Acute Colitis and Pancreatitis

[Chancejesi]

I was just wondering if anyone on this board has had any experience with either if these conditions. Chance was diagnosed on Sunday with them, and granted he has started to eat a little bit more each day, he still doesn't seem quite himself. He will also be funny about drinking water, sometimes he will drink right from the bowl and others he will only take an ice cube. Should I be worried or is it like with people when you don't feel good, you just don't feel good? I'm worried because he is mopey and doesn't really want to interact with anybody which is very unusual for him. I did call the vet and he said as long as he doesn't start throwing up again he will be fine. Am I overreacting or what? Any advice would be appreciated, thanks in advance for your time.

 

[Austin's Mom]

I don't have any advice, but lots of good wishes that Chance will be feeling better soon.

 

[gmacleod]

You may well get some responses from people with current similar problems. But don't forget about the search engine also There are many hundreds of threads on the board about both of those conditions (boxers are very prone to colitis) and very likely you'll find some useful information and advice in past postings.

Both pancreatitis and (especially) colitis often have their root in diet, with colitis irritated by processed food and grains, pancreatitis by fatty foods. Without a clue as to what you feed, perhaps looking at some changes there may be a good idea.

 

[Chancejesi]

Thanks, and yes I did forget to search first, sorry :( I feed him Wellness Whitefish and Sweet Potatoe formula and he only gets Wellness Bark Bars as treats and from time to time a peanut butter filled Kong or baby carrots. The only thing different he had was the day before he got sick I gave him an all natural Roast Beef flavored Nylabone and he never gets tablescraps so I am totoaly stumped as to what introduced more fat than his body could handle. Thanks again for your response, it is very much appreciated

 

[gmacleod]

OK It would probably be wise to ditch the peanut butter and treats - at least until it's clear whether or not this is a one-off bout of pancreatitis or if it's going to be a life-long problem. Hopefully it's the former - but if the latter, he probably wouldn't be able to have fatty things like that ever again (really never).

Excess fat is not the only cause of pancreatitis - it's not even the most common one. BUT it's something that a dog with pancreatitis, by whatever cause, isn't able to handle. Here's a short article that might be a little helpful: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1580&articleid=335 But do have a look through previous threads as well, there's a lot of good info on the site with others' experiences.

 

[Chancejesi]

Thanks so much, you're the best I haven't given him any treats since the day before he was sick and now will continue to lay off them all together. Chance may not be to happy about this but I want him as healthy as possible. How will I know if this is a one time bout or may continue to be a problem? I have been researching the threads and have found some useful info on enzymes and probiotics so I may end up giving that a shot. Thanks again, boy am I glad I found this community

 

[Gruntsmom]

I am so sorry Chance isn't well and has been diagnosed with pancreatitis/colitis. As Gmacleod posted, many many babies have been going through similar digestive upsets this year - it's almost spooky! I read your thread about Chance's horrible gas - just one day before one of Grunt's pancreatitis episodes a few months ago, he had unbelievable gas. The next day, bloody mucusy diarrhea. He was diagnosed with asymptomatic chronic pancreatitis late last year, due to very high enzyme levels. It was a mystery why as he had been on a very low fat homecooked diet for quite some time. This summer symptoms appeared; lethargy, diarrhea and it was clear that he was in pain/discomfort. He never lost his appetite, but he wouldn't drink water, like your boy. At the onset of the first episode, in addition to a cPLI (we had many of these tests run since last year) and full blood panel, xrays and ultrasound were done. Final diagnosis, chronic pancreatitis/IBD. After the second episode a month later, we also had a TLI done hoping to rule out exocrine pancreatic insufficiency - he doesn't have it. We have narrowed the cause to probably food allergy, so we are doing food trials.

No more treats!!! That has been hard, but I don't want to push the envelope and take any chances of his getting sick again - it was horrible!! For treats, I've just been giving Grunt bits of whatever protein I am feeding. He is more than happy with that, though I'm sure he would love to have his old crunchy and chewy treats back!!

It may be that Chance will never have another attack, and I certainly hope that is the case. I know how sad you are seeing him so down, not himself, and not feeling good. I hope soon he will be feeling better. I think the key is watching his diet and making sure he has a good healthy one that he can tolerate and thrive on. There is so much information available here and on the internet about pancreatitis and colitis - the knowledge will help you. I'm sending lots of healing and positive vibes for Chance, and Grunt and I send hugs to the both of you. Good luck!

 

[ROROSHELTON]

Been there done that....

So sorry to hear Chance isn't feeling well. My Brutus who is going to be 4 years old, had pancreatitis almost 2 months ago. He was in the hospital for 2 days getting large amounts of fluid, pain meds, an antibiotic, etc. It was all my fault for giving him too many Milkbones. And I was always a firm believer not to feed table foods, but I couldn't fight that poor pathetic face staring back at me while I ate dinner. So a piece of steak, a french fry, this that....all came down too being too much for his sensitive system. He stopped eating one day, and wasn't acting like himself. He would eat but throw up even boiled chicken and rice. After about 4 days he stopped drinking water, then came the trip to the vet and the diagnosis. He has been on California Natural for a few years now, but the treats and table foods pushed his sensitive system over the edge. It was devastating to have to leave him at the vet's. Besides the enormous bill and all the suffering I know he went through. But it taught me a valuable lesson. His energy was back within days, but his appetite hasn't been the same since. Walked on eggshells for the first two weeks wondering if I was going to come home to vomit. But he has not had a reoccurence, so far, knock on wood!! He has been able to have 2 milkbone treats per day, and I've also been giving him raw baby carrots as treats. As the vet said, you'll know when it's too much. I switched over to California Natural low fat, but he's just not liking it. The colitis he had was over a year ago, and I don't really know what brought that on, but he has not had a reoccurence of that. He knows now that he won't be getting anything from the table, so don't even bother with that poor pathetic stare.
I'm very grateful for the support I received on this website. Everyone was just wonderful sending their healing vibes. And also the searches I did on the subject, helped me a great deal too. Here's hoping you and Chance best wishes in a speedy recovery, and NO reoccurence!!