[PennyLanesMom]

Does anyone have a dog that had a pancreatitis attack and has since recovered?
If so what have you done to keep your dog from having a recurring attack.
Our 6 year old Jack Russell Terrier had a mild attack on December 24 from eating a high fat meal at my Mother’s house while I was away visiting other family members.
Our dog recovered within one week and then was started back on her normal dog food.
A month later she began to show some symptoms of diarrhea and 1 vomit.
Needless to say we rushed her back to the vet and sure enough her pancreatitis test was abnormal.
She was put back on the treatment she was given on December 24 but now was told to stay on a Low Fat Diet the rest of her life.
Was wondering if anyone else has faced this?
Thanks so much.

[Melissaandcrew]

Hi PennyLanesMom-

Yes, yes and yes. : ) I have mini schnauzers who are genetically predisposed to pancreatitis. Most of them can eat a food with a fat content up to 15 or 16 percent now, but I did have one that could not go over 10 or 12 percent. Unfortunately, each dog’s limitations for fat is different. My girl did well on Blue Buffalo Wilderness Healthy weight-its grain free and if I recall, about 10 percent fat. She could also indulge in the occasional serving of Grandma Lucy’s pureformance chicken(dehydrated food) as well as lower fat canned as a topper. She was a severe case and if she so much as got a few nuggets of a food she should not have, she would start with symptoms within 24 hrs.

[PennyLanesMom]

Thank you Melissaandcrew for your information.
We are currently using Royal Canin Intestinal Low Fat 20
We really like how our dog is doing on it. She has completely recovered from pancreatitis once again. I’m never putting her on anything else. She loves the food and it keeps her healthy –
I’m glad to hear your dogs are doing well.
I was curious to find out if anyone used any supplements or probiotics for their dogs with pancreatitis.

[amydunn19]

I, too, have a Jack Russell who is diabetic and has had several severe bouts of pancreatitis. We almost lost her to pancreatitis after she was bitten by a copperhead. Imagine a JRT taking on a snake – their tenacity certainly can be their downfall. Anyway, for the longest time, I had her on Pepcid with her meals at the suggestion of my vet. Also, I have used Cerenia and Tramadol (prescriptions from vet) immediately when the symptoms started and headed off a full blown attack. If your vet is willing to give you some of those to have on hand at home, that would be a wonderful thing. Something to watch for is steroids and Rimadyl – my dog reacts violently to these. I don’t know if that has anything to do with pancreatitis but both set off some pretty bad bouts with it.

[PennyLanesMom]

Hi Amydunn19
Oh your poor dog taking on a copperhead. I think it was a mixture of feeding our JRT small bites of people food ALL the time, raw hide bones, and predisone for allergies. Our Vet will do anything he can to help. I will ask him about your suggestions. Our JRT is on pepcid right now and I plan to keep her on it for a little while longer – I don’t want her to relapse again. She has been on medication twice as long this time. Have you ever used the Purina FortiFlora probiotics with your JRT? They were given to ours both times and I don’t know if I trust them. They have a 12% fat content and it just worries me a little. Would love to know any feed back.
Thanks so much 🙂

[PennyLanesMom]

Thank you for taking the time to reply – I appreciate any advice anyone can give.

[Melissaandcrew]

Hi Amy-

While Cerenia and Tramadol are part of the treatment program for a bout of pancreatitis, I am confused at the reasoning of why to give them at the start of an attack to head it off. Cerenia stops vomiting and Tramadol is for pain. Metronidazole is the typical treatment for the stomach/intestines. At the first sign of a problem, or if ours got something she should not have, she was given metronidazole immediately and would not develop the pancreatitis attack.

[aimee]

Hi Mellisaandcrew,

I found this on Cerenia : “Cerenia is labeled only for treatment of nausea and vomiting, but can potentially be used extra-label for pain, inflammation, GI disturbances, allergies and immune diseases, bladder inflammation, CNS and spinal cord injury, and mast cell diseases.”

I Couldn’t Live Without: Cerenia

Maybe it is of benefit as an anti inflammatory early in the course of pancreatic inflammation ?????

[amydunn19]

My dog’ s attacks seem to start with vomiting so that is when I use Cerenia. I typically don’t use the metro unless she has diarrhea. Anything I treat her with is always cleared through my vet and was actually his idea. If it saves me an emergency vet visit, I am for it. As far as Tramadol, I use a small amount of a pill if she is acting painful which also usually accompanies her pancreatitis attacks.

I don’t use probiotics – it may have benefit but due to her diabetes, I just don’t give her anything extra that might affect her sugar.

[Melissaandcrew]

Hi Aimee-

Could be-I was unaware of all the potential applications for Cerenia and I Thank You for posting this. You see, often times we drift off topic and make comments that are unrelated directly to the topic at hand, and never know or realize the ramifications of that off handed comment, both good or bad.

Approx 2 weeks ago, we woke up to find one of our dogs was neurological in the back end-by the time the vet finished the exam, he could not stand at all. Since he was fine the night before, we can only assume that he may have slipped off the couch during the night, or slipped on the tile etc. Due to his intractable(aggressive nature) with anyone but myself, he was ruled out as a back surgery candidate-he would not tolerate the handling etc even if surgery would have worked. After a week on Pred twice a day and muscle relaxers, he was still scooting around and while he would compensate with his front end , we were starting to look into carts. I read what you posted, investigated and thought “It may be a Hail Mary play, but I have nothing to lose and neither does he” I am on my way shortly to pick up more Cerenia. Today will be Day #5. In 5 days, he has progressed by leaps and bounds. He has gone from a dog who could not use his back end-scooted to be mobile, lifted himself to a standing position by bearing weight on the front half-then legs would give out and he would fall over, to a dog who can walk. Don’t get me wrong, he is far from 100 percent, and may never be 100 percent. BUT, he can move all 4 feet independently, is aware when he is toe dragging and self correct. This morning, he actually used one of his legs to scratch his ear-something we thought we would never see.

Could it be coincidence since he is still on the Pred and could it actually be the Pred starting to work? Could be, but I don’t think so. He has been on 1 tab a day for the past week, and typically you get the “best results that it will be” when given at the higher dose. The amount of progress in these 5 days has been amazing. Had you not mentioned that snippet about Cerenia, I never would have thought of it as an “off label application”, never would have asked my vet to look into the option, and he may not have been walking today.

[aimee]

Melissa,

WOW, what an amazing story! I hope your guy continues to recover. As you said we will never know what role any drug played in the recovery, or if they even played a role at all. I’m just glad he is doing better. If my comment somehow played a part in his recovery that’s awesome!

[pugmomsandy]

MelissaAndCrew & Aimee,

There is talk on other message boards about the off label use of Naltrexone. Low dose naltrexone (LDN). Just posting if anyone is interested. Testimonials report that it is helping people and their pets.

[Melissaandcrew]

Thanks Sandy! I have written it down to investigate later today once the storm starts here. I have to say, not only does he continue to improve physically, but mentally as well. He is much happier now that he can use his legs : ) I am a big proponent of trying something that may have a chance of working, whether or not its considered “approved use”.

[pugmomsandy]

here is a link. I haven’t investigated it.

http://www.lowdosenaltrexone.org/index.htm#What_diseases_has_it_been_useful_for

quotes:

I encourage you to discuss off-label use of naltrexone with your MD or veterinarian; consider printing some overview info from a web site that you’ve looked at, and take the copy to them. Be prepared for blank looks and then anything from mild interest to concern to outright resistance. This use of LDN is NOT well known; there’s no significant money behind it. Using LDN is spreading based mostly on word-of-mouth suggestions like mine. There are NO large, long-term, double-blind published clinical trials proving anything about the efficacy of LDN, because there’s not enough future profit. The availability of the 50mg tablets at current low prices (under roughly 6 different brand names) makes it impossible to recover the huge cost of such trials at 1/10th that existing dosage. Thus, existing trials are small and slow to be funded. You’ll have to rely on things like the Yahoo groups and web sites you find, and be willing to trust people talking about their own personal experiences. I don’t need trials to affirm what I’ve seen with my own eyes and what others report about their direct personal experiences. Do your reading; get comfortable at your own level of research; THEN take that background with you to speak with your (or your pet’s) health professionals.

From the woman I quoted in November:
“We use it especially with our geriatric dogs like Buck at 17 and Blessed at 12. A dog that is Silken sized [note: Silken Windhounds range 25-50 lbs from smallish females to oversized males] uses 1/3 to 1/2 mg per day. It comes in 50 mg pills for about $9, so it runs less than $9 per month [one 50mg pill provides 100 doses at 1/2mg nightly]. You can find info on how to dissolve the pill here (only dissolve 1/2 of a pill at a time

Sebaceous Adenitis is an auto-immune problem. Here’s information from a woman I know, about the off-label use of a drug called naltrexone. In its off-label usage, it’s referred to as “low-dose naltrexone” or just by the initials LDN. This is based on the ability of this drug to boost the immune system when taken at doses lower than 10% of the official FDA-approved use. Here’s info from one of this woman’s recent posts, in which she recommends someone consider LDN for her dog’s severe allergy problems (since allergies are now understood to be an auto-immune problem).

***quote***
… It is possible to strengthen the immune system easily and cheaply with Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN).

Chuck was deathly allergic to poison ivy, to the point of nearly being
hospitalized at the thought of it. He started LDN on May 1, 2009 just to accompany me in taking it for my multiple sclerosis, but found that by the next summer, he could play in poison ivy with no reaction at all.

My Mom has been severely lactose intolerant all of her adult life. She takes the LDN for her Crohn’s, but finds now that if she goofs up and has some cheese or ice cream, there is no problem. As an aside, my MS and her Crohn’s are totally under control, too.
[Side Note: I met this woman during the time she followed all the rules for managing MS–she lost significant memory function, was completely debilitated by heat, and was losing physical control of her body. When forced to give up all the best drug therapies available (due to loss of insurance) she learned about LDN. With NO other therapy, just a single daily dose of LDN has restored her to the point that you can’t see any outward signs that she ever had MS to begin with! She’s not cured by any means, but her body is fighting the MS much more effectively. The result: instead of getting worse and worse every year like when she took the costly but officially approved drugs, this woman’s health has actually been *restored.* She got her body, her memory, her very life back!]

[barb13]

Hi my name is barb and I just joined because I saw this forum. I am no stranger to a sick dog I had ,
3 rottweilers during my married life all having health issues crime hip dysplasia to cancer and full blow Epilepsy. I adopted a Shepard mix Australian/German. He’s is about 9 or 10 not quite sure. He started back in may of last yr with throwing up and diarrhea. He never had a solid poop in the first 3 yes I have had him. He would
Throw up after eating every once In awhile. Have taken him to the vet and every thing was fine. Now getting back to May of last yr he was acting different. He was a pacer in the beginning but this time it changed to back and forth etc.com he vomited that night and to the vet we went next day. Blood work showed pancreatitis. I was like…….what? Never heard this before. Vet stays 2 to3 nights first time. Month later 5 days than 2 months after that 7 nights I had him to.see a a
Specialist a few days after but he said he could do nothing because he wasn’t sick. I’d have to bring him back if it comes back. Well it has been since October that he was last sick and he is doing very well. I’m afraid to.say anything because IM afraid it will come back. I do not know his past or who he belonged to. All I know was I found him one night after work. Took him up to my apt Gave him water and called animal shelter. One yr to the day I found him I brought him to both our new Home. Yes I brought a house for Charley….there is more to the story.
Anyway dealing with pancreatitis is one of the toughest Illnesses I have ever had to. There is a constant fear it will come back. He will most Iikely be on hills low fat
I/d for rest of his life.
He’s good for now and back to his vocal ways. Just nice to see IM not
alone.

[Susan]

Does anyone know with Pancreatitis can a dog have Pancreatitis & when he’s normal not sick have the blood test & comes back fine or do the blood test come back positive even thought the dog isn’t having a problem at the time of blood test…

[theBCnut]

If the blood test comes back positive, the dog is having trouble, he just may not be showing the severe pain. Chronic pancreatitis sufferers are often this way. I don’t know if they get used to the pain or if they are only in low grade pain or what. If the blood test comes back fine, they are probably borderline and very sensitive or also have something else going on.

[barb13]

Charley was like that. The speciaIst said don’t always be quick to run the dog to the vet. I had a blood test done on him in emergency vet. Because be had symptom, blood work came back normal. They have a blood test that is more accurate and tell I if they have it or not. Most ref. vets don’t carry that test. My vet is very good and I trust him with Charley but a specialist knows more.

[Melissaandcrew]

The “quick” tests are SNAP antigen tests and I have heard of false negatives with them. One case I know if the dog was negative at the emergency vet..next day full blown positive at the regular vet. So I hafve to wonder-false neg or are some dogs just not producing what is being looked for in the test at the beginning stages…

[theBCnut]

My vet alway just spun a tube of blood down and looked for hyperlipidemia, then sent the blood off to the lab for confirmation and specifics.

[Catherine C]

Does anyone know if my dog who is currently on insulin (blood sugars 24) can come off insulin with the proper diet please?
Secondly, what is the best diet for a diabetic dog with 3 bouts of pancreatitis?

[Jenn H]

I have 2 dogs that were diagnosed w/ acute pancreatitis the day after the Super Bowl. The Lab got into dog food and just gorged. The GSD didn’t eat nearly as much yet had more severe symptoms that didn’t completely resolve after treatment. Her Lyme came back really high so they chalked it up to that.
10 months later and she still isn’t completely 100%. In fact we were just at the emergency vet a couple wks ago.
This yr she has been treated for Lyme twice w/ 2 different antibiotics. Both aggregated her stomach.
A couple of times her labs showed some high #s with her liver and kidney. Not alarmingly high and they did go back to normal.
X-rays have shown lots of gas to the point where her intestines were pushed over.

We’re now working with a specialist. He did an ultrasound to look at everything. Her pancreas, gallbladder, liver, kidneys…all looked good the day after the emergency visit.
For now he’s given her the general diagnosis of IBD/IBS. Once she’s completely off i/d and meds and back to her normal diet we’ll see if she regresses again.
The only meds I’ve given her right now is Pepcid w/ meals. I’m very slowly decreasing that and very slowly transitioning her back to Wysong.
She also gets 2 tbsp pure pumpkin in the morning.

Pancreatitis can be acute or chronic. While she was initially diagnosed with acute pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis is a potential next diagnosis.
She is a very very very active dog and keeping her weight up has always been a challenge as a result. Low fat diet is not satisfying or even reasonable. My hope is that transitioning her diet even slower than usual and she won’t need any meds for other problems we’ll finally stop this upset stomach nonsense once & for all. If she has to remain on Pepcid for life I’m fine with that if it means she can go back to her completely normal life and eating habits.

I hope you have better luck with figuring out what’s going on. But know that pancreatitis and IBD are manageable diseases. And for that I am grateful.

[Catherine C]

Hope your dog does well – thank you for sharing about pancreatitis.
The problem i am having is trying to manage pancreatitis as well as diabetes, however my little guy is doing brilliantly with insulin.

[Jenn H]

I just contacted a company that was suggested to me by an alternative caregiver of the horses at my barn. It’s called Herbs for Life and they have organic pet supplements. I’m hoping they will be suggesting something for GI problems and the issues my baby girl has been having.
Another thing I wanted to suggest you try is something from Wysong called Innoculant. That’s a great probiotics. I have Wysong in my food rotation and love it. I’m about to transition my girl to Fundamentals for a while.

• This reply was modified 9 years ago by Jenn H. Reason: Suggested a different supplement

[Terri M]

HI my dog has recently been diagnosed with pancreatitis about 2 weeks ago. Have any of you experienced your dogs having an attack almost everyday ? And also giving him 100mg of tramadol doesnt work at all and sometimes his attacks last for 4 hours. Has anyone else experienced any thing like this?

[anonymous]

I would call the vet, if the dog is not responding to the prescribed treatment within a reasonable amount of time I would consider consulting another vet or get a referral to an veterinary internal medicine specialist. It doesn’t sound like your dog is responding to treatment.
Depending on how much pain and discomfort the dog is in (it’s impossible to tell online how severe the symptoms you describe are) I may even go to the emergency vet.

BTW: This is what my vet told me regarding Tramadol, he said he would continue it for the dog in question if I thought it was helpful, but : “Tramadol is no longer recommended for pain relief for dogs”.
Ask your veterinarian for details, see what else he would recommend.

[Author]

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