Pancreatitis & Strict Diet

[Sandra_G]

My little Poodle Julie just had her 3rd attack of Pancreatitis...all within 7 mos. time. Each time it was back to the Vets for 4 day stay there & IV treatments.
It gets outrageous on what I am charged each time. This time, they said her attack wasn't as severe as the others & I took her home tonight..after her being there for 27 hours, I was outrageously charged $1,036.25. I took her home with amoxicillin only..7 tablets for 25.00. I truly want to treat my dog, but they are making it so hard with what they charge. It's the same all over here in N.Y.. I have paid out over $6,000.00 so far.
Julie is still sick & hopefully she'll get better with her pill that they sold me.

I want to tell you this...most Pancreatitis attacks are brought on by giving the dog HUMAN foods. I was alot better with her diet, but I did give her starches which I was told is okay.  Than everyone else let her taste this n that & it all built up in her Pancreas..over the course of 6 weeks (since her last attack)..called SLUDGE...it built up in her...which my poor baby couldn't digest...& had another attack.
Fatty foods cause attacks.  

I am given strict rules to give her nothing but Hills I/P or I/D...whatever.
I have to do this for her..ro give her a chance. She hates not getting her healthy treats.
This is hard on us both.  I pray that I don't give in to my baby wanting people food.

Does anyone know what I can cook for Julie in case she won't eat the Hills I/D food???

[ginger899]

Hi Sandra,
What you're feeding her sounds just great! And it's fantastic that her appetite is good too.
I'm sure a little tiny bit of low-fat or fat free (?)cream cheese will be ok.ANYTHING to get the pills down her! Surely that very small amount of fat will be ok.But I wouldn't give her any more dairy after that. My dog's easy with pills. I wrap the pill in a little wholemeal bread, a tiny piece, and hold a second piece where she can see that. The first piece gets swallowed whole! then I give her the second piece. That method works for her very well, but of course, all dogs aren't the same.

Really good, fat-free meat is game meat (rabbit/hare/venison/game birds etc) but I don't know if that would be too rich for her, and also whether or not it is available where you live. I put a pheasant in the pot last year, and there was not ONE scrap of fat on the whole bird. Same goes for rabbits. That, in my experience, is the leanest meat ever.

But I think it'd be best to stick with what you are doing. It all sounds good. How is Julie in herself? Does she seem a lot better? It sounds like she is.

[Sandra_G]

Hi...Julie is eating the Hills I/D wet food..most  of it.  She doesn't love it but she is real hungry. I did get Hills KD dry food. I told Julie that it's het new TREAT. OMG...she loves it & chomps away. This is a FIRST.  She never ate dry food in all her years...just a bite here n there & than drops it on the carpet.

Tonight I did give her (very little) chicken & brown rice. She devoured it.
The Vet said I can give her sweet potatos...yams.  I am giving her everything mashed..shredded, cut tiny tiny. Do u think this will help her digest better..not to hurt her pancreas?  I also give her one egg white for "brunch".

She hates her pills. She gives me a awful time & I can hurt her fighting with her.
I decided to give her a TINY BIT OF fat free cream cheese with her pills in it.  It worked.
Do u think it's a bad thing?  It's the fat in foods that I was told not to give her.

Thank you in advance.

[ginger899]

I think it's best to avoid garlic. Garlic and onions are very similar, and onions are a definite no for dogs. Some people do give dogs garlic, and the dogs seem to be ok, but I always think it's best to avoid it.
As I said, dogs' sense of taste and smell is something like a hundred times more powerful than ours, so they get the taste of their food very well, and don't need any added seasonings.

If she's eating the Hills I/D (that's the prescription diet the vet recommended after her pancreatitis attack?) without any problems, then that's good. Stick to it. Don't worry about giving her different tastes and flavours at the moment. She is getting all she needs from the food. Dogs aren't quite like us about their food. What seems boring to us, they are happy with.

[Sandra_G]

Do u see anything wrong with adding Garlic Powder to rice? She likes that alot.
I always gave her cooked garlic in her foods.
She does eat the Hills I/D.  I gave her nothing else...nadda. She seems to like it or is it desperation?  lol
Thanks for the info.

[ginger899]

Plain boiled rice and (boiled) chicken is always a good alternative if she won't eat the prescription food. Or you could try boiled white fish with rice? These are really bland diets, and good convalescent diets, and dogs are usually tempted by the taste of them, Their sense of taste is much more acute than ours. What seems boring to us is fine for them.
They are also low-fat so should be fine  for her.

Yes, don't give her 'people' food. A lot of 'people' food PEOPLE shouldn't be eating!! Never mind convalescent dogs!
I know it's nice to give her treats. I can't see any harm in giving her little pieces of toasted (until crunchy) good-quality wholemeal bread as a treat. Or little pieces of boiled sweet potato. I think some carbs. are ok with pancreatitis, but definitely nothing rich, nothing fatty, or even mildly so. I would also keep her off dairy foods.

Let's hope she eats the prescription diet though. I'm sure it will do her good. Maybe you could add a little plain boiled fish or chicken to that to make it tastier? (no seasoning of course)