[Susan]

Hi Erin, you said her current food is 15% fat is that min% or max% if its min% then add another 1-2% on top making it around 17% fat, very high for a dog with pancreatitis…I normally email the company to find out the max fat% if it isnt written on the bag… there’s a good group on Yahoo called “dogpancreatitis” they have alot of good info in that group…Ive read that wet food is better for pancreatitis then kibble, so if ur girl doesnt get diarrhea form wet foods i’d use wet instead of kibbles, here’s a link to all the wet Wellness foods, they have a Senior complete health its 3% fat also they have their grainfree Core weight management is 3.5% fat..there’s a few to look at http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/recipes.aspx?pet=dog&ft=

[Erin R]

We haven’t introduced anything new to her, food wise, and i don’t give her pig ears or bones or rawhide or anything edible like that. The only thing she OCCASIONALLY gets with her kibble is chicken, beef, boiled egg, etc. I’ve never given her wet food. I have been sprinkling shredded cheese on her breakfast (i’ve been doing that for a while now) so she would eat before i go into work… but i guess cheese isn’t good for pancreatitis so she won’t be getting that any more!

But she was in to the vet about two weeks ago for a mild back sprain. Then when she recovered from that, her annual vaccinations. So i guess that was pretty stressful and could have upset her stomach? Thats the only thing we can think of, anyway, plus maybe the cheese and her being part Schnauzer.

Her current food is 15% fat, should i try to find a lower fat kibble? I am hesitant to talk to the vet about food/diet because i’ve only ever been suggested things like Science Diet, Royal Canin, and foods with grains/corn despite telling them of grain/corn allergy. She does have a follow up appointment on Friday so i guess i can ask, then, but i want other opinions and maybe some suggestions on foods to look into.

Thanks!

PS – i never knew that Schnauzers where prone to pancreatitis. Now i do.

[Melissaandcrew]

While its generally recommended to keep the fat in the lower ranges(10-12 percent) each tolerance level is different for different dogs. Schanuzers, btw, are notorious for having pancreatitis problems. Do you know what caused it? Different food? Treat maybe? Pigs ear? Its hard to find a bland canned diet that does not contain rice-most of them do. If she can’t have it, then I guess boiled chicken is your option, perhaps with some sweet potato. My schnauzers typically stay in the 16 percent fat max for dry, and one used to only be able to tolerate about 14%.

[Erin R]

I have a seven year old Schnauzer/Poodle mix that has been diagnosed with Pancreatitis. This is our second bout with it, though it wasn’t diagnosed the first time. The ER vet that signed her out to me today told me that i could start feeding her small meals of a bland diet for the next day or two, and then slowly reintroduce her normal food.

I would like to buy some canned bland food for her but everything i find has grains in it (she doesn’t tolerate corn or rice very well – it makes her very itchy). I could do boiled chicken, i guess, but i was wondering if anyone here could suggest a canned food that i could also use.

Also wondering if her regular food (Nature’s Recipe Chicken, Sweet Potato, and Pumpkin) is okay for me to keep giving her. I looked into the Gastro health prescription foods that where recommended and they all have corn, grain, or worse. I was told that since this is her second bout, to keep her diet low fat.

Any suggestions?

[Cyndi]

I don’t have any answer to the pancreatitis part, I just wanted to address the table scraps part. Giving table scraps and human food is not a bad thing any more. Actually, it can be beneficial. Try adding things like tinned sardines in water, or raw eggs or lean cuts of meat or healthy dinner leftovers to their food a few times a week. It really is good for them. Just keep them under 20% of their amount of food you give them or give them a bit less kibble on days you add toppers.

[pugmomsandy]

I give digestive enzymes to all the kibble fed dogs here. You can even find high-lipase digestive enzymes from Lipo Gold and Integrative Therapeutics. I haven’t had one with pancreatitis yet and have had 252 fosters come through here and I serve mod-high fat kibbles and canned food. I currently don’t use a high-lipase product either, just regular dog enzymes. I like Mercola, B-Naturals and NWC Total Zymes.

[Beth G]

I have 2 dogs, a 6 year old pit/boxer mix and a 2 year old hound mix. Both are spayed female rescues with unknown histories. They have also both had pancreatitis (lucky me!). Neither EVER get table scraps/human food of any kind or even dog treats. We have switched them to eating Wellness Core low fat grain free and measure the amount they get meticulously.

Our pit mix has just come out of treatment for her 2nd bout of pancreatitis. When she is back to eating normally, my husband and I are interested in possibly introducing digestive enzymes to both of their meals.

The vet has not mentioned the use of digestive enzymes, but with both dogs having had repeat episodes I am left wondering what else we can do to support their pancreas and prevent further attacks (the vet says “nothing you can do”, but I don’t know if I believe that).

If anyone has experience or knowledge of using digestive enzymes after pancreatitis I would appreciate hearing! Thank you so much in advance!

[Susan]

Hi Lisa, with Endosope they can only go so far down the esophagus & like my vet said $1000 is alot of money, then she might find nothing, so I never did get an Endoscope done on Patch…I think you have your answer to what’s wrong with Chewy his blood test came back twice with elevated Amylase & lipase levels, looks like he has mild Pancreatitis, it can cause, loss of appetite, depression, intermittent vomiting, diarrhea & anorexia…with the meds that the vet said to trial ur doing the right thing, just see how Chewy does on the Hills Z/d first, then if he’s still vomiting ask about the Hills I/d Gastro or ask can you try the Royal Canin low fat as the fat is only 7% & alot of people have had really good results with their dogs on the R/C Low fat..before you try any meds like prednisolone (steriod)…when u go back to vets, write a little list of all the questions you need to ask cause you forget when your there, well I do, then I think, oh I forgot to ask her this. But hopefully everything will work out on this new food, just watch what he eats & no high fat treats, treats can set things off again, just use his Z/d kibble as a treat for now..

[Melissaandcrew]

Eric-seizure meds can cause weight gain. Our doxie is on phenobarb(and she had a bout of pancreatitis BEFORE the phenol, lol) Since the PB, she has gotten a touch pudgy as well.

[Susan]

Hi Lisa, its good that finally you know what’s happening with little chewy, I thought it was stomach acid & pancreatitis as everything you wrote & said was what Patch had 1 year ago & still gets if he eats something that is high in fat….Its something u’ll have to watch thru out his life the fat & protein % as this causes acid then vomiting if too high….well thats what I have found with Patch…. Gee In Australia, the vet prescription diets are around the same price as the premium kibbles…..

[USA]

High Eric

I’m so sorry that Otis is having these issues.

Some of the risk factors for canine pancreatitis are:

Obesity – This is the one you have the most control over. For now I would stick with the 1 cup / day of Hills I/D GI Restore. I would cut out all the treats except the sweet potato you use to give Otis his pills. This will cut some calories from his diet and he may start to lose a little weight. Try to stick with this diet for 8 weeks or so unless any issues develop.

Phenobarbital and Potassium Bromide – Both of these are drugs are used to treat canine epilepsy. I know that Otis is on phenobarbital for his epilepsy. This could be a factor in his pancreatitis. Did your Vet ever discuss this with you? Which came first the epilepsy or the pancreatitis? Either way you should talk to a Vet about the issue of pancreatitis and phenobarbital.

I wish Otis and you the best of luck and I hope Otis has many happy days ahead of him!!!

[aimee]

Hi USA Dog Treats,

I paraphrased a proposed mechanism. I think we can agree that the cause of pancreatitis is not well understood. And yes it is the fatty acids, peptides and AA which come from the digestion of intact protein and fats that stimulate CCK.

I don’t see it as incorrect to have said “Protein though also stimulates CCK release.” as protein is the source of AA and peptides. The author also wrote “protein” in place of AA and peptides. (caps added by me) “PROTEIN is the second most important nutrient in STIMULATING CCK, so VERY HIGH PROTEIN DIETS SHOULD ALSO BE AVOIDED especially in the feline patient”

To further quote ” Some commercial treats can be very high in fat and protein, especially the meaty ones and should be avoided.” and again in the summary in regards to chronic pancreatitis “Very high levels of dietary protein should also be avoided.”

The exact mechanism of pancreatitis isn’t known which is why I wouldn’t say fat causes pancreatitis or that protein causes pancreatitis. The point of my post was currently it is being recommended to avoid both high fat and high protein in dogs with recurrent problems.

To see which intact proteins were tested you’d have to go back to the original research. For myself it isn’t that important to know as it doesn’t change the recommendation to avoid “Dry meat treats (jerky)” in dogs with chronic pancreatitis.

[Eric H]

Wow! Vigorous conversation!
I must say, I am never surprised by how passionate pet lovers are about their information and beliefs; I know we ALL strive to do the best we can for our beloved animals and any suggestion by anyone that we might not be doing it “perfectly” can be difficult to digest (pun-in-context intended…) I am confident we are all doing the best we can, which should always include being receptive to the input of others – not as insult or criticism, but as another option we may choose to consider and discard or adopt as we feel appropriate.

So having said that, thank you for the raft of input!!
LabsRawesome – Dehydrated fat free meats – I will look into that some more. You prompted some pretty animated discussion on that topic, I will check it out and see if it could apply to Otis.
somebodysme – Otis gets the following exercise: 1h walk/day, plus combination of some or all of: extended backyard ball chasing (loves chasing/returning a ball), repeated toy chasing inside including up/down stairs at times. He always seems satisfied and tired at the end of any of these, so we are hopeful he is getting enough of a total workout on a daily/weekly basis. Smaller treats is another option – at the moment he gets enough to let him chew for a few minutes (iei 1 baby carrot, 1 small flower stalk of cauliflower). Very food motivated, and would eat treats continuously until he passed out I think, regardless of size! ha.
Dori – High Carbs, yes we had no idea of the sugar/carb contents of *veggies* (foreign concept, thinking veggies were harmless as many human diet plans allow “unlimited fruits / veggies”. “oosp.” We got a USDA list of some 1,000 different foods, catalogued them by Sugar, Cal, and Fat and found a new short-list of options which include many of what you suggested, thanks! We will start by substituting his sweet potato with turnip for example and cutting back on carrots (still good for teeth…just less of them). Otis gets strictly 2 small formal meals per day, total 1cup per day + treats.
sue66b – Pancreatitis, IBD, and skin issues? Ouch! Poor guy. Our Otis had significant skin issues also (like crutsy awful human eczema patches) but disappeared when we switched foods! Very rare small flare-ups (likely from external contact sources) are treated with some polysporin ointment for 1 or 2 days and it goes away. Banana and rice cakes! Bananas might work but sugar is higher than the short-list I will be trying for now (12.2g/100g USDA), might try use banana as an occasional option. Tuna might be another option – I only scanned veggies and fruit, so I don’t have the tuna numbers, I will look that up, thanks!
aimee – Yes, we really thought we’d lose him before we found a safe diet…it was a pretty stressful time back then!! Your history suggestion is good, I think we’ll try to take note of just how many “treats” he is getting compared to 10% intake – when they are small bites you forget what they add up to over the day.

Thanks everyone for their contributions and continued pet-passion!
-e

[aimee]

Hi sue66b,

My dog who almost died from pancreatitis was fed Iams/Eukaneuba restricted fat.

[Susan]

Hi Cheryl, German Shepherds are predisposed to Pancreatitis & IBD, some GSD need a low fat diet, have you tried an Limited Ingredient low fat kibble yet & a good dog probiotic…..I like “Wellness”…here’s a link to look at their range….the “Wellness Simple” (scroll right down the bottom of the all the kibbles) is an Limited Ingredient kibble that is easy to digest.. the Duck & Oatmeal is the lowest in fat 11%-12% fat… there’s also Wellness “Large breed Complete Health Adult” Deboned Chicken & Brown rice fat% is only 11% fat…. its 5th row down http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/recipes.aspx?pet=dog&ft=1#

[USA]

Hi aimee

You wrote:

“Experimentally compounds that mimic the hormone CCK result in pancreatitis. In these studies high amounts are given.”

From the book you referenced: “Applied Veterinary Clinical Nutrition 2012”. Caps added by me:

“EXPERIMENTAL PANCREATITIS can be initiated by HYPERSTIMULATION with CCK ANALOGS (Morita et al. 1998; Saluja et al. 2007), BUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE MECHANISMS IN SPONTANEOUS DISEASE IS UNKNOWN.”

The book says they used CCK ANALOGS, NOT CCK and that HYPERSTIMULATION was induced. This is different than the CCK released during a high protein and/or high fat meal eaten by a dog! And the book also says “THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE MECHANISMS IN SPONTANEOUS DISEASE IS UNKNOWN.” So the book admits that they don’t know the importance of their findings for dogs who get pancreatitis in the real world and not from hyperstimulation of the pancreas with CCK analogs in the lab!

You also wrote:

“The most potent dietary stimulation of CCK is fat. Protein though also stimulates CCK release.”

What the book actually says is: (caps added by me)

In dogs, fatty acids (Sun et al. 1992), amino acids, and peptides stimulate CCK release, BUT INTACT PROTEINS DO NOT (Meyer and Kelly 1976).

What are the intact proteins the book references? Are they the proteins in a raw or lightly cooked fresh homemade diet of lean meats, poultry and fish?

[Susan]

THANK-YOU Aimee, my vet did exlpained why Patch cant have liver treats, but I was so stressed at the time & cant remember that day too well, yes Patch can’t have a high protein diet either..Aimee what are you feeding ur dog that has Pancreatitis, I’m running out of foods to try for breakfast…I thought I had found the Tuna & pumkin for his breakfast, he’s been on the tuna since June & was doing real well but now he’s having his pain again & whinging after his breakfast these last 2 weeks…if I give him his kibble for breakfast or boiled chicken breast & pumkin he has his pain, I dont know what to give for breakfast no more, Maybe Patch just cant eat breakfast, he seems fine after eating kibble for lunch & dinner…I was going to try Rolled oats..Vet did want me to try Prednisone but I’ve been trying everthing possible before I try him on the Steriods.. Patch also has bad stomach reflux & acid always burping after eating & I thought the steroids will make things worse….Ive read on the Yahoo group “Dogpancreatitis” a few dogs are doing really well on the Vet prescription diet Royal Canin Low Fat kibble as the fat% is 7%….. Patch is on Vet Diet Eukanuba Intestinal its 10% fat & about 1 month ago I started introducing the Wellness Simple Duck & Oatmeal kibble the fat is 11.98%, I’m adding 1/2 the Simple & 1/2 the Intestinal for lunch & dinner at the moment, maybe that has started Patches pain again…. I dont know no more…its an awful disease…
Eric if your reading, did you ever give Otis any cooked meats, I read that the raw didnt work, my vet said NO RAW, thats was 1 thing I can remember Lol….I mite look up the Hills I/d GI restore, I bet we dont have that one in Australia alot of the Hills foods were cut back

[aimee]

Hi Eric,

I nearly lost a dog to pancreatitis. Scary stuff. Glad you found a diet that is working for your boy. Take a good diet history of everything your guy eats. Calories from “treats” shouldn’t be more than 10 % total diet calories. Trim back if they exceed this. Excess calories lead to weight gain. Research doesn’t support that the common belief that carbs and sugar cause weight gain in the absence of excess calories.

[aimee]

Hi Dori and LabsRawsome,

Experimentally compounds that mimic the hormone CCK result in pancreatitis. In these studies high amounts are given. The most potent dietary stimulation of CCK is fat. Protein though also stimulates CCK release.

From the table in Applied Veterinary Clinical Nutrition 2012 on foods to avoid with chronic pancreatitis “Dry meat treats ( jerky)” The text also cautions against feeding diets very high in protein to patients with a history of pancreatitis.

Hope this helps explain why Patch doesn’t do well with jerky treats.

[Susan]

DORI, You should read posts properly & re-read my post… I said that (my Patch cant eat jerky meats)…. I never told Eric NOT TO FEED his dog Jerky READ THE POST PROPERLY…I’m sure Eric would know what his dog can eat & not eat after having a dog with Pancreatitis….

[Dori]

Sue66b. It is ridiculous to say that liver jerky causes pancreatitis. That Patch has other medical and health issues and that the jerky added to it is a different story. Your vet may have very well told you no more liver jerky for Patch, but not because liver jerky causes pancreatitis otherwise there would be thousands of dogs, if not more, with pancreatitis because they eat liver jerky which is not so. You have to qualify when you’re posting that this was the story for your dog due to other medical issues. I’m sorry that your dog was in the hospital for two days. I once had a dog that was in the hospital for 10 days because she grabbed an entire package of hot dogs off the kitchen counter and ate them all including the packaging. I would not tell people not to eat hot dogs because it will cause pancreatitis. That would be ridiculous. Most dogs are fine with liver jerky, some, not so much!!

• This reply was modified 11 years, 3 months ago by Dori.

[Dori]

Wow Labs. You and I seem to be on the same page of late. Dried jerky meat absolutely cannot cause Pancreatitis. Seriously? As Judge Judy would say……RIDICULOUS!!!!!!!
.
On a completely different subject, the girls had their first meal of Victor’s Grain Free (Yukon–the only one that Katie can eat). Other than Katie having a gurgling stomach all seems well. I’m going to try feeding that in the a.m. and raw for their p.m. meals. It would be so great if they can actually eat a dry food. I haven’t gone anywhere since I put the dogs on raw food 2 1/2 years ago. I’ve become a slave to my girls. Not that I wasn’t before, but at least my husband or dog sitters or kennels would feed kibble, they won’t do raw. Truthfully, I wouldn’t trust them anyway. It would really be nice not to be a slave to their meal times. I’ll let you know how it goes on the Victor site.

[LabsRawesome]

I can’t see how dried jerky meat could cause Pancreatitis. There’s only 0.4 grams of fat in 5 slices of dried beef.

[Pat G]

I have not heard of Dawson. I have used Darwin’s which I was very happy with. If your dog has kidney problems the protein may be to high in raw foods. I think Dog Food Advisor has a section of recommended dog foods for kidney problem. I took my dog off of raw because of pancreatitis.

[Susan]

Hi Eric, Your lucky that ur boy is keeping on his weight, my boy has Pancreatitis IBD & Skin Allergies, I’m having trouble keeping on his weight, 1 month he’ll start to look all muscle & nice & solid then this month I can see his spine when he’s curled up sleeping & bottom of his ribs when walking, I dont know about ur boy but my Patch can’t eat Jerky meats, thats how he started to get ill with his Pancreatitis, I’ll tell you what Patch eats as treats, a little thin slice of banana mashed up but banana is a high carb fruit, Rice Cake biscuits, I break one rice cake into a quarter then break little bits off the 1/4 biscuit & he thinks that he’s getting alot but really he isn’t, his kibble I use that as a treat, he has tuna in spring water drained & add a little of boiled pumkin & mash all together for breakfast Watermelon in summer & thats about it….We do walk alot Patch goes on about 4 walks a day, up the shops, dog park, beach… I think thats why he’s having trouble keeping on the weight… too much walking, but our walks are only 15min long maybe 20mins, all up its about 1 hour walking a day & no fat in his diet only whats in his kibble, also Patch has trouble with proteins meats he seem to have his pain after he ate his boiled chicken, so I changed to tuna, I use to mix a boiled egg with his tuna & pumkin but he had pain I’d say the egg yolk too high in fat, also just reduce his kibble, take out about 8 kibbles from his bowl, then you can use those kibbles as treats thru the day, walk him & the weight will come off, & try pumkin instead of sweet potato, I cant give Patch Potato he gets a rash on his stomach then has diarrhea….

[Eric H]

Hello – Long time lurker to this fantastic site and forum members, finally time to post and ask for input!

Our 10 second intros:
The Pooch: “Otis,” 25+lb, 7yr old happy active male neutered mini-Schnoodle (14.5″ withers) unfortunately with severe pancreas issues and epilepsy (controlled by daily phenobarbital).

The current food: 1/2c x 2 per day = 1 cup / day of Hills I/D GI Restore – the ONLY food we have found, after trying MANY options including raw and alternative pancreas-safe home-brews, which doesn’t send him to the hospital for 24-48hrs at $500+ a crack. Ouch. We actually thought he would die before we found something he could eat. This is the *only* food so far which has kept him out of the hospital >1yr and counting! [knock on wood]. Note this is about HALF his recommended amount, as we were previously already trying to keep his weight down – it isn’t working!

The current treats: Carrots and Cauliflower (can’t eat fat, remember?), Watermelon, dried sweet-potato/yam slices. He gets his pill (twice a day) in a small cube of cooked sweet potato which works out to 1 full sweet potato per week. That’s about it.

Ok. So.
The reason for interrupting you all!
He is currently a little pork-chop pushing 26 lbs and should be closer to 20-25ish despite eating the above “low fat” diet (so he doesn’t die from pancreatitis) and ZERO extras other than a large contingent of veggies and his beloved sweet-potato. Then I lurk on this site to try to figure out why he is still gaining so much weight… CARBS + SUGARS!? Oh fer cryin out loud! Carrots, one of his favourites, high in carbs. Who knew.

So the question is: What the heck do I feed the poor guy so he doesn’t die from either pancreatitis or complications of being overweight!

The current plan: Get a list of low-carb low-sugar veggies and try to stay low on both for his “treats,” as the food itself “ain’t broke so don’t touch it,” as any guesswork in that department could have serious complications.

Thoughts?
Thanks!
-e

[Susan]

Hi BRT, I never knew about expressing dogs anal glands until I rescued Patch 20 months ago, when I first got him he was always scooting along the carpet, at first I thought worms so I wormed him again, then vet said anal glands need expressing, Patch would have his anal glands expressed every 2 months by the vet, then in March I started to give Patch Boiled Chicken breast with boiled pumkin for breakfast cause of his Pancreatitis, I give Tuna in spring water drained & pumkin now, but since starting him on the boiled pumkin back in March he stopped scooting along the carpet & I havent needed to take him to the vet to express his anal glands..you could always try some pumkin & see if it works..also 1 month ago I started feeding Patch “Wellness Simple” Duck & Oatmeal kibble & Patches poos are more firmer then when he eats his Vet prescription Eukanuba Intestinal..so maybe you’ll need to change their diet…

[Susan]

Hi Leah, have you tried “Dermoscent Essential 6” spot on, here’s a link… https://www.pawbyblackmores.com/products/essential-6-for-dogs ..after seeing what is in the Alerderm liquid, Im no sure about giving it to Patch with his IBD & Pancreatitis… I mite try the Dermoscent Essential Spot On instead, that way its on his skin & not in his stomach… what I hate is you pay all this money then Patch has a reaction, my cupboard looks like a chemist shop…
USA Dog Treats where did you get the ingredients for the Allerderm liquid as I’d like to know what is in their Allerderm EFA-caps HP as they are higher in Omega-3 200mg & 88mg omega-6…when I looked it just gave the omega-3 & omega-6 mg’s, not the ingredients what I need…

[Susan]

Hi James, what were the other brand foods you tried, were they similiar to the Royal Canin ingredients or were they different proteins, look at the ingredients of the R/C Boxer & maybe pick a kibble with Chicken meal instead of the chicken by-products, I just looked at the ingredients of the R/C Boxer, have you tried “Eagle Pack Orignal” Chicken meal & Pork meal or the Eagle Pack Power adult that has 30% protein & it has chicken meal & pork meal & oats like the R/C Boxer & is higher then the R/C in protein at 24%, just a thought, also Eagle Pack has different flavors, so you can rotate them later if they like the Chicken & Pork meal…. I had a boxer 3 years ago & she loved home cooked or wet tin over her kibble…Angie also had an under bite, I never noticed anything different when she ate…..Just watch for any lumps, my poor Angie was so healthy, then around 9years old she had what looked like a little wort on the back of her back leg, the first vet said “oh thats nothing” then 1 year pasted & Angie wasnt herself, tired, didnt want to go on her walks as much so I took her to a different vet, the RSPCA vets where I first adopted her from & straight away the vet took her in for surgery & cut out any lumps & did bi-opsies, she had high grade 2 cancer….Mast call tumors…I love Boxers, this time I rescued a 4year old English Staffy & he has nothing but health problems, beautiful friendly boy, but has problems with Pancreas & itchy skin allergies, The vet put Patch on the Royal Canin vet diet Hypoallergenic kibble in the begining for his itchy skin but the fat% was 19% fat then Patch got Pancreatitis cause the fat% was too high in the R/C & Patch was put on Eukanuba Intestinal vet diet with a lower fat% & Patch is doing real great, looks shinny, people say, gee he looks good, but 1 month ago I started Patch on the Wellness Simple, Duck & Oatmeal as the Eukanuba has corn in it, so far all is good no gas, no stomach rumbles, perfect poos, I think he’s better then when he was just on the Eukanuba Intestinal, at the moment I mix the 2 kibbles, so he gets good from both kibbles, its always good to have a few kibbles that they like & agrees with them, just incase you cant get one of the kibbles you’ll have the other kibbles to fall back on.. I want to try the Eagle Pack Reduced fat next as it has similiar ingredients to his Eukanuba intestinal but minus the corn.. he did good on the Eukanuba Intestinal..

[Barbara O]

You are so welcome. Please realize that I’m not that smart…it’s called being older and learning from experience and reading…asking questions like you do…and using common horse sense when ruminating over the answers that people give you. I give a great deal of credence to people who have been around the block a few times and who spend time reading between the lines…Remember…anyone can put stuff in print on the internet…I love books that are the printed word. When Toby developed pancreatitis, between my vet and a book I have on hand, we pulled him through. I wouldn’t be without the book…It at least tells me what to do at home while I’m waiting to get an animal to the vet’s office…and some good tips after I go…I learned that we have to keep them hydrated but at the same time keep the pancreas still and not taxing itself….It was Christmas Day when Toby got sick…so we’ve come a long way and we’ve had no more problems…and it was my fault that he got sick. I had fixed a standing rib roast for Christmas and left the pan on top of the cabinet…the grease cooled and rose to the top…I had put water in the pan…I had a sick rescue Dane and hadn’t washed the pan…Toby got on top of the sink….genets can climb anywhere…and swished his tail in the pan, covering his long, long tail in the grease…these animals are fastidious..so he immediately went to cleaning it… When i finally set down after getting Mandy the dog stabilized and medicated…she had a UTI…he jumped into my lap and i felt the wet, greasy feeling tail….he had consumed all that grease…too, too much for a little 3 to 4 lb animal….The next morning he was lethargic…we saw the vet that day and he was started on meds…then we went back and they had to put 50 ccs of fluid under his skin…it took three of us to hold him down in a tube that was meant to do this…it was then i learned how to give him a teaspoon of water every hour on the hour to keep him hydrated, interspersed with a teaspoon of blended food….several times a day….My husband and I had tried to keep him hydrated with 10 ccs subcu but couldn’t hold him down….strong little cuss…first animal I haven’t been able to hold down…As I said, he can be a little Tasmanian devil….I hydrated the Dane with no problem….

Every day I learn something new…that’s why I love sites like this…It helps me tweak what I do for my own animals and it also helps me know what I’m doing right, that has worked for years and years…when something works, your animal is healthy and happy…don’t change what you’re doing…Our animals are individuals…I can’t eat wheat…developed a problem with it…causes horrible arthritis in me…I also know this hasn’t always been the case…same way with chicken…developed something called polymyalgia…docs sent me to rheumatoid clinic at our teaching hospital here…not rheumatoid arthritis so they gave it this fancy name…found out it was being caused by chicken…I was eating it almost every day…I was the one who found the connection…not the docs, just me…case in point….you know your animals better than anyone else…I told one person I won’t feed Purina…had a bad experience with it…not the quality I want for my animals…but that doesn’t mean that others have the same results…From my animal science degree, the various vet courses I’ve taken, and from working with various animals and exotic vets across the US, I have learned a great deal….All I can do is try to put together what I’ve learned to care for what the animals I’ve been blessed to have…I’m seeing too many animals with allergies…something is going on…and I’m seeing these allergies in animals on kibble, raw diets….etc…It’s so hard for me to believe this is a permanent situation….I would start questioning the surrounding environment…not something an individual may be doing but what the animal is coming in contact with that’s not food related…that’s how my allergies started…I cleaned up my environment, cleaned up my diet, starting building my immune system, and now my allergies are almost non-existent. Hopefully, this will happen to the animals out there that are suffering…

[Barbara O]

If you’ll read, I believe they have a digestive enzyme…I feed twice a day also…but I either add in the AM or the PM….He gets his salmon oil in the mornings…I usually give him his glucosamine in the evening…I was giving him Costco pills but he would spit them out so I ordered the dog liquid from Vita Cost…then I discovered I could put the two pills in a jigger of water and they would be completely dissolved by the time I fed…

I rotate my brands….but I always feed grain free to all my animals…including my cats…I have a Maine coon cat and a Savannah…which is a cross between an African cat and a domestic cat…They also get canned food and some Primal..I don’t feed Primal to Roger all the time…because he gets raw bones…If he didn’t get these, he would get some Primal every day…remember, his cousin, the wolf, eats raw meat every day…I’m at work right now but I’ll look at the digestive enzyme I have at home…Toby, my genet, had a case of pancreatitis at Christmas, and I started him on the enzymes after he recovered…I’ll get the name…

I feed the canned Costco no grain dog food mixed in with the kibble, also. It gets a 5…Natural Instinct is wonderful…I fed the grain free by Merrick…can’t think of the name, and he really liked it. I’m feeding a grain free now and I won’t buy it again, but I bought it in a pinch…maybe called Natural Balance…really having to boost it with meat. Tomorrow I will pick up a bag of Costco Grain free salmon….To this I add an egg at each feeding…the perfect protein for both man and beast….I haven’t fed this…my vet said to be careful feeding chicken…you will need to add fat to it…So if I buy Costco, I’ll just buy the salmon or beef grain free and add more protein…since it is a plant based feed…The vet said it is a good feed, though…better than most and very budget friendly…of course, I spend the difference on the things I add…I like Taste of the Wild….it is a 4 and is plant based, though many of the vets here love it…and Danes need to keep watch on the protein due to their size and joints…they grow awfully fast, and Roger is about a year old. He has never had a problem with me just switching brands..no stomach upsets, etc…Just use common sense and ask yourself, would I want someone to switch my diet around all the time? I’ve been taking in orphan animals, raising wildlife, doing wildlife rehab work since I was about 16 or 17, and that’s a long, long time. If I ever learn how to post pictures on this site, will send some before and after pics of the Danes I’ve rescued…and will send a pic of the fennecs and our little Tasmanian monster, Toby the genet.

[Melissaandcrew]

Hi Johnny. I have owned Schwartz for over 20 yrs and to date have never had a problem with stones. I feed higher quality kibble raw dehydrated etc. Avoid carp foods with lots of fillers dyes and chemic as last. They are more prone to pancreatitis so use caution with high fat foods.

[Susan]

Hi Susan, My Patch had the stomach/bowel gurgling & rumbles, its actually gases going thru their bowels, vet said it was Colitis, He was also vomiting some early hours of the morning, yellow acid & was put on 1/3 of a Zantac or around 11am he’d vomit his breakfast which was kibble, so now I give him Tuna in spring water drained with Pumkin for breakfast now & he has stopped the vomiting & whinging of a morning, I was adding a boiled egg, but I think the egg yoke had too much fat as he’d started his whinging again & wanted me to rub his tummy around his right rib cage… Patch has to have a very low fat diet, I cant give him a kibble with the fat% over 11-12% fat…If he eats chicken of a night or tin foods he gets his rumbles early hours of the morning, so he gets his Eukanuba Intestinal low residue kibble mixed with Wellness Simple Duck & Oatmeal as Im slowley introducing him to the Wellness Simple kibble we are half way.. Has the vet put him on a low fat diet yet….also I found Patch cant have a high protein diet either has to be around 23% Protein or we are up early hours of the morning with his rumbles or eating grass to vomit…. Patch is also a stress head, starts to shake & vibrate if he hears firer works, thunder, neighbours yelling etc..In the end the vet said he has IBD & Pancreatitis & his Skin Allergies..

[Claire]

I just joined the dog pancreatitis group – thanks so much for pointing me that way. Lots of good information there. 🙂

I baked some of his wet food last night so he can have some “treats.” He’s not very excited about his new diet, but he seems to be feeling a little bit better. Seems like it will take some getting used to. Going to keep an eye on him today and see if we’re going to make a trip back to the vet tomorrow morning. Hoping his poos start looking a little bit better this afternoon.

Once his tummy is stabilized I’ll definitely look for some no fat cookie recipes! He also might like some dehydrated veggies. Looks like I may have an excuse for a new kitchen gadget to make the little man some dehydrated snacks too. I think for the next few weeks he needs to stick to his diet to get his insides figured out. Poor little guy. It’s so good to know that all this is manageable though!

[Susan]

Poor boy, Patch has Pancreatitis & IBD, at first Patches vet said colitis, cause he was pooing light red blood, they’re awful illnesses, you have to read every label to see the fat% & Patch has troubles with protein, it cant be too high, has to be under 24%, he was put on Vet diet Eukanuba Intestinal, he’s been on the Eukanuba Intestinal for 11 months then finally our Pet Barn got the “Wellness Simple” Duck & Oatmeal..so far this has been the only kibble that has agreed with Patch as well as his Intestinal.. I’m so slowly introducing the Simple, I’m halfway, so far Patch is doing good, no acid reflux, poos are excellent, Poos are better on the Simple then on the Intestinal….I make Patches biscuits, you’ll find a recipe for no fat cookies on the net, I have a few cookies dog recipes if needed, there’s a group on Yahoo called “dogpancreatitis” you see what other people are using & doing with their dogs…..hope he gets well soon…

[Claire]

When I got him out of the shelter at 8 months he was very very thin. He was someone’s Christmas gift they decided they didn’t want by February. I know his diet wasn’t very good as a little guy. He wasn’t treated very well – he came out of the shelter terrified of men. 🙁

Vets diagnosis today is pancreatitis, colitis, or both. As of right now the vet wants him on i/d low fat indefinitely. Tests in early July were negative for pancreatitis but were positive today. There’s definitely something in the food that his insides can’t take. Poor guy is gonna have a tough adjustment to a life without cookies. He loooooves cookies.

Still aren’t sure of a cause of all this. Hoping he’s on the road to recovery. July hasn’t been a good month for the pup.

[Melissaandcrew]

It doesn’t say on the ground beef I buy from the farm either, but when asked, they gave me the numbers. For me, its important due to the schnauzers and pancreatitis. I honestly think sometimes the companies grinding for dogs put as much of the cow in as they can, lol.

[Melissaandcrew]

Hi Jennifer-

I am going to agree with your vet on the cause-Pig ears are a huge no no for many breeds of dogs that are prone to pancreatitis, so definetly would be for one who had an attack. Very high fat content. What was the fat content of what you were feeding him before? You may have said and I missed it. Right after an attack, one does need to heavily restrict the fat etc in order to allow the pancreas to rest and reduce inflammation. Most vets will say restrict the fat content from this point forward to 10-12% MAXIMUM, not minimum. Good luck finding foods that report a guaranteed minimum, lol.

As an owner of mini schnauzers for 25 plus years, I have dealt with it more times than I wished to. Schnauzers are very prone to pancreatitis and severe attacks at that. I was a good sheep and followed the protocol. And what that got me was a bunch of schnauzers who were more fat sensitive than ever. I only had one that continued to have fat content issues, and we went with Blue Buffalo Wilderness Healthy weight for her, with some other brands mixed in for variety. The rest of the crew were transitioned SLOWLY to various brands, and types and they are “safe” up to about 16.5% total fat in a meal. If I wish to feed them say Acana grassland which is 17% fat, then I mix it with Lamb/Apple which is 15% fat. You get the idea.

These days, I feed a combination of dry,canned, dehydrated and homemade raw(they did well on Natures Variety Instinct raw as well-but like anything else watch the fat content) When I make raw, I use lean meats-skinless chicken, lean beef etc and so far, no issues. My point being while you have to be conscious of fat content, each dog has an upper threshold and it may take a bit of research to find yours. Just remember to do everything very slowly, and don’t go crazy and think Milo can have 17 or 18 percent fat because other dogs do. good luck-Melissa

[Corinne M]

Hi Jennifer,
I’m so glad to hear that the info was helpful – I remember how hard & overwhelming it was for me to learn about pancreatitis when it my dog was going through it. So it’s nice to know that someone else can make use of what I learned. I’m sorry to her about your experience with the vet – I think I just lucked out with mine. But I don’t want to leave you with the impression that your vet did anything wrong in prescribing Prednisone, because I think that it’s something that is widely used to treat specific problems, but just like any drug or herbal remedy, there are times & cases when it’s just better to avoid it – an argument could be made that giving your dog a corticosteroid so that he’s not in constant misery from the itchiness is a compassionate thing to do. The flip side is, there are risks associated with using it and if the “itchies” can be eliminated through diet & supplements maybe that’s worth trying.
I also don’t know why they are pushing Royal Canin – maybe they’ve had other dogs do well on it and think it’s the right thing for Milo. But I agree with you, if you suspect it’s triggering allergies it’s worthwhile to look at other foods.
My dog’s are doing great on what I feed them – I alternate between homecooked, home-prepare raw, and commercially prepare raw. But here’s the thing – I only started doing this about 4 years ago because one of my dogs had a blown-out immune system & I had to learn how to feed him in a way that was anti-inflammatory, avoided chemicals, avoided allergens, etc. etc. And to be honest, I have made mistakes along the way that could have done more harm than good (for example, I got the phosphorus/calcium ratio totally wrong for awhile and only discovered it after labwork came back with creatinine levels waaaaay high – I could have caused kidney failure in my dogs if that had not been caught & corrected). And I still consider myself to be learning – so I keep a close eye on them and read everything I can get my hands on and keep it simple and safe. I will do some research for you & report back what I find, but in the meantime, keep up your search for a nutritionally complete & balanced high-quality commercial food that meets the requirements for Milo’s pancreas.
I do think a simple boiled chicken & rice diet is useful when dogs are sick – fewer ingredients to upset their system. But, the recommended fat ratio for a dog with damaged pancreas is REALLY specific so I would only home cook right now if I knew for certain that the recipe I used was safe in terms of fat ratio. The recipe I used after Max had pancreatitis was formulated for me to deal with his other issues but I’ll look for info on a basic safe recipe for you.
BTW: Thanks to the other posters who found my post helpful. I learn so much from you all and from this website! I really appreciate the resources & people here!
Corinne

[Bobby dog]

Jennifer H:
I have no information to share with you, but wanted to wish you and your pup well! It sounds like he is in good hands.

Corinne M:
I enjoyed reading your post. Your information was very informative! My Hoof Care Specialist has a small dog with pancreatitis and I will be sharing some of your info with her. Thank you for sharing.

[Jennifer H]

Thank you, everyone for answering my post. To be honest with you, I never really researched dog foods until he ended up with Pancreatitis. We have always had poodles and none of them ever had issues until Milo. It was when the Pancreatitis happened, that I found this site and began to truly research dog foods. I agree with you magnoliasouth that Natures Recipe is not the best food. I really do not feel right feeding him something I can not eat and is not the best after educating myself on what is truly in pet foods. Truly, I do not know what caused the attack, I am just going by what the vet said, that pig ears are high in fat. Milo had only eaten his grain free dog food, grain free treats and a pig ear before his attack. My neighbors were aware of his allergies and I have again made it clear that he is to have nothing to eat. The vet said that it would be hard to determine exactly what caused the attack, they are just speculating the pig ear is the cause of it. As for the Royal Canin, i stopped it within about 2 days of purchasing the case of it from the vet. I now realize that the vet promotes that junk.

I have looked at the list of low fat/low sodium on here but I am still worried that some of them may still be too high in fat for him. My other worry is with a lot of the limited ingredient diets, there is a lot of starchy foods instead of grain, which promotes yeast. I am still working my way through the list and was not aware of the other thread with the low fat/low sodium foods, so I will look at that as well.

Corinne, your post has been so helpful to me, with lots of information. I do not feel it was preachy at all, but very very helpful. Unfortanately, I am not at all happy with my vet. There answer was and still is “royal canin”. Most of the time, I am speaking with a tech. My vet has dismissed my concerns about Milo’s food allergies and continually states that it’s “season allergies”. Not to seem more knowledgeable then the vet, but I know how Milo acts when he is having a food allergy. I am looking for another vet in the meantime. I did give Milo some Benadryl, but I did not give him the Prednisone after the attack. I honestly didn’t know it could cause Pancreatitis, and I am now wondering why the vet did not know this as well. They actually gave him Prednisone for another issue in April, so I am wondering now if that is what caused the pancreatitis.

With all my recent research, I did read about the pancreatic enzyme, which I am starting to give him. I would love to fed him a homemade diet w/ supplements. Another area I have read a lot about. Corinne, is there any pointers you can give me? Or maybe steer me in the right direction of recipes, supplements, etc. to begin dong this? Also, I have read that Chicken and Rice diet is ok to feed him, while I know it is not balanced, would it be ok to feed him this diet until I have his food situation under control?

You have given me so much direction, I am very thankful and plan on getting to work on as much as I can right away.

[losul]

Lisa, I’ve been thinking about Chewy. Hopefully you have started to be able to keep badly needed nutrition in him now?

Some questions about his umbilical hernia, large or small? Has it gotten larger over the last several months? Is it painful to the touch for Chewy? I’m wondering if for some reason, perhaps financial, you had delayed the procedure, because in general a vet would do it by 5 or 6 months if they were pushing the time frame out to allow for spaying/neutering at the same time, otherwise probably earlier, and especially if it was causing problems or growing in size. From what I can determine Chewy is now about 9 months old. With a very small hernia, it might be only a bit of fat that pokes through the hole in the abdominal wall. With a larger hole, a loop of the intestine might drop into the sac and cause restriction which could definitely make Chewy vomit. Worse, a more severe restriction could even strangulate the intestine with much more dire consequences. Occaisonally the hole may even begin to close on it’s own by about 6 months. If the intestines are outside of the abdominal musculature structure and it begins closing……

This would be a large umbilical hernia, and no doubt the intestines have dropped into the sac. This one might be large enough not to substantially restrict or strangulate the intestines, depending on the actual size of the hole. It’s still quite dangerous.

http://www.faqs.org/photos/hernia-2773.jpg

“The symptoms associated with a hernia, like the one pictured in Figure 1 and 2 may initially relate to the inability of food to pass through this constricted section of intestine. Muscles within the wall of the intestine are responsible for moving food and water through the organ. Waves of contractions called peristalsis propel the contents along the length of the intestine. When an obstruction is encountered, like the one described, the peristaltic waves reverse direction and move the food backward through the entire digestive tract. This results in food and water being vomited.”

http://www.americananimalcare.com/pethealth/hernia_surgery_dogs_cats_umbilical_diaphragmatic_irguinal.html

I don’t know what is causing Chewy’s vomiting, but it’s really serious stuff to be vomiting everyday for many months, and a pup at that. You really must work on getting to the cause and very soon.

BTW, if Chewy’s case even has anything to do with acid production, low acid production can cause the same symptoms as too much acid production. I’d think thrice about self medicating with acid inhibitory drugs, especially at inspecific dosages, and remember he’s ONLY an 8 to 9 lb malnourished pup. 1/2 or 1/3 of an adult human dose???? Stomach acid is even more important to the dog, a carnivore. Acid is needed for proper digestion, especially protein digestion, acid is needed for the stomach to empty correctly, and failure to do so results in GERD. Stomach acid is a defense against bacterial infections and fungal infections, certain vitamins and minerals also require acid to be absorbed such as calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, iron, selenium, B-12, etc. Improper digestion of foods can lead to to large of particles getting into the lower digestive tract and causing allergies, diarrhea, pathogenic bacterial fermentation, etc. Acid stimulates pepsin to be released into the stomach for digestion, and for pancreatic enzymes and bile to be released into the small intestine to further digest carbs, fats and proteins. I could keep going on and on. Proper overall health begins with proper acid production. Improperly diagnosing, and prohibiting or shutting down acid production with zantac, prilosec, etc. could be the start of a vicious circle and downward spiral of, helicobacter overgrowth/ infections leading to ulcers, other pathogenic infections, colitis, gastroenteritis, IBD, pancreatitis, allergies, diabetes, malnourishment, inability to digest all but the simplest of foods (hydrolyzed), dependence on inhibitors, evermore drugs to staunch the symptoms (like metronidazole and steroids) and mask the root cause, and ever declining health. Be very careful….. and best wishes Lisa.

I wonder why acid inhibitors are some of Pharma, Inc’s. biggest blockbusters of all time?

• This reply was modified 11 years, 4 months ago by losul.

[Susan]

Hi Regina, My Patch didnt do good on the Eukanuba tin low residue, I looked up the Eukanuba tin low residue & the Iams Tin low residue & they have the same ingredients, also when I put it in the fridge the next day you’d see the white fat that had hardened on the side & top of the food, the fat is too high at 4.5%.when you converted to kibble fat thats around 21% fat thats high…There’s too many ingedients also in the low residue tin, there’s fish, chicken liver, chicken & beef..Have you tried cooking a low fat meals….I give Patch light Tuna in spring water drained then mix in a bit of boiled pumkin for breakfast, he does real well on the Tuna better then on the boiled chicken breast…also have you looked at the Low fat diets in the review section, look for something lower then 3% fats in wet foods….also you say that Alf wont eat kibble, have you tried soaking the kibble in water to soften, then draining the water off.. I do that with Patches Eukanuba Intestinal kibble & the Wellness Simple Duck & Oatmeal kibble, have you tried adding some low fat tin food or some tuna on top of the soften kibble, to make him eat…..I know when Patch had his gurgling stomach/bowel I’d make him a piece of dry white toast with a little bit of thinly spread honey on the toast & his bowel would stop gurgling & rumbling, its gases going tru his bowel, also Royal Canin make a tin food called (Gastro Intestinal Low Fat) its only 1.75% fat, maybe try the Royal Canin low fat tin food, Ive read a few people on the Dogpancreatitis yahoo group use the Royal Canin low fat tin food with great success…I hope Alfie gets better…but look at the fat % content, it took me 1 year to realise that it was the higher fat% making Patch ill, the stupid vet didnt even realise until I saw another vet that said lower his fat under 9%..I did then Patch started to get better again & no more rumbling & gurgling stomach/bowel..

[Corinne M]

Hi Jennifer,
I completely feel for you – it can be overwhelming trying to digest all the information out there when you just want to make your pup feel better! I had a Golden Retriever who had a bout of pancreatitis, and I learned a lot in the process – maybe some of it can help you.
First I had some concerns about Milo reading your post – and I want to address them without sounding preachy or condescending, so please understand that I am approaching this as if you have the level of knowledge that I had when it happened to my dog (very little knowledge). So forgive me if some of this is just plain simplistic and maybe obvious.
I never learned what caused the pancreatitis in my dog – there are theories, but the best experts I talked to said it could have been just plain old bad luck. What there seems to be agreement among the experts is that, once a dog has a single an episode of pancreatitis, everything changes – dietary needs, vaccine protocol, immune support, medication sensitivity, everything… FOR LIFE. That sucks, right? But it’s assumed that the pancreas is now more fragile or less efficient than it once was, and the goal becomes avoiding another bout of pancreatitis.
So you’re already working on the first step – which is diet; low protein, highly digestible, etc. etc. Essentially, a diet that doesn’t stress out his pancreas.
A compromised pancreas essentially means a problem in the digestive tract, which is why I wanted to respond to you. Digestive problems are often tied to things you are describing in Milo, like food sensitivity, itchy skin, loose bowels, yeast infections & immune deficiency. A healthy pancreas releases digestive enzymes into the digestive tract which then help to breakdown the good food you feed him so that his body can utilize all those wonderful nutrients. So the first step that you are already tackling, “what high quality food can I use?” is critical! Unfortunately, I don’t know – I feed homemade – but I trust that you will get some wisdom from this site & through your research will get that answer. But the NEXT steps are equally important, and here’s where I hope my experience can help you.
Part of the dietary changes you must make is supplementing with pancreatic enzymes. Ask your vet or do some research. I used a formula that was specifically recommended for my dog based on tests run by his endocrinologist – and my dog was a 90 pound, 14 year old Golden – so I can’t tell you what’s right for Milo. However, I can tell you that minimally, Dr. Pitcairn’s book says just pick up a human grade digestive enzyme from the vitamin store and give ½ capsule with each meal. That would be better than nothing.
Without proper food digestion, the best, highest quality diet won’t give Milo the nutrients he needs. So don’t skip this step.
Next, vaccine protocol. Dogs with compromised pancreas should follow a more “minimal” vaccine protocol. Ask your vet, or google Dr. Jean Dodd’s vaccine protocol to get additional information.
Immune support: here’s where I think Milo really would benefit from your research and discussions with your vet. The food symptoms you describe (itchy skin, loose stools, yeast imbalance, etc.) sound to me like two things going on: 1) problems in the gut – which will be dealt with thru diet & supplements; and 2) a weak immune system. The skin is a wonderful organ for telling us when our dogs’ immune systems are struggling. A dog with a healthy immune system will be pretty resilient when it comes to yeast & other skin flare ups. A balanced complete diet, fully digested with the help of enzymes may go a long way toward giving him relief – but you probably need to look into some immune support supplements to help him recover initially. Ask your vet, or look into having his immune system tested at http://www.hemopet.org the lab report will include a review by Dr. Dodds who can suggest a specific immune support protocol for Milo. I used Moducare (Thorne Labs) plus other specific herbs & vitamins.
Medication sensitivity: And here is where you are not going to like me…Prednisone is not something I would give to a dog 30 days after pancreatitis. I absolutely understand why it was prescribed (to make your itchy dog less miserable), and frankly, I don’t know of any substitute that will do the trick. The problem is, Prednisone is a corticosteroid and can actually trigger a bout of pancreatitis. It is absolutely not safe for Milo right now…sorry. Google it or ask your vet if this seems like questionable advise – but I can’t stress enough, NO PREDNISONE.
I hope you take this in the spirit offered – advice from a fellow pet owner who adores her pets. And hope Milo is on the mend soon!
Corinne

[Susan]

Hi Brenda, have you looked at the Wellness Simple its a limited ingredient kibble or wet, Im trying the Simple Duck & Oats, Patch has IBD & Pancreatitis & skin allegies, Ive tried a few different kibbles & have had problems, either the protein is too high or the fat % being to high, or to many ingredients….now Im trying the Wellness Simple & so far Patches poos are good & his red itchy paws are better also his scatching his lower back on my wall has stopped, here’s a link to have a look ..Wellness Simple has NO GMO’s, Meat By-products,wheat,gluten,corn,soy,dairy,eggs,artificial preservatives,colours or flavours.
http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/categories.aspx?pet=dogs&cat=3

[Susan]

Hi Lisa, my Patchy has this, Chewy has to have a low fat diet, nothing over 10% fat, if he cant stomach his kibble either wet it to soften & drain the water or look for a wet food that is very low in fat around 1-2% fat cause when wet tin food is converted its higher, say the wet tin says 5% fat if it was a kibble it would be around 22% fat% when converted..so the boiled chicken & pumkin is safer or like Ive been doing for Patches breakfast I buy the light tuna in spring water & drain water & add pumkin, Patch has been better since having the Tuna, he still got his pain when I boiled the chicken breast, must still be too high in fat. …poor boy, he would of had pain after he ate to much fatty foods & spewed, they have pain on their right side under their rib cage, Patch comes to me & sits & lifts his paw for me to rub his tummy…the Rx food do they have it in wet, I dont know about RX but I know all the vet prescription foods are money back guaranteed maybe swap for some wet food.. I’d say the fat is low for the vet to prescribe…other people would know of a low fat wet tin foods that have helped their dogs that have had Pancreatitis, you’ll have to always watch his fat in food now, no treats that are high in fat etc, its good they found something now you’ll know whats happening…also dogs with Pancreatitis cant stomach kibble, its too hard for them to break down in their stomachs, that’s why Patch is on a low residue kibble, it breaks up real easy, easier on their stomach & Pancreas..wet is best for this..

[Lisa C]

I’d have to ask my vet. The blood test we did on Thursday came back today and they said his pancreatic fluids are elevated…they didn’t say it’s pancreatitis, but I don’t know what to do from here.

They want him back on the RX food, but last time we tried that he just vomited it all up (dry). Unless we try wet and see how he does on that. ahhhh 🙁

[magnoliasouth]

Yipes. Royal Canin has issues, to be sure. Although I must confess I don’t much care for Nature’s Recipe either. I mean, the ingredients aren’t all that bad, but our dogs hated it.

Anyway, so a question for you. What caused the pancreatitis, or do you not know for certain? It’s usually related to something overly high in fat. I wouldn’t think a pigs ear would make much difference, but I suppose anything is possible. What concerns me though is your neighbor feeding your dog without your knowledge, period. How do you know if that’s all the neighbor was feeding him?

Whatever the case, I would definitely stop the RC food. Have you taken a look at this:

/dog-food-reviews/wellness-core-reduced-fat/

I swear by Wellness. That stuff is amazing BUT it does have starches. As you can see it’s a 5-star food here, so that may act as a relief for you. Not sure.

[Susan]

Hi Jennifer, have you looked at the Wellness Simple range.. Im trying the Duck & Oatmeal cause this had the lowest fat %, oh the Simple Healthy Weight Grain free is lower with only 8% fat but our Pet barn doesnt stock it….The wellness Simple is GMO free, wheat, corn free dairy & eggs free gluten free no preservatives, no colours or flavours……Patch has Pancreatitis, IBD & itchy skin, red paws, sometimes real itchy ears (depends what he eats)…He was put on the Vet prescription Eukanuba Intestinal & yes Patch seems hungry all the time following me into kitchen, I just started this Wellness Simple about 2-3 weeks ago Im still slowey introducing it with Patches Eukanuba Intestinal cause of his IBD, but already his paws arent red & itchy no more, he isnt scatching his back on my wall like he does when itchy, he’s a link have a look at all there flavours… http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/categories.aspx?pet=dog&cat=3

[Jennifer H]

My toy poodle, Milo, had Pancreatitis the end of May. A few years ago he was diagnosed with Wheat Allergies and our vet at the time recommended Natures Recipe Grain Free Dry Dog Food. He had been eating that food for years without any issues. He is prone to occasional ear infections. He has been seeing his current vet for less then a year. When he came home from the hospital after the pancreatitis, the vet sent him home with Royal Canin dog food and the tech at the vet said that after he was finished eating the Royal Canin they sent me home with, that he could go back to eating his regular pet food. He just need to not eat anything that was high in fat or salt. My poodle is big. He weighs about 17lbs. He is not overweight for his size, just a big poodle. A neighbor was feeding him pig ears without our knowledge so I thought perhaps this had caused the Pancreatitis. Anyway, I tried to put him back on his regular food and he refused to eat it. It was a dry kibble. I brought this to the vets attention and at that time they said they wanted him to remain on Royal Canin. I purchased a case without reading the ingredients first and I couldn’t believe I was feeding this to my pet. Milo has changed eating this food. He is constantly hungry. He begs for food, pesters you until you give him something more to eat and he has begun to scratch non-stop. He has been getting non-stop ear infections, biting and licking his paws and has very loose stool. I have left dry food down for him to eat, but he will not eat it. The symptoms he shows with the ears and biting/licking are usually signs I have seen in him in the past when he had food allergies. I returned to the vet and they did not think this was a big deal. The vet tech actually commented that it sounds like my dog likes the Royal Canin. (um, no I don’t think so either) They gave me more prednisone and told me to give him 1 Benadryl, twice a day, every day.
On the Benadryl, all Milo does is sleep. He acts spaced out. He is still scratching like crazy. I have read so much information on so many topics that my head is spinning. I feel so bad for my little guy and I am at a loss as to what to do for him. I have looked into different pet foods, but most of the high quality foods that are grain free are loaded with starch or fat. Any advice anyone could give me would be so much appreciated. I have tried diluted vinegar rinses and it seems to help for the night, but the next day he is back to scratching non stop. Is there any foods out there that are low fat, with no starch and no grains? I have tried a few brands that have quality ingredients, but I have found they have a lot of starch (potatoes, sweet potatoes, in gravy) and while he has enjoyed the food, it is not helping with the itching. I would prefer ingredients that are ok for human consumption (I don’t want to eat it, but I want him to have the best). I have tried MyPerfectPet, but it is loaded with potatoes and he has scratched even more. I have read so much that my head is spinning and I am at a loss. I just want him to be happy and healthy. Thanks again in advance.