Easier said than done, especially when your little man stares at you with those puppy dog eyes. It’s very hard to resist, but it is a healthy decision for your dog.
My Miniature Schnauzer Bella (pictured July 2009) is very spoiled – aren’t they all? I love her like one of my own, but we almost lost her back in January 2009 to a symptom called Pancreatitis.
Definition: Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. The pancreas is a large gland behind the stomach and close to the duodenum—the first part of the small intestine. The pancreas secretes digestive juices, or enzymes, into the duodenum through a tube called the pancreatic duct. Pancreatic enzymes join with bile—a liquid produced in the liver and stored in the gallbladder – to digest food. The pancreas also releases the hormones insulin and glucagon into the bloodstream. These hormones help the body regulate the glucose it takes from food for energy.
We noticed something different with Bella as most dogs have subtle to major changes in their personality when something is wrong. She had blood in her stools which was very alarming for us. We watched her for a day which was a big mistake. If your dog is not feeling well or something is strange, bring them into a Veterinarian right a way!
We went to an animal hospital close by to get Bella checked out. They provided us with options on medication and cost. We didn’t care about cost, and went with the medication that they recommended. I had to give her an IV each day for 4 days which I had no problem with doing, but I am the type of person who can’t watch anything on TV related to emergency rooms. After two days, she was responding well to the medication, but she was still slow, weak and her stools were still bloody and looked like coffee grinds. On day 3 she seemed to get worst, but we didn’t panic until day 5.
On the morning of day 5, Bella had to be woken by us as she wasn’t responding. She was stiff and her eyes were bugged out. We rushed her back into the hospital. The Vet checked her out and told us it was 50-50 she would make it and again gave us options. The first option was aggressive treatment and 4 days in the hospital, but the chances were again 50-50. The 2nd option, put her down. There was no way that was happening on my clock. After 4 days in the hospital and aggressive treatment, Bella was recovering well, but had some fallout as the doctor put it, because she had suffered a stroke on day 5.
Bella today is completely recovered, but she still has some minor affects from the stroke such as minor tremors from time to time. She is also on blood pressure medication for the rest of her life and a special diet. The investment ($4,000) was the best money I ever spent.
The doctor (Dr. Kristin – who is a miracle doctor) explained that people food can lead to this disease. It’s best to give treats to your dog using their own dry food as they don’t know the difference, but they know that they are getting treat.
About The Author
Frank Jovine is the owner and author of TechJaws.com – an Internet Security & SEO blog – and avid “PetLvr”. You can also follow Frank (@techjaws) on Twitter.
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Frank J
My little girl Bella, she so cute!
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kate smedley
She’s so cute!! How could you resist …
Susie
This goes for cats as well, mine suffers from urinary blockages when her diet is changed, she is the only cat I know that will pee in a cup so I can get a sample!
HART (1-800-HART)
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HART (1-800-HART)
Thank-you Frank, for your informative guest post! Bella sure is a “cutie” and, glad she’s still around! Poor Bella!
Do you have any tips or stories about giving Bella her blood pressure medication? We give our Maxxie medication (pill) every morning buried in a little peanut butter on a broken milky-bone-bone piece.
HART (1-800-HART)
Susie .. that is a riot! I wish our cat and dogs could pee in a cup. Actually, the last time we were at the vet, their assistant tried to take a sample from Maxxie and we practically went on every tree out there, but it was like he saw the ‘cup’ and was thinking “hey! I have to miss that cup otherwise the other dogs won’t smell my pee on that tree” or something! The vet gave us a syringe and plastic bowl to take home and get a sample, and after a week – we just gave up, and opted for the blood sample instead.
Christie
Hi Frank – This happened to my sister and her dog too. She used to feed her little dog fried chicken, whatever she was having for her own dinner! But then the sweet doggy got pancreatitis, and after a painful illness and slow recovery, all she could eat for the rest of her life was the special food.
Folks, if you think you can’t bear not to give your dog some of what you’re having, believe me you will HATE not being able to even give him some good old tasty normal dog food. Heed Frank’s warning and stick to good quality food made for dogs.
TXWriter
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Frank J
@susie,
We put Bella’s pills in her wet foos mixed in with the dry food and that works best. You can just put the pill in her mouth and kiss her on the lips. This will cause her to flex and swallow.
@Christie,
Human food is very bad and it may not catch up with a dog right away, but it will over time.
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Shirl
I have never fed my dogs human food for this very reason. People need to educate themselves when they get any kind of pet be it a low maintaince pet like a gold fish or a high maintainance pet like a parrot.
My parents had a sweet little Boston terrier that they fed all kinds of human junk, from chocolate to fried zucchini… Poor little Oscar had diabetes and a myriad of other ailments. Oscar even had to have cataract surgery, my folks spent a lot of money at the vet. My dad had to get urine samples twice a day for the diabetes, the dog got good at cooperating but in the end died from pancreatitis. He was 12 which isn’t bad especially considering all of his health problems. Regardless of how much I tried to tell them that the ‘treats’ were bad for him they just wouldn’t listen to me, always saying they couldn’t resist his begging… They really miss their dog.
Gary Madden
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Clarra
I tell my family members this over and over. My dog just got over some constipation because of people food. You may think you’re being kind, but you’re really killing your dog slowly when you feed them people food.
Frank J
@Shirl,
Sorry to hear about Oscar, bt 12 years old is still a good life for a dog.
@Clarra,
Keep telling them until they get and if they don’t serve them dog food and see how they like it.
Adam
My kids dog had Pancreatitis as well. I think one of the kids had given him a bone or something.
Frank J
Adam,
Even beef bones can really harm a dog. Milk bones are much healthier.
John Sulllivan
Nice to see you mix it up Frank and I do this and should really stop but those eyes always get ya 🙂
Nice work on the post very cool
thanks
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