Malnourished adoptee - now vomiting

[Hannah's Mom]

I will try to keep this short. We adopted a pup a few months ago that was severly malnourished. At the time we adopted him he was approximately 6 months old and only weighed 17 lbs. We have had him 3 months and he has gained 18lbs but is very tiny. The problem is 4 days ago he started vomiting. He would eat and 15 min later vomit. He would go eat again and vomit again. He was normal in every way except the vomiting. We took him to the vet and she did a blood test. She said he was showing to much fat in his blood. It (I can't remember the medical term) should be about 1800 and his was 3000. Jigs has been fed Wellness since we got him and Micah (21 month old boxer) has always eaten Wellness and does great. I didn't think Wellness was high in fat and maybe it is just that Jigs doesn't digest it well. Is there a high quality dog food low in fat that both of my boys would do well on or something I should be adding? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[jazzyboxer]

Sounds like that could be pancreatitis. Try doing a search here, and you'll find some good advice...I think I recall seeing information about feeding a bland diet of boiled chicken and rice, among other things.

Sorry your new baby is sick. I hope he is feeling better very soon. God bless you for giving Jigs a happy home!

Faith (& 3-year-old Jazz, just celebrated 1 year adoption anniversary)

 

[Hannah's Mom]

I just did a search on pancreatitis on the web. The only symptom he was showing is vomiting. The really baffling part about this is he had no fever, no stomach pains, definately no loss of appetite and was not lethargic. There was no change at all except for the vomiting. The vet put him on a bland diet and two prescriptions, Reglan/Metoclopramide & Sucralfate. She wants me to start adding back in the Wellness in about three days until he is back on Wellness completely in about 5 days. If he starts vomiting again we may have to change his food????

 

[Cami]

Pancreatitis is most often diagnosed by an elevated Lipase level on a blood test. However, the body is quick to "right" this level and lower it to within normal ranges within hours of a bout. Pancreatitis can be chronic (lasting forever) or acute, a one time episode. It can be triggered by a high fat meal or any food for that matter which effects the individual/animal in a negative way. Also, stress is a trigger as well.

Not all suffering from pancreatitis will display all symptoms. I would definetly try lowfat/bland foods to find something that your pup can keep down. Small amounts fed more often is the best way to go. The pancreas releases digestive enzymes (and insulin) as soon as food hits the mouth, if the food is constantly being vomited up and there is nothing to digest, the enzymes can eventually start "eating away" so to speak, the pancreas itself. If left untreated it can lead to diabetes as well.

A fast of solid foods can help to settle the entire system. Chicken broth (low-fat/sodium), jello etc....can help to keep calories and keep strength in the body. Also consider supplementing with pedialyte.

The Reglan is used to decrease nausea and vomiting. It can cause constipation. The Sucralfate is an ulcer medication and reduces stomach acid similar to Pepcid. You should give this med on an empty stomach 1 hour before or 2 hours after meals.

If this is pancreatitis it is treatable. Oftentimes a digesting enzyme can be used daily (for life) to aid this. Just continue to work with your vet. I pray that your pup is feeling better soon.

 

[Hannah's Mom]

I just spoke with our vet tech who called to check on Jigs. She said he had elevated Lipase levels but not elevated Amalyse levels. They believe this was brought on by a fatty meal he somehow got into???? He has not vomited since coming home yesterday and is being fed three times a day in small amounts. We will have to see if Wellness bothers him when he goes back on it. If so, we will have to find something else, thus my original question, what should I try????

Thanks everyone for the information. I didn't know anything about Pancreatitis and am glad for the info. The vet feels this was probably a one time episode as long as we watch what he eats. I beleive this would be considered acute???

Micah is still being fed Wellness but I am having to add a little honey and water to get him interested. He thinks he should eat what Jigs gets. Will be picking up yogurt and cottage cheese later. Micah & Jigs both love peanut butter. Should I not give as a treat?? Isn't it high in fat???

Thanks all, it's nice to know I have someone to ask these quetions.

 

[Cami]

Peanut butter is high in fat but some brands are now making reduced fat varieties, (jiff comes to mind). I would just make sure it was a small amount, tablespoon amount or less not too often, or mixed with water/honey to place on food as a tempter?

If you do a search on the list here at BW about healthy/high quality foods and Whole Dog Journal searches you will find lots of reading.

All of the higher quality foods are good but not all work well with every dog. You might ask a pet store if they have any samples of some of these foods for you to try.
Good-Luck

 

[Shotze's Mom]

I have dealt with a malnurished dog. You always have to remember that they have to eat smaller portions because their stomachs have contracted. Feeding too much too soon can also cause bloat. As soon as I read your post overfeeding came to mind. I see that you are now feeding smaller meals throughout the day. This should work out ALOT better!!!!! Good luck and hope he gets better soon!

 

[Hannah's Mom]

Update on Jigs

First let me thank everyone for their advice.

It appears that Jigs is allergic to Wellness. When we started adding Wellness back into his food he started throwing up again. I switched him to Natural Balance and he was doing great. No more vomiting. One night when I wasn't watching he ate some of Micah's food which had Wellness in it and he immediately threw up. Both dogs are now on Natural Balance and doing great.

 

[ljnash]

California Natural lamb and rice is also a good food for allergic doggies, and those with sensitive tummies. It has fewer ingredients than other kibbles.

Lenore

 

[Hannah's Mom]

I was going to put Micah on California Natural when we first got him We live in rural Southwestern Colorado and the closest place I could get it is 40 miles away. I tried contacting the person who sells it but she wouldn't return my calls.