Pancreaitis

[Bogey's Mom]

My Bogey just went through a bout of pancreatitis. It was really scary! He is now better. Just wondering if anyone else has had this happen to their Maltese and if so, what steps did they take in order to insure that it doesn't happen again. We have no idea what caused it...don't think he got into anything. I was gone for a night and he got sick immediately after I left. Vet doesn't know if that could have triggered it or not. Thanks for any info.

[Lindy]

Just curious, what does he eat?

[Bogey's Mom]

He eats boiled chicken/rice and Evo.

[Lindy]

I am so very happy your Bogey is ok. My neighbor was not so lucky with her dog. He passed on Labor Day from complications of pancreatitis.

[Maidto2Maltese]

I'd be concerned about the EVO... check the fat content... the chicken small bites I had gotten ,I realized had a VERY HIGH FAT CONTENT! In fact, Quincy started to develop small fatty deposits in his eyes. I hadn't even seen them and I look into his beautiful eyes all the time! The vet pointed them out to me at his check-up.. she asked about food.. and had me immediately switch.
High fat I believe can trigger pancreatitis.

Here's nutrient analysis of EVO small bites ( chicken)... that 22.74% is pretty high!

Protein43.43 % Fat22.74 % Fiber1.43 % Arginine3.09 % Histidine0.90 % Isoleucine1.68 % Carbohydrates11.42 % Leucine2.97 % Lysine2.77 % Methionine0.96 % Phe-Tyrosine3.01 % Phenylalanine1.72 % Threonine1.71 % Tryptophan0.41 % Valine2.03 % Linoleic Acid4.46 % Arachidonic Acid0.16 % Ash11.69 % Calcium2.55 % Phosphorous1.57 % Potassium0.95 % Sodium0.39 % Chloride0.74 % Magnesium0.12 % Iron254.84 mg/kg Copper19.51 mg/kg Manganese23.43 mg/kg Met-Cysteine1.35 % Zinc260.08 mg/kg Iodine3.79 mg/kg Selenium1.13 mg/kg Vitamin A 23894.42 IU/kg Vitamin D2329.55 IU/kg Vitamin E 324.74 IU/kg Vitamin K0.73 mg/kg Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)5.03 mg/kg Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)4.45 mg/kg Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)20.87 mg/kg Niacin37.8 mg/kg Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)4.77 mg/kg Folic Acid0.79 mg/kg Biotin0.11 mg/kg Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin)10.21 mg/kg Choline1979.31 mg/kg Taurine0.30 % Omega 30.54 % Omega 6 4.6 % Linolenic Acid47.0 % EPA + DHA0.19 % Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)541.24 mg/kg *Calculated amounts may differ from packaging as some packaging values are based on available feeding trial data.

[princessre]

I'm curious what your vet said about how to prevent pancreatitis in the future? I'm so glad your baby is okay!!!

[Bogey's Mom]

Thank you all for your replies! I have just purchased Holistic Select Small Breed and am trying to change him from the Evo as I too am concerned about the fat in the Evo. Low fat diets are supposed to be the best to control pancreatitis. I hope that Holistic Select is a good food and will eventually try and use that only. He is eating it and I'm really surprised in that he is TERRIBLY picky! The vet doesn't know what caused it, but I take him back on Tues. to have more blood tests. I was TOTALLY in a panic and cried for about 3 days as he had to spend a night in the emergency vet hospital and a day at my vet with IV's. I am so thankful he is now doing better.

[aprilb]

I'm so sorry about Bogey. I had a Maltese who had problems with pancreatitis. He was at the vet's for a week on IV fluids. We almost lost him. This can be very serious and is a life-threatening condition. I am not a vet, but Evo might have triggered Bogey's problem. Evo is very high in fat and protein. A proper diet for Bogey is crucial. I would keep him off of high protein high fat diets. These diets are not good for dogs with pancreatitis. They have trouble digesting high protein and especially fats. Do not feed table scraps or people food especially anything fried. Bogey needs to be on a low fat diet. The protein should be about one-third of the diet, with an easy to digest carbohydrate like rice or potatoes. Most grains, especially corn, are very hard to digest for a dog with pancreatitis. You can feed a commercial diet or make your own food, which I ended up doing for my dog. He got to where he could not handle the commercial food. Check with your vet about what you should feed, but no Evo! I hope Bogey never has another problem, and he may not. Mine continued to have issues but with good care, lived to be 11 years old. I hope Bogey feels better, soon. I see that you have switched his food, already. Great! I would continue the chicken & rice and gradually add the new food. If his stools get loose, you may be going too fast. If he starts vomiting, this may be a sign that he can't handle the food. If he stops eating, take him to the vet.

[momtoboo]

Boo had pancreatitis when he was 3 yrs old. We never knew exactly why.He didn't eat high fat kibble, nor human food. We suspect he got into the garbage can as we found out later, he had found a way to stretch up far enough to raise the lid with his nose & help himself to anything at the top. For 2 yrs afterward, his bloodwork showed high triclycerides, but this yr was normal. Per vets advice we keep him on lowfat & lower protein kibble. No kibble over 10% fat & less than 25% protein. He's done well, been healthy & maintains his weight. The first 3 yrs of Boos life, he did have episodes of vomiting, not feeling well & refusing to eat, but would be back to normal the next day. Since being on his lower fat & lower protein diet, that's not happened anymore, not even once & it's been over 3 yrs now. He gets mostly saltfree greenbeans & bites of raw baby carrots for treats & I'm very stingy with doggie treats, but I do let him have a small treat every couple of days. Glad Bogie is doing ok now & I hope he doesn't have that problem anymore.

[Snowbody]

No advice. Just hoping that Bogey will be okay.