Re: Poorly lad Pancreatitis is very painful and he doesn't seem to be showing signs of pain? Could it be something else? My Lab had a similar problem, soft poos, diarrhoea on and off and it wasn't until one vet decided to do a blood test that she found he had 'an overgrowth of bacteria in the lower bowel' a very long course of antibiotics finally sorted the problem. Just thinking.....
Re: Poorly lad [quote author=Stacia link=topic=8597.msg121493#msg121493 date=1415111130] Pancreatitis is very painful and he doesn't seem to be showing signs of pain? Could it be something else? My Lab had a similar problem, soft poos, diarrhoea on and off and it wasn't until one vet decided to do a blood test that she found he had 'an overgrowth of bacteria in the lower bowel' a very long course of antibiotics finally sorted the problem. Just thinking..... [/quote] I might be wrong, but are we looking at more of a malabsorption/ pancreatic syndrome rather than pancreatitis?
Re: Poorly lad Just catching up Kate poor Sam. :-\ I'm very sorry to read this. Do the veterinary diets not do one specifically for pancreatitis ? At least now you know what it is you will be able to manage it so he doesn't get upset tummies any more and will feel better.
Re: Poorly lad Sorry to hear about Sam. My wcs had an acute bout of pancreatitis. She was very poorly and in a lot of tummy pain. She vomited bile and had yellow diarrhoea. One classic sign of this illness is that they go into the prayer position a lot to try to ease their pain. The point at which I knew she was very poorly was when she struggled to get up from laying down because of the pain. But it came on very quickly and she went down hill very quickly too. From what you have said it doesn't sound like acute pancreatitis but there are varying degrees of it, so he may be rumbling along at a low level. Tinned Chappie can be fed as this is low fat and there are some low fat kibbles on the market too which are ok to give dogs prone to pancreatitis, less than 10% fat is ideal. Hope Sam feels better soon. Chloe
Re: Poorly lad Thanks Chloe , I had read about tinned Chappie, not a food I would normally give the time of day to, but it seems to come highly recommended in cases like these . Sam is definitely depressed when he has a bout, very subdued but doesn't show signs of being in great pain, but who knows ? I guess we have to wait for results, although I do know that in cases like these, its often down to Vets diagnosis by history . Whatever it is, it seems to be worsened by fats, so could just be a simple fat intolerance , or IBS or Colitis , and not the pancreatitis that my Vet seems to think it is . In any case , it seems that a low fat diet is the best thing for Sam , slowly lessening his salmon and rice kibble and introducing more raw food along with cooked rice or potato for some bulk . He is currently being fed a small amount of his kibble , rice , raw meat or low fat cottage cheese or white fish and finger crossed, he is much improved and almost normal poo, so its a good start x
Re: Poorly lad I looked into feeding mine raw but was worried about not being able to measure the fat content. I only give Bella chicken or white fish in any form, kibble/tinned/treats, as anything else contains too much fat. If you need anymore help with low fat food, please let me know, as I have spent many hours researching it!! Chloe
Re: Poorly lad sorry to hear about poor Sam I hope you get a definite diagnosis so you know best how to deal with it long term. Sounds like thingsare improving already though, which is great
Re: Poorly lad Sams blood test showed slightly raised lipids , a doggy high cholesterol . It isn't hugely high but indications are that it is a fault with him and not due to any other underlying condition , the raised level would explain why he has had these episodes , very mild pancreatitis . It could be that he also has a degree of colitis , so the diet remains low fat . If the episodes come back, he has to have a fasting blood test . Fortunately , Sam will eat anything , so is not a bit put out at the gradual changes in his regime and , as Millie has put on a kilo since her spay in January , she is on the same low fat diet too , makes life easier So, no cheese, even tiny bits , apart from low fat cottage variety , lightly steamed veg , brown rice . The meat can be very small amounts of offal , low fat and contain enzymes which are good for his condition , raw chicken , rabbit or very lean minced beef ,white fish is fine but not oily fish due to the oils/fats , its like a catering kitchen in our house at the moment but thanks to the internet , there are some really good informative articles out there . In himself , he is doing much better , enjoying his walks and looking much happier than he has done of late , thank goodness .
Re: Poorly lad Ah, glad to hear he is doing well. I hope you get the catering production line working smoothly soon!
Re: Poorly lad Glad you know what it is you are dealing with now and that he seems to be quite happy with his 'lighter' rations ! Chloe
Re: Poorly lad Sorry to learn that Sam may have pancreatitis. I presume that your vet has run the Idexx spec CPL test, which is the most reliable test available for dogs with pancreatitis? My ten year old, Monty, has had chronic pancreatitis for a number of years, and has acute bouts occasionally. An extremely low fat diet is essential, and I have had to resort to a home cooked diet as he also has allergies. Smaller, more frequent meals are easier to digest and put less strain on the pancreas. I have found that Dorwest Tree Barks Powder has helped quite a bit, and he also has a very low dose of pancreatic enzymes with each meal (though he isn't into pancreatic insufficiency). If I can be any help please don't hesitate to contact me. June
Re: Poorly lad Thank you June , thankfully Sams flare ups have been very mild and caused by higher lipid count than normal . I am preparing all of his food myself and ensuring that the fat content is as low as possible , thank you for your kind offer of help , much appreciated as I haven't ever experienced this before in over 50 years of dog ownership .
Re: Poorly lad I am glad Sam seems to be feeling a little better Kate Hopefully things will get back on an even keel. x
Re: Poorly lad I`m sure they will Jacqui , I`m just relieved that the bloods haven't shown anything dreadful , just the slightly raised lipids ,Sam hasn't ever been fed lots of fatty foods but I guess its just a fault in him ? Now that we know what we have to do , we`ll get on with it, its pretty straight forward really , low far everything xx
Re: Poorly lad It must be a relief that it's something you can probably control with diet. Hope he feels better soon.
Re: Poorly lad Good to read that Sam is feeling better and I am sure he is enjoying his new diet, sounds delicious
