good, and avoiding high fat foods may be all that is necessary to prevent recurrence or complications. In other cases, what appears to be a mild case may progress, or may be treated successfully only to have recurrences, sometimes severe.

Dogs with severe pancreatitis can recover, but may also develop fatal complications. The risk of developing fatal pancreatitis is increased in dogs who are overweight, or have diabetes mellitus, hyperadrenocorticism, hypothyroidism, gastrointestinal tract disease, and epilepsy. Pets who have repeated bouts of pancreatitis may need to be fed low-fat diets to prevent recurrence. Even so, some animals develop chronic pancreatitis, which can lead to diabetes mellitus and/or pancreatic insufficiency, also called 'maldigestion syndrome.'

In pancreatic insufficiency, the nutrients in food are passed out in the feces undigested. An animal with this disease often has a ravenous appetite, diarrhea, and weight loss. Even though he is eating, he could literally starve to death. Treatment for pancreatic insufficiency is lifelong and expensive, but is possible. The pet's digestive enzymes are replaced through a product processed from pancreases of hogs and cattle which contain large quantities of the digestive enzymes. A change in diet with added nutritional supplements may also be necessary.

Summary

Acute pancreatitis can be a life-threatening condition, and early recognition and treatment can improve chances of recovery. In dogs, fever, lack of appetite, depression, and vomiting are the most common signs. Treatment is based upon stopping all oral intake to rest the pancreas, correcting the dehydration and maintaining proper fluid and electrolyte balances, and treating any complications or underlying conditions.

http://www.swiftwaterfarms.com/swift...ncreatitis.htm

[Bentley&BitsysMom]

GREAT article!!!!!

[blades]

Hey
A BIG thank you to all of you. Blades is resting now and still looks like her old self. I'm keeping a close eye on her and will stay in touch. Thanks so much for the great articles!!!!!!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone - I know we are all thankful for our furry friends

[yorkieusa]

Happy Thanksgiving to you, too!

[SoCalyorkiLvr]

I too enjoyed reading the article. It is another chance to preach against feeding people food. As much as we are tempted to "spoil" them in this way it is really not good for them.

[hoffbo]

Our little girl, 9 years, with Cushings, got Pancreatitis and we took her to the vet a few days after presenting with symptoms. The vet ran blood tests and confirmed it was very high levels for pancreatitis. We took her to the animal hospital and had her admitted, however this young girl vet said new research said that they need to exercise the pancreas to make it better. I believe this is what ended up causing our Avery to get alot worse fast and pass away. When she left the hospital her levels were higher than when she was admitted. Do not let your Vet tell you this. Everything I read says no food, which they were giving her a liquid protein diet through a feeding tube. She was hydrated fine. We took her home with a feeding tube and 4 days later had to send her to doggy heaven. I am posting this to help those whose dogs get a confirmed pancreatitis attack. Feed it water with a syringe up to 10 mls an hour after the first day to ensure hydration. This was according to our vet. NO liquid protein or food. Hopefully your puppy will survive the first several days then you have to work on the diet. I hope this helps. We miss our little girlie!!!

[Euro]

You are right. No food for pancreatitis attack , just water. Gradual small low fat meals for at least a week. Better 4 or 5 really small low fat meals like a spoon or two of over cooked mushy rice and overlooked skin free chicken breast. My baby had extreme chocolate poisoning that caused acute attack of pancreatitis is gradually getting back to Normal. I found even with humans do your own research before blindly listening to even vets. At least question them if it's completely apposed to your research. I'm so sorry for the loss of your baby.
Please know she's in heaven and will see you again. Look for signs, they are always with you. You just have to look. God Bless

[SophieKatesMom]

In the last six months Sophie Kate has had three Sebacous Cysts appear on her body (normally the back area). Each time I have taken her to the Vet and they have tested the cysts and always the same result. This morning I found a fourth cyst so back to the Vet we go tomorrow.

Does anyone have experience with this? I cannot figure what could be causing them, nothing has changed as far as diet, shampoo, grooming.

Also we had planned to remove them with her next dental which should be next Spring but I am wondering if I should do it now? I do not want to put her under if not necessary but with them increasing it has me worried.

Any advice would be appreciated.