My dog died from a pancreatic abscess. Could he have been saved?

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.

Poor Monte. It is possible that the tumor could have caused the pancreatitis but not always. With all of his problems, I honestly don't believe you could have prevented his death even if you had taken him into your vet in the very beginning. All of his conditions were very serious and most incurable even with early treatment. I am so sorry for your loss of this sweet family member. Please don't blame yourself as Monte knows you loved him. You gave him a good long life. Please know you're in my thoughts. Hugs!

It is unlikely that the pancreatitis is caused by antibiotics, but we can give you more specific informations if you tell us the name of the antibiotic. Reglan is a an anti-emetic drug which will prevent any further vomiting episode and possibly promote gastrointestinal (first tract) motility. This is a common medication to give. It would be best to keep him on low fat diet (Chappie would be a good commercial diet for this purpose) for a but longer (at least two weeks after all the signs are resolved). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

With pancreatitis, it is typically caused by them eating something that they were not supposed too. Usually from human food. I agree that changing Shadow's diet to a bland diet and keeping him on antibiotics (not long term) will be beneficial for him. Pancreatitis can be serious and is usually painful. Most dogs do very well on exactly what your vet is doing while more severe cases require intensive treatment and hospitalization. Here is some information on Pacreatitis. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/pancreatitis-in-dogs I hope Shadow feels better soon and thank you for using PetCoach.

The sooner you get pancreatitis treated the better for the pet. 48 hrs is not the worst response time but then again within 24 hrs is best. However, if you did respond within 48 hrs and proceed to go forward with aggressive treatment now for his pancreatitis, then his chances of making a full recovery are increased. Some pets require hospitalization, IV fluid therapy, pain management, antibiotics (if indicated), etc. While others can be treated by sending medications home with the owner. If Jackson is not eating well and his lab findings as well as physical exam findings suggest that hospitalization would be in his best interest, then I would high recommend considering that course of treatment for him. I hope that Jackson is able to make a full and speedy recovery from his illness. Best wishes and take care.

Pancreatitis can present in many ways, the majority of which are nauseous and painful but not particularly weak and debilitated and respond favourably to symptomatic treatment and an ultra low fat diet. Severe pancreatitis is very rare and typically prevents with severe dehydration and collapse and can become life threatening, requiring hospital treatment

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Chico. I'm sorry to hear he is having these problems. You are correct in that a tooth root abscess is likely given his history of periodontal disease. The only way to clear the infection would be surgical extraction of the tooth under anesthesia. I understand your hesitation to do so given the risk of his underlying disease. In this case, he will likely need frequent if not chronic antibiotic therapy. I don't like to use antibiotics unless absolutely necessary, but his infection will continue to recur and be a chronic source of pain for him. I hope this information helps!