My dog has pancreatitis. What caused it? Is it serious or painful?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor guy! Pancreatitis can cause vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia and belly pain. It is a cause of vomiting and diarrhea but it isn't the only cause. Other causes are: intestinal parasites, viral or bacterial infections, toxin ingestion, IBD, food allergy/intolerance or reaction to eating something outside or a new treat/food/people food. Since he has been low grade vomiting now for 2 days it is best to have him seen soon if it continues. It is encouraging that he is eating. I would be sure you fasted him for 12-24 hours then resume feeding with a very bland diet of boiled chicken or hamburger with rice. Make the meals very small. Only offer small amounts of water. If he is lethargic, won't eat and the vomiting continues even on a low grade scale he should be seen before the weekend. I hope this helps and I wish you all the best!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry Shadow isn't feeling well. It could be pancreatitis but it could also be just general stomach upset. He ate something his body isn't used to and there were sharp bone fragments. He could also have a piece of the bone stuck somewhere. I would recommend taking him to the vet because he is young and I don't want him to dehydrate. They may need to take X-rays. They can then give him medications to calm his stomach. In the future I would not recommend giving Shadow any bones for fear of the above things. Good luck and kisses to Shadow!

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.

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! So sorry to hear that Tasha is not feeling well. If she is on medications that were prescribed by your veterinarian for treatment of pancreatitis, then yes she should continue to receive her medications as long as she is eating. Pancreatitis is generally a painful condition so it is recommended to ensure that she receives pain control medications while her pancreas improves. Keeping my fingers crossed for a speedy recovery!

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

I am very sorry you are dealing with these issues and differing medical approaches to Zoe's care. The short answer is that pancreatitis is a disease which can be approached in many ways, and none of the advise given is wrong. Only different opinions. I personally prefer hills ID low fat for pancreatitis or boiled boneless chicken breast and steamed rice. Pain relief medication, medication for diarrhoea and also anti-nausea medication are all very helpful medications to treat pancreatitis. Pancreatitis can be a chronic disease and dogs need a change to their diet for a week, months, to even for life. It depends how well Zoe's pancreas heals in the next few weeks. I personally have never had to surgically treat a pancreatitis case, and find medical control the best course of action. The cases I have seen usually present with acute signs which require a short hospital stay to stablize. The dogs then go home with some degree of chronic pancreatitis which may or may not present with flare-ups and return visits to the hospital. I hope this is helpful and that Zoe feels better soon.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Roxy! It is possible she is having a flare up of pancreatitis, but she is 9 years old so we need to be mindful of other things as well. She could be painful in her neck or back or have a different metabolic condition (liver, kidney problem or diabetes). I think starting the omerprazole as prescribed by your Vet is fine. For my patients with pancreatitis I do a low fat diet for life. If she is not eating and still acting abnormal when your Vet opens I would have her seen. Pancreatitis makes them nauseous and is painful. I treat with pain medications, antibiotics and antinausea medications. The omeprazole is just an antacid and will not help much for the nausea and pain. I hope this helps and I wish Roxy a speedy recovery!