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Old March 3rd, 2010, 07:04 PM
ODonnell ODonnell is offline
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A few questions about canine pancreatitis

A week ago my 4 year old Lab Abby, was vomiting uncontrollably, lethargic, shaking/twitching. We rushed her to the hospital and they took x-rays, etc. In the x-ray the vet pointed out what looked to be sand in her abdomen. They then diagnosed her with pancreatitis. She stayed in the hospital for 3 days to recieve treatment and then she was back to herself. Today though she has begun to show similar symptoms. She's not vomiting but she's refusing to move and she's shaking/twitching especially around her hind legs.

We've placed her on the bland diet the vet told us to do as well as given her all the medication she was prescribed. I'm worried because my parents spent over 1000 dollars to have her treated. My father has made it clear that if she gets sick again, we will have to put her down.

I suppose my question is whether or not this is a new case of pancreatitis or if it sypmtoms from the same case. I'm unsure as to how long pancreatitis lasts after treatment.

Any information would be greatly appreciated. I'm terribly worried.
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Old March 3rd, 2010, 08:19 PM
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mummummum mummummum is offline
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A little more info would help. What is she eating now and in what quantities? What meds as well as supplements is she taking? Was it a predisposing condition (ie. hyperlipidemia) that lead to the pancreatitis? A medication she was taking? How is her white cell count now? Her amylase and lipase enzyme count. When you say she's refusing to move, do you mean she is also incontinent?

The duration of pancreatitis depends very much on the onset.

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Originally Posted by ODonnell View Post
A week ago my 4 year old Lab Abby, was vomiting uncontrollably, lethargic, shaking/twitching. We rushed her to the hospital and they took x-rays, etc. In the x-ray the vet pointed out what looked to be sand in her abdomen. They then diagnosed her with pancreatitis. She stayed in the hospital for 3 days to recieve treatment and then she was back to herself. Today though she has begun to show similar symptoms. She's not vomiting but she's refusing to move and she's shaking/twitching especially around her hind legs.

We've placed her on the bland diet the vet told us to do as well as given her all the medication she was prescribed. I'm worried because my parents spent over 1000 dollars to have her treated. My father has made it clear that if she gets sick again, we will have to put her down.

I suppose my question is whether or not this is a new case of pancreatitis or if it sypmtoms from the same case. I'm unsure as to how long pancreatitis lasts after treatment.

Any information would be greatly appreciated. I'm terribly worried.
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  #3  
Old March 3rd, 2010, 08:40 PM
ODonnell ODonnell is offline
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Prior to her diagnosis, we had her on allergy medications prescribed from our vet. She was taking 1 tablet of Cephalexin three times a day, 1 tablet of Fluconazole daily, and 2 tablets of Temaril daily.

Her symptoms came on suddenly and she hasn't had any other health concerns that could lead up to it. The vet at the hospital said it was most likely brought on by her eating something she wasn't supposed to. We did give her scraps from time to time and her food was high in fat. So it could've possibly been her diet that brought it on.

Right now, she's eating id food as well as rice and boiled chicken, 2-3 times a day. She's also taking Sucralfate, Famotidine, and Metoclopramide, as prescribed from the hospital.

Her symptoms this moment are similar to the ones she had when we rushed to her to the emergency room. She's lethargic and twitching/shaking all around her hind legs and her abdomen. She's refusing to come when called and it looks as if she's in pain when she tries to get up. She is eating and drinking water though and she hasn't vomited.

I was just wondering if the symptoms last awhile even after treatment. Or if maybe the medication she's on is making her stomach upset. I don't really know. I called and asked for a doctor to call me back so I can ask what I should do. That was 2 hours ago though. She's sleeping right now but she's breathing kind of fast and she's still twitching.

I hope that's enough information.
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Old March 4th, 2010, 08:18 AM
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sugarcatmom sugarcatmom is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ODonnell View Post
I called and asked for a doctor to call me back so I can ask what I should do.
Ask the vet about pain medication. Pancreatitis is extremely painful and I never understand why more vets don't prescribe pain meds in these situations.
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Old March 12th, 2010, 12:59 AM
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Dr Lee Dr Lee is offline
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Originally Posted by sugarcatmom View Post
Ask the vet about pain medication. Pancreatitis is extremely painful and I never understand why more vets don't prescribe pain meds in these situations.
Good observation. I feel the same way. I would want pain medications if I had pancreatitis. In fact the vomiting is secondary, in a large part, due to pain.

This is an excerpt from Pancreatitis in Dogs & Cats ACVIM 2009:

With regard to pancreatitis treatment, "Pain management should be used for all patients." -Ann Wortinger, BIS, LVT, VTS (ECC, SAIM)


The cause of pancreatitis is often unknown. It can be frustrating. While many drugs can induce pancreatitis, the medications that you listed are not common to induce it. While some have implicated steroids (temaril P has steroids. the "P" stands for prednisolone), the evidence thus far is unclear at best.

Other causes include: Idiopathic (reasons unknown and by far the most common cause!), hyperlipidemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and possibly viruses and parasites.

Hope that helps.
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Old March 12th, 2010, 04:50 AM
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MyBirdIsEvil MyBirdIsEvil is offline
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Pancreatitis can be ongoing and if it happens once it can be more likely to recur.

Definitely keep her on low fat food and keep her weight under control. It may also help to feed her several times a day rather than once or twice.

As far as having her put to sleep, she's only 4 yrs old and I know vet care can be expensive, but can will your vet work out a payment plan that your parents might agree to? My vet is really apprehensive to put young dogs to sleep and is very flexible with payment plans if it comes down to financial issues.
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