Why is my old dog acting absolutely nuts?

[rickandmorts]

I have a small Jack Russell cross who's coming up to 15. She had a severe bout of pancreatitis last week and I thought we were going to lose her but after some pain relief, anti nausea jabs and low fat food she's surprisingly rallied round but is now acting absolutely mental. She won't settle, is barking and scratching at the food cupboard constantly for more food, jumping on the dining table for food etc. She's always been very food oriented but seems to have ramped it up.

I don't think she's in pain, she's just very very exuberant. I've had her long enough to know when she's in discomfort (and she makes it very clear!). Last night she got me up 5 times (😭) to go out and then didn't do anything and just ran round and barked in the garden. Any ideas? Part of me thinks it's a sort of last hurrah before she goes 😭 I took her out for a walk last night and she slipped her harness, ran across the fields and was battering the front door to get her tea. What's going on? Could it be dementia?

The low fat dog food often doesn't fill them up the way that normal dog food does. You could try adding warm water to the biscuits half an hour before so they swell up and physically fill her a bit more?

Could she just be extra hungry after a period of sickness and not eating?

My dog can act famished in the days after that...but that's after 36 hours of no food and then a day or so when he is very suspicious of anything he is given and so continues to eat a bit less. 3 or 4 days later he acts like he's ravenous presumably because he's trying to make up!

This could especially be the case if she's on a lower fat diet at the moment and potentially eating less calories unless you're adjusting the amounts given compared to her previous slightly higher fat diet?

That's a good shout actually @Springadorable @suggestionsplease1! I've just been giving her the same amount of the vets food as her normal tea and breakfast but if it's super low calorie it won't be filling her as much. It's wet food so I can't soak it but I might up it a bit. It's hard because I'm so scared of her flaring up again, it was awful and she was in so much pain. My toddler gave her a bit of cheese the other day and I nearly died!

The foods should both have a 'calories per 100g' on the back of them which will help you work out how much she needs of new food. Guess you could give smaller meals several times a day whilst trying to make up to calorie intake before she was ill.

There is a huge difference between calories per weight of dry food compared to wet food ...I think dry food contains about 4x the calories for the equivalent weight in wet food so that could be a big thing if that's another change that's occured for her food.

I agree she's likely hungry due to the low fat food.
When my dog was younger she had a mild bout of pancreatitis and had acid reflux. As well as low fat food, the vet advised feeding smaller, more frequent meals. This helps healing as less strain is put on the pancreas, plus more frequent meals can help her feel fuller. Hope she stays well!

I feel bad now because that will definitely be it @suggestionsplease1 poor lass will be starving! She used to have half and half wet and dry but is just on wet atm because the vet said it's easier to digest. She seems absolutely fine and back to normal now so might give her a little bit of kibble in the morning with her dry.

That's a good idea @MyLittleDog. She was having 3 meals a day last week when on her meds but I'd put her back on to two. Happy to start giving her 3 again if it's easier for her. Thank you! She's a feisty little thing so I don't think it's quite her time yet 🥰

She definitely sounds hungry, if it was a pancreatic flare up she wouldn’t want to eat & she obviously does. Try what others have suggested, more food, soaking it. You could also give her a none fat snack to chew on & keep her busy. I find a raw carrot ideal for this.

Update, I upped her meals and she's back to her normal self 😆 thanks everyone!

Very happy to read that she's back to normal, long may it continue!

Thanks @MyLittleDog, me too 🥳 she's 15 this year so I'm aware our time is limited. Having old pets is heartbreaking ☹️

Yes, it's heartbreaking seeing them age🙁
Jack Russells tend to be hardy, spirited little dogs though, I knew one that lived to 19, so fingers crossed your little dog will be ok for some time yet💛