Pancreatitis?

[opus753]

Joey, my 7-year-old Norwich terrier, died yesterday. He was perfectly normal on Thursday, took him to the park for a walk at noon. Around 1:30 he had a bout of diarrhea, first time he's had diarrhea since I've had him (about 2 years).

He looked pretty miserable, so at 2:00 I took him to the vet. His
temp was normal and apparently everything else looked ok, so the vet
sent me home with some pills for the diarrhea. He said it would take at
least a day for the pills to kick in.

In retrospect, I have to wonder about his diagnosis. When I carried Joey into his office, Joey sprayed fluids everywhere, all over the walls, desk, and
floor. I wonder if the vet should have kept him for observation, or given him IV fluids. He didn't mention anything about hydration, or give me any instructions about what to watch for, and what to do if he got worse, just treated it as a simple case of diarrhea.

I took him home and he promptly went to sleep. I checked on him a
few times, he was breathing regularly and appeared to be comfortable.

At 8:30 I woke him up to give him the pills. He had no motor
control, couldn't stand up. I took him to the emergency clinic, and
they put him on an IV. He seemed to be responding at first, was able to
stand up again.

They told me to stop back at 7:00 AM Friday so we could transfer him
to his regular vet. When I got there, they said he had collapsed
again about 6:45, and was in a coma. The blood tests indicate
catastrophic failure of the pancreas. They don't know the cause,
possibly he picked up a toxic plant or mushroom at the park.

They wanted my permission to terminate care and put him to sleep. I
asked if there was any hope at all, they said probably not - even if
he managed to wake up, he'd probably have massive internal and
neurological damage.

The emergency clinic says the blood tests indicate pancreatitis. Does that sound likely to you, given the speed of his decline? Wonder if he could have had pancreatic cancer...

Needless to say, I'm just devastated. I can't believe this could happen, it was so completely unexpected, and so fast - essentially, he was gone within
6-7 hours after his first bout of diarrhea. He was such a huge part
of my life, all I want is to have him back. I miss him so much...

 

[ACooper]

((((((((HUGS)))))))) They are never easy to loose..........but in such an unexpected fast way must be so devastating

Rest peaceful dear Joey

 

[corgipower]

i can't answer the medical question, but i am sending you many, many hugs.

((((((((((opus)))))))))))

 

[Gamedogs]

Canine Pancreatitis

What is pancreatitis?

The pancreas is a vital organ which lies on the right side of the abdomen. It has two functions:

1)to produce enzymes which help in digestion of food and,

2)to produce hormones, such as insulin.

When the pancreas becomes inflamed, the disorder is called pancreatitis. It is a disease process that is seen commonly in the dog. There is no age, sex, or breed predisposition.

There are two main forms of acute (sudden onset) pancreatitis: 1) the mild, edematous form and, 2) the more severe, hemorrhagic form. A few dogs that recover from an acute episode of pancreatitis may continue to have recurrent bouts of the acute disease, known as chronic, relapsing pancreatitis. The associated inflammation allows digestive enzymes to spill into the abdominal cavity; this may result in secondary damage to surrounding organs, such as the liver, bile ducts, gall bladder, and intestines.

What causes it?

The cause of pancreatitis is not known; however, there may be several contributory factors. It is often associated with a rich, fatty meal. In some cases, it may be associated with the administration of cortisone; however, some dogs with pancreatitis do not have exposure to either.

Under normal conditions, digestive enzymes produced by the pancreas are activated when they reach the small intestines. In pancreatitis, these enzymes are activated prematurely in the pancreas instead of in the small intestines. This results in digestion of the pancreas itself. The clinical signs of pancreatitis are often variable, and the intensity of the disease will depend on the quantity of enzymes that are prematurely activated.

What are the clinical signs?

The diagnosis of pancreatitis is based on three criteria: clinical signs, laboratory tests, and radiographs (x-rays) and/or ultrasound examination. The disease is typically manifested by nausea, vomiting, fever, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. If the attack is severe, acute shock, depression, and death may occur. Laboratory tests usually reveal an elevated white blood cell count; however, an elevated white blood cell count may also be caused by many other things besides pancreatitis. The elevation of pancreatic enzymes in the blood is probably the most helpful criteria in detecting pancreatic disease, but some dogs with pancreatitis will have normal levels. Radiographs and ultrasound studies may show an area of inflammation in the location of the pancreas. Unfortunately, many dogs with pancreatitis will elude detection with any of these tests. Consequently, the diagnosis of pancreatitis may be tentative in some cases.

How is pancreatitis treated?

The successful management of pancreatitis will depend on early diagnosis and prompt medical therapy. The mild form of the disease is best treated by resting the pancreas from its role in digestion. The only way to "turn off" the pancreas is to withhold all oral fluids and food. This approach is accompanied by intravenous fluids to maintain normal fluid and electrolyte balance. In addition, anti-inflammatory drugs are sometimes administered. The presence of shock necessitates the immediate and intense use of intravenous fluids. Antibiotics are also indicated in many cases.

Will my dog recover?

The prognosis depends on the extent of the disease when presented and a favorable response to initial therapy. Dogs that present with shock and depression have a very guarded prognosis. Most of the mild forms of pancreatitis have a good prognosis.

Will there be any long-term problems?

There are three possible long-term complications that may follow severe or repeated pancreatitis. If a significant number of cells that produce digestive enzymes are destroyed, a lack of proper food digestion may follow. This is known as pancreatic insufficiency and can be treated with daily administration of enzyme tablets or powder in the food. If a significant number of cells that produce insulin are destroyed, diabetes mellitus can result and insulin therapy may be needed. In rare cases, adhesions between the abdominal organs may occur as a consequence of pancreatitis. However, most dogs recover with no long-term effects.

 

[Aquavibe]

that's soo sad for you, and probably for us too. rest in peace Joey. things like this make me very pessimistic. seems that every creature has it's destiny.

 

[Zoom]

Oh wow I am sorry to hear that!

 

[smkie]

Mary had pancriatitis three months ago. She vomitted over and over again from 4 am to 10 pm where we by that time were at the second vet's office. Between vomitting she tried to drink like her stomach was on fire. THey put her on iv and kept her for 24 hours then she was right as rain. I am so sorry about your dog.

 

[corgipower]

i did some looking up on the web and it would seem that acute pancreatitis can be caused by toxic substances.

again, many (((((((((hugs)))))))))))

 

[opus753]

Mary had pancriatitis three months ago. She vomitted over and over again from 4 am to 10 pm where we by that time were at the second vet's office. Between vomitting she tried to drink like her stomach was on fire. THey put her on iv and kept her for 24 hours then she was right as rain.

What's weird is that Joey never vomited, just had diarrhea...

 

[Saintgirl]

I am so sorry for your loss. It is never easy, but especially when it is so sudden.

Pancreatitis is something that I know very well...too well. Just over a year ago I had to have half of my own pancreas removed. The problem in dogs is the same as it is in humans.

Pancreatitis can sometimes be difficult to pinpoint. Sometimes even the blood tests do not show the elevated enzymes until a day or two later, making it difficult to treat at onset.

Diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal distress that can range from mild to excrutiating. Depending on the severity of pancreatitis, shock can occur causing death. Gamedogs has a good description of the disease, however there are a few things that I wanted to add to it. There are causes of the disease. Sometimes it can be due to a sudden change in foods, especially fatty foods which cause the pancreas to work harder (like a dog accidentally eating a block of butter), thus creating more enzymes, causing distress on the pancreas. Other causes of pancreatitis can include cancers or tumors that block the ducts in the pancreas preventing the enzymes to flow properly and essentially begin to digest itself. Different toxins and chemicles can cause the heavy enzyme production in the pancreas causing pancreatitis aswell. In humans alcohol is the number one cause of pancreatitis, but I'm assuming heavy alcohol consumption wouldn't be the case.

Unfortunatley we know our dogs best, we know there behavior patterns and routine. If a vet does not give you a diagnosis that you feel 100% comfortable with ALWAYS seek out another opinion. Requesting a blood pannel only takes moments and can give a good look at what's going on...but in the cse of some things like pancreatitis this is not always the case.

Pancreatits is a very serious problem, even in a mild form- because if not treated properly it can progress to an emergency quickly.

Again, I am so sorry.

 

[Saintgirl]

What's weird is that Joey never vomited, just had diarrhea...

Not all symptoms need to be present for pancreatits. I have suffered from it more times than I care to count and rarely do I exhibit any symptoms except for searing pain.

 

[goldiefur]

This is so sad. I am sorry for your sudden loss and I will keep you in my prayers. GOD BLESS YOU! Rest in peace Joey.

 

[elegy]

i'm very very sorry for your loss.

 

[bubbatd]

(((( Hugs )))) to you and RIP Joey .....it's never easy to lose a friend .

 

[smkie]

What's weird is that Joey never vomited, just had diarrhea...

that is what i was thinking...but i have never seen this before mary had it so i don't know

 

[Saintgirl]

Smkie, some dogs will not exhibit any symptoms at all. Pancreatitis can be multi symptamatic, or barely present any symptoms at all. Sometimes you may notice that the dog is off of their food for a few days. It all depends on the severity, and each individual dog. A friend of ours has a Ridgeback who simply went off of her food and was lethargic. She barely made it through the attack. Luckily her owners knew that something was not right and persisted that a blood pannel was done and they found very high enzyme levels indicidive of pancreatitis. After an ultrasound they saw a very inflammed pancreas.

 

[Toller_08]

(((hugs))). I am so, so sorry for your loss.

I went through Pancreatitis with one of my Dachshunds in the past, too.