Why is my dog with pancreatitis still not eating and losing weight?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm glad that Balto is feeling better! If his pancreatitis has resolved for a period of time longer than a week or two, it is unlikely that his loss of appetite after playing is related to pancreatitis. However, if he has just recently recovered, there may be some residual pain that may have caused the loss of appetite. I recommend keeping a very close eye on Balto, and having him seen by a vet if he continues to not want to eat or you think he is not acting like himself. I am also happy to answer any other questions you may have!

Hello, I would expect Walter to still be a bit lethargic and weak at this point. The fact that he is eating, not vomiting, then passing firmer stool is wonderful! This makes me believe he is on the right track for recovery. We worry about blockages when they are not eating, vomiting, and have diarrhea. His attitude and energy should bounce back to normal within the next week. I hope this is helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Acute pancreatitis and gastrointestinal inflammation/infections are still possible as well as foreign body ingestion with material not visible on X rays (ultrasound in these cases might be more sensitive). Given the lack of improvement, I would suggest to have her checked again and have a test for pancreatitis (it is a blood test called cPLI) performed. If not eating and probably in a sort of abdominal discomfort, nutritional support and pain relief meds are needed.

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!

I'm sorry Shadow isn't feeling well. At 14 I would be concerned he has stopped eating. However, dogs can go several days without eating and it's ok. He does need to continue drinking however. If he's not drinking too, I recommend taking him to a vet for an exam, blood work and X-rays. They may need to give him fluids and they can also give him medications to make him eat. The biggest hurdle is to find why he's not eating. Good luck and kisses to Shadow!

The elevated wbc count is common with both inflammation and infection of damaged tissues and although should be monitored is not abnormal given recent pancreatitis. An ultra low fat but not calorie restricted diet is generally considered best for recovery, liquid recuperation supplements are also very helpful as the gut recovers

Pancreatitis is a serious disease and a dog can die from it. So you need to give her time to recuperate. It will take more than two days for her to become healthy. Make sure she is hydrated and feed her only small amounts of the gastrointestinal food, but offer it often. Eventually she will start eating better. If she still is wobbly and not improved by Monday you should take her back to the vet for a recheck.