Diabetes or Pancreatitis Diagnosal
Hi guys (and girls),
In the last few months we have had some issues with Potus having bloody poo. He was put on antibiotics the first few times as they thought there may be an issue with infected anal glands, however after the third recurrence we booked Potus into the vet and he went in for blood/stool samples yesterday. We have had the blood results back and the fecal results should be back tomorrow. What was indicated in the blood results is that he may either have diabetes or pancreatitis. The tests we get tomorrow should help to confirm/rule out those theories.
I've done some initial research into the kind of treatment he may need, the vet said that should it be pancreatitis a modified diet and some sort of medication (I believe he said something that could be sprinkled on his food, though I cannot remember if it was strictly medication or a supplement) would likely be called for to manage it, whilst shots and diet modification may be warranted to treat diabetes.
We are getting very serious about his diet. He LOVES treats, so what I'm asking MyCorgi members for is any advice. Has anyone else had a similar diagnosis in their Corgi? It seems we're looking at a low-fat, low-sugar diet. What are some good treats for a treat loving dog? He loves vegetables, so I was thinking carrot, green beans and peas but want to make sure they are safe to be giving him with these conditions. Also does anyone have any dry food recommendations? We live in Australia, so our pet food options are a little different to those in America. As a guide, this is what is available in our local pet supply store: http://www.petstock.com.au/c/dog-premium-food
Any help would be appreciated.
(Also, for those well versed in dog nutrition, we have been feeding him poached chicken and brown rice while he has been sick, on the vets advice, but I'm wary of continuing that dinner for too long, is it nutrionally sound and what other foods can we supplement it with? Kangaroo mince is said to be low fat and high in protein, does it sound suitable?)
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Melissa and Franklin! on
-
Chicken and rice is not a complete diet but perfectly safe to feed short term (meaning you can even feed it for a month or so). I would not switch from what the vet recommends without consulting with him/her if they suspect pancreatits. I'm not sure if your vet is actually talking about pancreatitis or pancreatic insufficiency. For pancreatic insufficiency there is a powder that basically replaces the enzymes the pancreas is supposed to make. Pancreatic insufficiency would look like diarrhea/soft stool for most of your dog's life up until now as well as him having trouble gaining weight or always being skinny.
Pancreatitis most commonly shows up as vomiting and abdominal pain vs diarrhea. But some dogs do have diarrhea, just not as common. This treatment is usually feed nothing for at least 36-72 hours and then slowly re-introduce a bland diet in tiny amounts and several meals throughout the day. Once there is no vomiting or diarrhea switching to a low-fat diet. I would ask your vet for recommendations of a low fat diet, mostly vet's use prescription diets because they are formulated for this, but they may also be able to suggest over the counter diets. I would assume any diet for sensitive stomachs tends to be more on the bland/low fat side. Diet is VERY important with this condition and feeding the wrong thing can lead to hospitalization so I would take your vet's advice on this one.
Diabetes is more difficult. It becomes VERY expensive and time consuming to treat. Usually pet's are eating more, drinking more, and sometimes are overweight. I have seen frequently diabetes and pancreatitis going hand in hand with one condition setting off the other. How the blood is collected, stored, and how stressed your pet was when the blood was drawn will all affect the glucose in the blood so hopefully its just a false reading. Diabetes is generally treated with insulin injections given daily, in the beginning your pet will have to have a glucose curve done to make sure the insulin is at the appropriate dose. It can be difficult and expensive to find the right dose but then tends to be a little easier to manage, but it is very expensive. If it is diabetes NEVER leave the insulin out of the fridge! Very expensive mistake that we see a lot. Insluin is EXPENSIVE.
Please keep us posted.
-
Permalink Reply by Michelle on
-
My male has diabetes as a result of a couple of episodes of pancreatitis. While the insulin is somewhat expensive $70.00 (USD) a month it is easy to adminster by shot. We have had to adjust our schedules at times to make sure he gets his morning and evening dose. The adjustment has not been as bad as I had anticipated when he was diagnosed.
I would like to share that he was dringking more, pottying in the house and lost a little weight at the time that we took him to the vet. He had been having accidents for a couple of days prior to us taking him to the vet.
The pancreatitis we treated with bland diet, med from the vet and water as tolerated.....He was really into eating acorns from the oak tree in our yard......Bad puppy!
Good luck. I was very upset about Junior's diagnosis but we have found it realativly easy to manage. ^..^
-
Permalink Reply by Potus on
-
Thank you both! I am expecting his results this afternoon and will keep you posted. It's so great to have such a supportive Corgi community!
-
-
The test results still haven't come back so we're in a holding pattern until they do. We're looking at better quality, lower fat food and from what we have available here it seems the best option may be the Holistic Select Chicken and Peas food. Unfortunately I don't think Blue Buffalo is stocked in Australia, at least no locally. Otherwise I'd be buying those treats! Do you feed Charlie any vegetables? As Potus loves his veges, just don't want to give him anything that could cause trouble! I'm glad Charlie is feeling better.
Rescue Store
Stay Connected
FDA Recall
Canadian Food Inspection Agency Recall
Groups
We support...
Badge
© 2024 Created by Sam Tsang.
Powered by
