Did my dog suffer from pancreatitis before passing away suddenly?

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.

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

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.

I am so sorry that Bear is so sick at the moment! Yes, pancreatitis is extremely painful, but the pain may be able to be managed with pain medication. The best person to speak to about this is your vet, and you can discuss pain management with you for him. I hope this helps answer your question, I'm sorry you both are going through this!

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'm so sorry to hear about Nena! Pancreatitis is sometimes a tough disease to deal with. Buprenorphine is actually one of my favorite pain medications for pancreatitis patients and is generally a good choice. However, like all opiate-type medications, it can cause dysphoria which is characterized by vocalizing, not seeming to know where she is, or howling at "nothing". This can happen with frequent dosing or if a patient is a little more sensitive to this drug than the average pet. Just to be safe, double check the dose you are giving and call your vet if there is any concern. Consider giving half of your prescribed dose to see if she seems better or worse. In addition to buprenorphine, I often prescribe a medication like cerenia (maropitant) which is an anti-nusea medication that also has good pain relieving effects for the abdominal organs. If Nena is not on cerenia already, call and ask your vet if it would be appropriate for her. Usually with a few days of pain and nausea control and the fluids, most pancreatitis cases do improve - though I've seen a few that required more intensive care for 4-6 days. Hang in there! You are doing a great job. Don't be afraid to call your vet's office too if you have concerns or just want to discuss treatment further. Best of luck to you and Nena!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am sorry your dog passed away, it is always hard to go through that. From your description, it sounds as though your dog had a gastric dilitation volvulus (GDV) or 'bloat.' This is where the stomach flips upon itself. it is a life threatening condition that requires surgery in attempt to fix. Sometimes, the signs that occur when this first happens can be subtle and it goes unnoticed for some time before being treated. When the 'flip' happens, it causes a large amount of inflammation that the body must contend with and unfortunately, a good outcome doesn't always happen. It sounds like you did everything you could for your pet. Of course, it is hard to know tell what happened for sure based on your description. Since you are asking this question a year later, you may still be grieving. It may be of benefit to speak to the veterinarian who took care of Patch to discuss what happened. There are also counselors who work with grief over pet loss in your area that also may be of benefit to you.