hi, my 14yr old springer/bc x just got diagnosed with pancreatitis. The vet said to put him on some medi-cal food which just isn't going to happen. He currently eats a mostly chicken/veg raw diet. He also had a fever and we were told he has an infection but they dont know where and he will need an ultrasound to confirm where it is.

What kinds of meat will be good for him to eat? Low fat is what some of the other threads said.

Could the infection he has be caused by the pancreatitis? Anyones dog have this disease? Does it shorten their life? What can I do to keep him healthy?

A little background(warning its long) he also has high liver enzymes for a while now. He has mild hip dysplasia. Severe arthritis or at least thats what we assume as one morning he went from hour long walks no prob to barely being able to walk, vet said it was hip dysplasia, he had every kind of test done. He went through good and bad times but recently its bin all bad, cant get up w/o help.

He just recently got his teeth cleaned w/o being put out and they look amazing, he has one decaying tooth though and something about swollen or infected/absessed gums....

Just got some sashaas blend to try. Want to try accupuncture or chirpractor etc but dont have the funds yet as his insurance wont cover that. I am looking for a 2nd job to help pay for all his expenses in his old age. so hopefully soon.

He occasionally drops little terds in the house but other than that goes potty outside.

He has always loved his food but now is losing interest and wont eat as much...Want to buy him a better quality raw and see if that helps...

Have considered cartrophen shots but after much research found that although only a few dogs ever had a bad reaction, the ingerdient that makes up cartrpohen shots is used as a blood thinner for people and its said not to be used for people with liver disease, so i am unsure if I should try it or not, vet didn't seem to know what I was talking about...

Sorry 4 longest post ever but multiple vets have bin of very little help beyond telling me whats wrong and offering no solutions other than things im not comfortable doing such as harsh drugs or crappy food.

Any help or advice on any of these issues would be very much appreciated Thanks!!

What are the signs/symptoms that brought the diagnosis to pancreatitis? Any medications prescribed for this? What body area is the vet wanting to ultrasound?

RE: the dental. Was an antibiotic given for the teeth/gum issues?

When did he lose interest in eating? Related to the pancreatitis or mouth issue/pain?

I've used adequan before, but not cartrophen..it wasn't available is US at the time and may still not be here?

Thanks for reading my very long post and responding

He had bloodwork done and the vet said that thats what he had. No meds, said to give him good bacteria(which i'll do) and put him on gastro(which i wont do).

He just very recently lost interest in eating, like maybe a week, its hit and miss, sometimes he eats the whole bowl, sometimes only a few bites. It seems not like hes in pain but that he is just not interested. Before when he couldn't get up and food was being prepared he'd whine and bark, now he doesn't even lift his head.

No antibiotics for his teeth, the lady wasn't a vet, she works closely with the vet we just saw and were waiting for bloodwork to come back. I can get nova-lexin from my work to give to him if that might help his gums, or any other antibiotic that might help.

Didn't say which part of the body to ultrasound. He had an ultrasound done last year as well for another reason.

Thanks

It sounds like your dog is in pain. Pancreatitis is very painful. Arthritis is painful.
Dental work can surely be painful. When pain is bad enough, a dog will stop eating.
A trial of an anti-inflammatory drug, even if it has reported side effects, might be a good idea. A goal now might be relief of suffering, of the arthritis etc, to give him some relief. Perhaps, if he gets moving again, the medications could then be withdrawn, with no harm done.
Just an idea. Check with your vet.

Here's Lew Olson's pancreatitis diet directions: http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/pancreatitis/

Here's some research results on low SAR of Cartrophen Vet: http://www.arthritis.au.com/dogsafety/CVI%20safety.pdf

The vet is going to prescribe antibiotics, right?

 Quote: Cat Richter

He just recently got his teeth cleaned w/o being put out and they look amazing, he has one decaying tooth though and something about swollen or infected/absessed gums....


He has always loved his food but now is losing interest and wont eat as much...

This may be the source of most of the problems here. Not wanting to eat with a sore mouth combined with infection. Bad teeth/infected gums can lead to systemic infection, particularly generalized inflammation. Usually pancreatitis is an acute (sudden) condition related to too much fat. I've seen a BUNCH of dogs get it after consuming those nasty, oily pig ears.

Bland, easy to digest food is recommended - baby food meat is great for short term and they usually like it.

Do you have a veterinary teaching hospital nearby that you can get him into?

I have had a dog develope pancreatitis AFTER an infection started.(she had a puppy die a week or two before birth) I would guess that your dogs infected teeth have triggered the pancreatitis, not the other way around. My vet treated the infection, hydrated and turned her around in three days. We had her on the crappy corn based pancreatic kibble for about six months and then eased her onto raw. She has not had any trouble...albeit she is a 7 year old dog, not 14.

I really appreciate you all taking the time to respond and your kind words.

I read the article and do not know which kind of pancreatitis he has. The vet did not prescribe antibiotics yet. I will have to talk to the vet myself, my bf took the call. It could very well have bin his teeth that caused it b/c he doesn't eat a high fat diet or has gotten into anything.

The vet just mentioned his teeth/gums didn't say what we should do so again I will have to ask him what he thinks we should do.

Connie thank you for your words and advice It has bin very hard and stressful, I got this dog as my first dog when I was ten, we grew up together....I feel though I haven't nearly exhausted my options and want to try all methods especially holistic ones. Im not giving up yet

I would be open to something for pain relief, even just to get him moving as it might improve his mood and also he needs exercise to keep his muscle which he is losing rapidly...

Connie i dont know how to link, I can go back later tonight and try to find it(cartophen). I found it by googling the actual ingredient thats in cartrophen, something with a p, its used for humans as a blood thinner and said humans with liver problems should not use it so was wondering if that applied to dogs as well.

Im willing to try anything to get buddy to just be Buddy again, I could cry just watching him and remembering how he used to be...Im just getting so many different opinions from vets and then my own research and different people and I dont know who to trust and I dont want to do the wrong thing or make the wrong choice...I just couldn't live with myself if something happened to Buddy b/c of my lack of knowledge or not doing my own research and blindly doing what the vets or everyone else says. Im so afraid to make the wrong choice b/c its all on me, he depends on me, his welfare is my responsibility...

Sorry to vent, just so worried and stressed lately and really and truly appreciate everyone posting and helping and being encouraging. You guys are the best