Did my dog's adrenal tumor cause pancreatitis? Could I have prevented his death?

First off, I'm very sorry that Louie died so suddenly! Please accept my condolences for your loss. Pancreatitis is caused by things like a high fat diet, being overweight, trauma to the pancreas, and hypercalcemia. It's not caused by steroids. Pancreatitis can be extremely serious, and it can be fatal. Without seeing him in person, I can't say for certain that pancreatitis was the cause of his death, but that would be my suspicion given that he was suffering from it. Again, I'm sorry about your loss.

I am so sorry to hear about Chip passing away. Losing a pet is like losing a family member. If the diagnosis was pancreatitis with abscessation, The only treatment is IV fluids, pain medicine, and IV anabiotics. Sometimes, however, the disease makes a dog so very sick and no matter what treatment protocol is used, it cannot save their life. So it sounds based on your history that you and your veterinarian did everything you could to save this Chip. I hope this has given you the information you needed.

First, I am so sorry for your loss of Poppy. Pancreatitis can be a very painful and often devastating disease within aggressive and immediate treatment. Unfortunately the loss of fluids from vomiting and diarrhea can result in shock. I am hopeful that the anti spasm medication the vet gave would have provided her some pain relief before she passed. Again, I am so sorry for your loss.

I am so sorry to hear about Snowflake and that she has been so sick lately. My biggest concern would be whether or not the pancreatitis that isn’t improving could be related to the uterine tumor. I am definitely concerned that if the uterine tumor is malignant that it could have spread to other areas. I would definitely talk with your vet in the morning about the risks of surgery versus do they think removing the uterine tumor will help her feel better. Also, I think it would be okay to wait until tomorrow morning unless you think she is in distress or she has gotten worse. If she is breathing heavily and her gums are not pink then I would be concerned and take her to the emergency clinic. I don’t know all the details of the case so I cannot say for sure, but the fact that her pancreatitis isn’t improving concerns me and her overall prognosis is poor. I hope this helps to guide you in her treatment. I am sorry you all are having to go through this. Hugs to you and Snowflake.

I'm so sorry to hear about Luigi's passing! How awful. Hemangiosarcoma is unfortunately a common type of cancer in older, large-breed dogs, and the scenario you described with Luigi is also common - many dogs with this problem show no signs at all of illness until their abdominal tumor suddenly begins to bleed, at which point they become very weak and collapse, and may die within hours. Even with regular veterinary visits, there is often no way that the tumor could have been detected - most of the time, abdominal x-rays and ultrasound are required to diagnose this problem in its early stages, and unfortunately many dogs are not showing any symptoms at all to indicate a need for these tests. If the cancer was in his liver, then it's likely that this would not have been a treatable problem no matter how early it was found - surgery on the liver is extremely difficult and high-risk, even when performed by a specialist at a referral center. So try not to feel guilty - this is a terrible disease, but there's no way you could have known that Luigi had it, and very likely there is nothing that anyone could have done differently even if you had known. Again, I'm very sorry for your loss.

I am sorry to hear that Jasper isn't feeling well. Cancer of the pancreas is a possibility, as well as a insulinoma, or a pancreatic abscess. During the surgery, the veterinarian will likely remove the mass, if possible, or biopsy it so further testing can be done to determine what it is. It is quite possible that surgery can be curative for an insulinoma or abscess. During the surgery, the veterinarian will also look around Jasper's belly to see if there appears to be anything else abnormal, including lymph nodes.

Your vet did the right thing. I'm so sorry Pich passed away but I do not believe your daughter had anything to do with it. She did not cause the dog to have a tumor. You also need to not place blame on the veterinarian. They did the best they could to help. Unfortunately, not everything turns out the way we hoped despite the best treatment. The dog had a history of seizures which were probably caused by the underlying tumor. There is no way for anyone to have known that. I know it is heartbreaking but you all need to stop blaming yourselves. It is a living animal and, just like a person, things happen out of our control. I really thing you and your family should speak to a grief counselor. Since you are not in the U.S. there is no one I can recommend other than this website: ( lapoflove.com/community/Pet-Loss-Support )