Experience of pancreatitis?

[BurningBridges]

Hi everyone, what's been your experience with doggy pancreatitis? I've been posting here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_doghouse/2307695-so-how-does-anyone-cope-when-the-insurance-runs-out-and-dog-is-still-very-ill?msgid=52563515#52563515

(not sure I did that right)

Basically dog was ill for a few months with diahorrea so we tried all the usual stuff then antibiotics and steroids, not much luck he'd recover for a few days then be ill again a few days later. Eventually, we agreed with vet's suggestion for a full thickness biopsy - so abdominal surgery. I have read that this surgery can cause pancreatitis, and the day after the op my dog became seriously ill- first of all he developed peritonitis (not septic thank god) - that was Wednesday, so they operated again and then found that the pancreas was partially necrotised. Now he's still with the vet getting 24 hour care, vet has actually had to take him home with him each night. He rings me a couple of times a day with an update but I am sick with worry. He's a little cockerpoo and its a massive ordeal for any dog.

So we're not sure if pancreatitis is chronic or acute (i.e., caused by operation?) I know its not uncommon so if anyone can add their experience, good or bad, I'd be interested to hear.

We went to see our little dog today and he looked as if he might die. He was clearly in a terrible state. He cannot lie down due to pain (we think) but his legs keep falling from under him. A constant stream of phlegm falls from his mouth whether closed or open. They have inserted a feeding tube today as he would not eat. If he doesn't pick up tomorrow then we are fucked. My last ditch attempt would be to bring him home on Monday, get the vet to administer pain killers every 4hours and just sit and hold him and hope. The vet has him at his house tonight, tomorrow night he has to stay in the surgery with the veterinary nurse in the en bloc flat, they have an alarm on him but not sure what for. I can only bring him home if we can control the pain, and if he can get sufficient water and food to keep him strong enough to fight. I think the next 24 hours are critical.

Sorry, don't have any advice but hope dog gets better!

I dont have any experience of pancreatitis sorry. I DO understand how much a dog can mean to a family though. My yorkie is my baby and means the world to me.
Im so sorry your poor boy is going through this.

I think we are taking it hard as he is obviously really suffering, and because we agreed to the operation which triggered the crisis, even though we had ummed and ahhed for 6+ weeks because we knew it was risky. Vet thought it would be ok, you have to trust someone sometime eh?

Unfortunately we do have to place our trust in others sometimes.
Hopefully he will turn a corner very soon. Is he on pain relief?

I Don't have any experience of pancreatitis either, but I do know what it's like to see a much loved dog ill and in pain. It's heartbreaking, and you feel so powerless. I hope he turns the corner soon!

May i ask what breed he is?

He's a cockerpoo. I understand spaniels are more prone to pancreatitis. and yes he's on a morphine type drip.

Oh lovely breed!
You are doing exactly what you need to. You have him in the right place. Whatever the outcome, please remember that you got him medical attention and are doing your best for him.
Hopefully he will soon be back with you.

How is your boy this evening OP ?

Hello again,thanks for asking Floral. It seems the feeding tube has literally saved his life. I read up on it till 3am this morning, and it seems our vet was doing all the right things, and this particular method of feeding does all sorts of things to help the animal, although your first instinct is to say no please don't stab a hole in my dog's oesophagus. Apparently he is quite a bit better, has managed a tail wag today and a bit of a walk, and has gone home with one of the nurses (he has to have 2 drips plus feeding tube so has to have a nurse or vet 24 hours).

It was a very dark day yesterday but when the vet rang me this morning and said he'd turned a corner, I was elated. Then about tea time I got very low again, I think that's natural, but then the nurse rang about 8 and said he was doing well, then the vet sent a text saying much the same. So we are all feeling a bit better. Not sure how things will be tomorrow, but one day at a time and all that - the vet did say my dog is not out of danger yet but I suppose every day when he improves must be a good signs.

Let's hope tomorrow brings continued improvement , we will keep our fingers and paws crossed for your dog x

Oh gosh, what a horrible situation to be in :(
My dog is down in the dumps today after initially showing a huge improvement :( Her pancreatitis is all my fault - I changed her feed to a cheaper, locally produced feed and it was too rich for her. I'm gutted :(

Sending you hugs and I hope your darling doggy gets better soon.
xx

Lil !! Me too!! its a very long story but I think it was because we were hard up and I saw that mixed pork and beef mince was cheap but of course, it was full of fat so that week he started to get diahorrea and it never cleared up, he had antibiotics, chicken and rice, steroids and uncle tom cobbly an all for nearly 4 months and finally the vet convinced us that we needed the exploratory operation to get to the bottom of it once and for all. It may be that the dog already had pancreatic problems and the operation just tipped the balance the wrong way, or (which is a horrible thought and one I think the vet shares) the operation triggered it which is possible (something else I never knew).

So remind me Lil - your dog had an attack of pancreatitis or a crisis event of some sort, no surgery or plasma drip etc but appeared to be recovering regardless - what have they suggested to manage the illness? Can you try Karma's suggestions (also see below about rice and rice water)

Karma how did you dog develop it? And yes I was reading that not only can you give them just rice, you can boil the rice for too long with lots of water, and feed them the resultant rice water with a little of the very soggy rice apparently this is very good for them. Hope i get to try that out eh?

Sorry everyone I see that in my post to Lil I just repeated my OP. In my defence I am a bit stressed !!

Just seen your post up a thread. Please remember that whatever the outcome, it is always better to have loved and lost. The loss may be awful. It is awful. Big hugs (((BurningBridges)))

How is your dog today burning ?

Not sure where I am with updating - that'll teach me to have multiple threads but just goes to show how stressed I am. Went to see dog yesterday and as we walked into hospital bit he stepped out of his cage and bled all over the floor - his wound is leaking albumin. Later that night the vet said it was touch and go and we didn't handle it very well. There was a bit of a mercy dash situation to get supplies and he was given human albumin. After very little sleep for us or the vet, today apparently dog is a bit better although no where near out of the woods. I feel physically sick from adrenaline. I am hoping to see my dog today have to do some paperwork etc with vet (insurance - oh dear a whole other thread) but waiting for call to say what time. He has had his wound dressed again and apparently that doesn't look good so my DD age 11 is not coming in today, she's normally desperate to see the dog but she said she can't cope. Eldest DD 13 does not want to see him at all and I am happy to let that lie.

So, another day, another fight. I have been researching and understand that it isn't unusual for a dog to be in veterinary hospital for 14 days and this is only day 5 as 24/7 in patient (although 7 days since operation) so maybe we haven't been realistic. Anyway. One day at a time. Every has been very kind - I seriously have no idea how I would cope without Mumstnet, our internet went down briefly this morning and I was freaking out !

I'm sorry that you are still having set backs ,and I hope today brings better news .At least your dc are old enough to understand the seriousness of the situation and are able to make their own decisions - takes one problem away from you . I hope you can sort out the finances ,it sounds like quite a hefty bill building up . Best wishes and paws crossed for you all here .

Oh gosh, I can't imagine going through what you are :( hugs.

Our dog didn't need anything, thankfully. We had taken her in on a Friday and they had suggested keeping her overnight at the surgery about 10miles away, but I said that we'd manage her as the cost was too much! Overnight, pain killers, drip on a friday to Saturday... No thanks. Plus she'd been experiencing the discomfort for about 2 weeks (she had gone off her food and seemed really down in the dumps, but we thought she'd work through it - her bowels seemed fine) so a couple more days wouldn't hurt. We gave her nothing to eat for 24hrs and made sure she drank water which we had to syringe into her mouth as she wouldn't drink it of her own accord.
We have changed her onto the Burns feed for now as she seemed uncomfortable on the chappie and today she was having a good hooley on the hill chasing my other dog around! So hopefully she's been fine today :)
We have seriously considered PTS as if she is uncomfortable and we can't fix her or even afford to fix her, what choice do we have? It sounds horrible but you gotta do what's best for your pooch at the end of the day. They are very lucky that we can make this decision.
I hope today's outcome is better xx

DDog had a "good" day yesterday - we went in to see him and he was the brightest he's been for ages - he wagged his tail, looked in my handbag and made a beeline for the door, trailing drip tubes and bags with us behind him. But apparently not so good today. The vet he likes has to have an afternoon/night off as otherwise he's on constant waking nights with my dog, and that'll be happening today so I am a bit concerned. Am going in to see him later.

If we can afford it and if the vet can cope we have said unless he is clearly suffering terribly then we will give it 14 days from the date of the emergency operation (so another week as from tomorrow). If he's not eating by then (he is fed by tube), if he is unable to function without the strong painkillers, and if his wound is not closed properly, then it may be the end, but in the meantime my little dog is still fighting to get better.

Poor little thing - hope he turns the corner soon ,please keep updating his progress .

Hello all, trying to just use this thread now to update. He is a bit better again today, but still dependent on so many drugs to stay alive and has still not eaten solid food. He's fairly cheerful now, holds his head up for a few moments, wags his tail and makes a break for the door at every single opportunity. Still a very long way to go but i can't believe he should have tried so very hard to get better and nothing come of it. I keep thinking "maybe this time next week ….?"