# Anyone have experience with chronic pancreatitis?



## Peachie (Dec 6, 2011)

Sorry for the length of this post - I think it also helps me to write it up.



I'm wondering if anyone has had experience with chronic pancreatitis and could provide any advice.

Luna had her first episode of pancreatitis last fall - she was throwing up constantly - to the point that she threw up all her food and then kept throwing up nothing but watery bile. When she was at the vet, they took blood tests and diagnosed her with chronic pancreatitis. They gave her a cerenia shot and then told me to feed her a strict diet of Purina Gastro EN - we had both the canned and kibble version.

That seemed to fix the problem, and although she would have frequent loose stool and the occasional episode of diarrhea, she didn't have another episode. 

I think the next attack in early December was my fault - she was doing all right and I felt bad keeping her on such a strict diet, so I gave her half of a dental chewy bone each day for about for days. She started to throw up again. Since I recognized her symptoms (same constant bile throw up), I called my vet and asked if I could take her to a close by vet (it was snowing and my vet is a half hour drive).

I did, she received the same shot and painkillers and syringes to help with any diarrhea. Luna was okay for one week and then went right back to throwing up. 

I took her back to my original vet again, and he advised that he thought the Perina EN Gastro was too high fat (even though it was gastro) and put her on Royal Canine Low Fat instead. She received the cerenia shot again and was fine for two weeks.

She had another episode a week ago. Because she was on the same diet and the vet said this shouldn't happen again, they tested her for Addison's Disease, which came back negative. Blood tests came back with a confirmation of chronic pancreatitis with worrying "billy ribben" (sp?) levels. They wanted me to bring her back in for an ultrasound to check for an abscess $300, but I'd already spent $900 in the last month alone and they couldn't guarantee that they'd find anything.

Instead, Luna had another cerenia shot and they gave me four pill versions which I've given her for the last four days which are now finished. I've been feeding her the kibble version of the Royal Canine food, spread out throughout the day/night through 20 minute intervals. Last night was the first night without the pill... so far so good, but it could possible start up again any time.

For the last episode... the only thing I can possibly think of that triggered it was me feeding her not in the twenty minute intervals, and I mixed the canned version of the Royal Canine with the kibble... maybe that was too much for her stomach?? But the vet said that shouldn't do anything.

Luna is not quite 2 yet. I don't know what to do. Or why this is happening.

Does anyone have any suggestions?


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

If you have been feeding her day and night, you must be exhausted - you and Luna both have all my sympathy. I don't know if you have come across this article in your researches DogAware.com Articles: Pancreatitis in Dogs - I have found the Dog Aware site very sensible and knowledgeable, and there are references to follow up at the end of the page. In the meantime I think you need to be scrupulous about her diet - I know that a friend whose lurcher suffered in the same way as a young dog had to try several foods in collaboration with her vet to find the one that suited Ruby, and then to ensure that the she never ate anything else - a potato chip was enough to trigger an attack. Ruby is a happy healthy 8 year old now, but her diet is still strictly controlled.


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## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

My chihuahua Emilio has chronic pancreatitis, though he doesn't sound quite as sensitive as yours. He can't have any chewies, he has a very low fat food, no table scraps. He will go months and be fine and then have an attack. Usually pain meds for a few days and he is fine but then seems even more sensitive for awhile. I know there are pancreatic enzymes that can be given to help the pancreas, but I have never tried them.


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## Peachie (Dec 6, 2011)

Well... I don't feed her when I'm at work and I stop feeding her at about 7 p.m. But I definitely have a hard time sleeping whenever she has an attack. (she sleeps at the end of the bed and jumps down to throw up... plus even when she's not throwing up when she starts to constantly lick her lips (sign of upset stomach), it constantly keeps me up. :-(

Thank you for the article link - I hadn't seen the one comparing the percentage of fat in each brand of food.


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## Peachie (Dec 6, 2011)

Interesting... maybe the last episode was that she was too sensitive from her previous recent attacks and even a little bit too much all at once triggered it? I hope that was it and not some other serious underlying issue.

I can ask my vet about the enzymes.


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## Manxcat (May 6, 2013)

Just wanted to say how sorry I am to hear you are going through this, it is so hard when your pet has a chronic condition.

Bilirubin is something that is normally excreted in bile and urine and raised levels can indicate certain diseases - it is a by-product of the way blood cells break down, and is yellow in colour, which is why bile and urine is a yellow colour (and also why bruises go yellow eventually!).

Anyway, I do hope you manage to get Luna stable again, and in the meantime we are sending big hugs to you from all at _chez _Manxcat :hug:


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## Peachie (Dec 6, 2011)

Thank you! 

So far so good; she had her last pill on Sunday and she hasn't thrown up yet.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Fingers and paws crossed for you. It is likely to be a lifetime management issue, but one that becomes automatic after a while, if your experience is like my friend's. One of the biggest problems she had was preventing people slipping Ruby illicit treats or dropping food at parties, but she quickly got very good at remembering to tell people about the problem before they could do so. And it becomes much easier to resist mournful puppy-dog eyes when you know how much worse than mournful the dog will feel if you give in!


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## SilverSpoo (Jan 15, 2014)

For supplementation, you could try Prozyme which can be ordered online, through your vet, or even I think pet stores.


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## Peachie (Dec 6, 2011)

Luna threw up all her food Monday morning.

The vet has her on more cerenia tablets and this time we're trying antibiotics for her intestine. He thinks she may have some kind of infection that's impacting her pancreas.... possibly IBS. I was surprised to hear that IBS can cause throwing up in dogs?

We're also trying probiotics - they're Purina powder packages that I sprinkle on her food. Sad to say that I haven't seen a lot of improvement since she started the antibiotics (she still has soft stool), so I don't know if this will fix the problem either. :-(


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## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

I'm sorry you're still having problems! The last time my Emilio had an attack it was his worst ever. I would give him a pain pill and he would be good till it wore off then right back in horrible pain. This went on for about 10 days. I fed him very small amounts throughout the day and he only got his low fat kibble. I have been extremely strict with my family about not feeding him ANYTHING other than his food and it has been a few months since his last attack. Any kind of denta bones, greenies, rawhide, bully sticks, tendons, antlers...causes him to go into an attack. He gets no treats of any kind. 

I sure hope your guy gets over this...it is so painful for them!


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I'm so sorry it has started up again - I think there can be a lot of trial and error getting the pancreas settled and keeping it that way.


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

I am so sorry this has flared up again. So difficult to see your dog ill. Keep us posted on how both of you are doing.


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