Hi, I have not been around for a while but my poor lab has been diagnosed with pancreatitis and is in hospital having treatments. I have been reading up on how to manage this once she's home and am really stressed and worried about how we will manage. It's really frightened me what I've read. I wondered if anyone has positive advice for me please. Thanks
Hi Safi, I totally feel for you. I have a very poorly dog, she is almost 10. She has hip dysplasia, epilepsy, collitus and inflammatory bowel disease. I had so many issues with her diet as almost all pet food was causing a reaction, leaving her with terrible diarrhoea. On one occasion she had pancreatitis and it was horrendous, so frightening to witness. I managed to establish with blood tests etc, etc that she was allergic to chicken. This had always been a staple when she was poorly(well so I thought). I now feed my girlie a diet that has pasta, rice, sweet potatoes, 5% beef mince or slow cooked steak and white fish, I use haddock. I vary the diet so she stays interested. She also has a probiotic from the vets. Keeping away from fatty food and regular dog food has helped her enormously. She still has the occasional bout of diarrhoea but I at least am better at helping her through it. No episodes of pancreatitis since. Not sure if this helps but I hope you find something that works. Take care and good luck and health for you both.
Hi, thankyou so much for your help and advice. We brought her home today but she's refusing to eat chicken and rice. I will try some of your ideas. We're very worried about her as she's not eating anything and surely this can't continue. She was on a drip at the vets. It's so distressing to see her like this, she's only 3. Sorry to hear of all your poor dogs troubles, sounds like you've managed to help her now though. Thanks
Hi Saffy Really sorry to read this. I hope Isla is on the mend. My previous lab was diagnosed with Pancreatitis at around the same age. It’s a long time ago now and the only detail I remember clearly is the vet telling me he would need to be on a low fat diet for the rest of his life. I switched him to a light version of the kibble he was on and didn’t have any further issues. He lived until he was 12.
Hi, thankyou so much for your post. Isla is nearly back to her usual mad self. She is still a little quiet and sleeps more. We have put her on a prescription low fat gastrointestinal kibble. Our main problem is training treats, she is still a work in progress so we usually use a lot. We've tried carrot, which she spits out! We are also watching her like a hawk for any signs of illness sad it was so sudden and serious so your post is very reassuring
Hi so sorry to hear that your girl has been so poorly. Funny enough, our last black lab was the same, we had been giving her chicken and rice regularly and using chicken for treats as she suffered terribly with diarrhea when we discovered she was allergic to chicken, beef and dairy! We had never experienced the frightening, sudden pancreatitis though. Thanks for your help, we have Isla on a prescription low fat gastrointestinal kibble but I might use your suggestion and maybe once a week feed her fish, sweet potato or mince for a change of taste, or do you think this would upset her tum? I feel sorry for her having the same food everyday for the rest of her life, she can't even have tasty treats!
I would stick with a food you know she is healthy on and not worry about variety. Labs tend to eat anything you give them! I did give my previous lab bits of raw veg with no problems. Carrot broccoli and broccoli cucumber from memory. Hope Isla is on the mend now.
Thankyou, Isla is nearly back to her usual self, thank goodness. We have transitioned her slowly into the new foods and she seems healthy and happy
So glad Isla is recovering. My heart was in my mouth when I read this because pancreatitis can be a nightmare in humans. What about ice cubes for training treats? I'm sure there are novelty trays that make tiny ice cubes.
