Even on his special diet, Skipper is having more pancreatitis flares lately. He’s so pathetic when a flare happens, his vocalizations both hurt my ears and break my heart. Tramadol knocks him out for a good 12 hours, but he isn’t very amenable to having a pill shoved down his throat while his innards are at war. He’s wise to Pill Pockets. 
Peanut butter still works.
I’m hoping a new probiotic and digestive enzyme supplement will help.
He’s 12, but I want him around for a few more years.
I’m sorry, that’s not a fun situation. He’s in a great deal of pain.
Thank you for your reply. Took me 7 years after my Scottie died to even consider another dog. I adopted Skipper at 10; didn’t know at the time that he was deaf. And he’s had digestive issues ever since I brought him home. A diagnosis helps, but as you know this isn’t curable and when he hurts I hurt, too. It’s just the two of us and I’m not ready to think about being dogless again.
Just mentioning this in passing: our dog gets a generic (Walmart) Pepcid pill every night with her food for something gastric (not 100% sure what). Don’t know if that would help with pancreatitis–IANAV–please consult yours first. Sorry he’s hurting.
Thanks, Burpo. (It’s ok if I call you Burpo?) I’ve read about giving antacids to dogs with pancreatitis but my vet hasn’t recommended it. I’m thinking it’s time for a second opinion.
How does he smell?
With his nose? Like a dog? His breath is a bit off now that he isn’t eating dry kibble and his teeth aren’t in great shape to begin with. I haven’t read anything that suggests pancreatitis creates a distinctive odor, but I haven’t read everything that’s out there. Can you share the background to your question?
Does your vet know why he gets recurrent pancreatitis? Is it something the breed just gets? Are his triglycerides nuts? If the latter is that treatable in dogs as it is in people, beyond diet changes?
Sorry your buddy is suffering. We have an elderly dog having some health issues too. It’s tough.
Suggestion, Get a coffe bean grinder or small spice mill and chew his food for him. Make sure you adjust the serving size though. One cup ground is much more than 1 cup whole.
Call your vet and tell them he’s struggling with pills and ask if his meds can come in liquid form. We were able to make the switch and now drip his meds into his food. It’s liver flavor so we tell him it’s gravy and he falls for it. If you’re stuck with a pill, break it into fourths or even eighths and hide each tiny piece in soft cheese. If the bits are tiny they might swallow them whole and not even notice the pill bit is there.
But you know if he is either zonked out or in pain, the selfless thing is to end his suffering. A difficult time for sure.
Good luck.
DSeid Some breeds are prone to pancreatitis. I think I read that min. poodles are, and my guy is part min. poodle. His diagnosis was based firstly on symptoms, and secondly on blood tests. He was 10 when I adopted him and I have no health history for him. As for the recurrent episodes, thankfully not critical yet, it may be his pancreas have been inflamed for so long that they’re just not functioning very well. Low fat, grain free, small frequent meals, pain meds are about it for now.
PurpleClogs Thanks for your good wishes for my buddy. And for the suggestion of grinding his food. He won’t be able to spit out his veggies if they’re mush. He’s not always zonked or in obvious pain, but I can tell from his behavior on our walks when he’s not 100%. He has definitely lost ground in the past year. His eyes don’t always sparkle like they used to. If he ever has a full-blown attack requiring IVs and days at the vet’s with no certainty of recovery, then I’ll have him put down. I could put him through all that, bring him home, and then have it all happen to him again. Not fair. I’ve never hesitated to put an animal down. It’s my part of the bargain – they give me their love and I keep them from suffering.
IME, an antacid in the right dose won’t hurt, and could help as pancreatitis can cause some gastric distress in the form of vomiting and/or diarrhea. Dogs and cats can have issues with excess acid during a flare-up, and where people get heartburn, dogs and cats puke and lose their appetite. An antacid can help with that. You might also ask about an anti-inflammatory in addition to the tramadol.
Another thought - if your guy is actively vomiting at all, you could ask your vet about giving him Cerenia (maropitant). It’s a very good antiemetic, and it’s also been found to work as a pain reliever. It’s not labeled for that, but I’ve seen it help.
One of my cats had pancreatitis for about 18 months before it finally subsided. He wasn’t terribly painful, but was very nauseous. I had to gauge how he was doing and on top of the antiemetic (which was Cerenia and may have been a factor in him not being terribly painful) and famotidine he was getting regularly, add a second antiemetic. He would have lost weight until his liver failed if I hadn’t found a balance, he just wouldn’t eat otherwise, and puked what little he did. It was nerve-wracking! It subsided a couple years ago now, and so far so good.
I have Cerenia for him. It was prescribed for his first attack and my vet didn’t seem overly eager to give me a refill to keep on hand, or encourage me to use it with any regularity. I did give one of my dogs immodium for her frequent stomach upsets (after dining on poop). But my current vet seemed uninterested in that. I’ve decided to take my guy to my former vet. Farther to drive, but he and his clinic are the best in the area.
I really appreciate everyone taking the time to share and advise. Thanks.