Pancreatitis can be life threatening for dogs
A client, now a good friend, has a small breed dog with a sensitive stomach. Taco (not her real name) cannot eat commercial dog foods, and over time, a balanced, home-cooked, low fat diet was developed that worked for Taco. Fast forward a couple of years. I received a call that Taco is at an emergency clinic with acute pancreatitis.
What happened?
Taco had some urinary issues and ended up with some debris and crystals in her bladder and urine. Taco was prescribed one of the "prescription or veterinary diets" to help dissolve these crystals. Within 3 days of eating the special diet, Taco started to vomit. The new food had a very high fat content which probably caused Taco to become seriously ill.
Outcome
Perhaps today, ten days and more than $10,000 later, it is may be safe to say that Taco will survive. Doctors are still not certain.
Food as medicine
I believe that everyone needs to be more aware of nutrition and what is being fed to your 4-legged children. Your veterinarian is your dog/cat's advocate. They want to keep you as a client and your fur family as patients. Nutrition is part of the "long healthy life" equation, along with vaccines, regular health checkups, and preventative medicine.
If your veterinarian doesn't discuss the subject, you should bring it up. Many younger vet graduates now have basic nutrition training, and those that don't know can find out. A few qualified nutritionists are available to help you and your vet keep your 4-legged family members healthy and happy.
Nutrition Rocks!
Thank you so much for sharing Taco's story. As her parents, we have tried to educate ourselves in order to make decisions that would ensure her to have a happy, healthy and long life. As you can imagine, we are heartbroken with the current situation.
ReplyDeleteVeterinarians, as with any medical professional, strive to keep our pets healthy and active. Unfortunately without the knowledge and background it's impossible to give the most complete care. Nutrition must be taught with equal importance while in school, and as part of the veterinarians continuing and ongoing education.
Taco's outlook today is still very guarded, all due to a lack of knowledge and $3.00 can of prescribed food. It's heartbreaking to know that we might lose our fur baby due to something those factors.
Please educate yourself, become your pets best and loudest advocate. Find a veterinarian who will work with you, your nutritionist and whatever experts you need to make a qualified and INFORMED decision concerning your pets treatment. In long run not only will it cost less your pet will be healthier and happier.