My dog was taken to the vet Monday morning and I was told he had pancreatitis. I understand that the treatment is withholding food and giving IV fluids. The doctor calls me every day and gives me updates, but I am becoming mistrustful of them. He says the last blood test he took showed that his pancreatic enzymes were not any better as of today, Friday (five days later) but what is not consistent with that is that he tells me he is now feeding him. I asked him what he is doing now to bring down the inflammation and he told me he is giving him antibiotics. I asked him if I can do that at home to save in cost and he told me that my dog is nowhere near coming home. Does this seem right? If he is now eating shouldn’t I be able to take him home?
At the office, he’s eating under the watchful eye of people who are intimately familiar with canine pancreatitis. It’s a real killer, and if his enzymes aren’t improving at all, then he needs to stay there. The diet used for dogs with pancreatitis is highly specialized – extremely low in fat, adjusted amounts of fiber and protein, and the dog’s electrolyte’s need to be monitored. It’s necessary to feed them after a day or so; it’s not an indication that he’s better.
Your dog has been five days in the office and you haven’t visited once? I mean, just to look at how he/she is doing, if he/she reacts. And then, instead of phone calls, get a one on one talk with the veterinarian.
They’re probably feeding the dog some very very bland food, and monitoring to make sure it doesn’t cause vomiting or diarrhea. They’re also probably being very controlling in the amount of food they’re giving. And the dog is probably on anti-emetics (anti-puking stuff). Some of those are constant IV meds.
And all the feeding is probably a trial. They’re maybe feeding the dog a third of what it should be eating, and then very very bland. Just making sure the dog can eat, digest, not puke, not get diarrhea, and not re-mess up its pancreas. That may take another day.
Without a lot of information about how the dog originally presented, test results, and looking at your dog, it is likely the main factor that is keeping your dog from coming home is that he/she is still receiving IV fluids. Perhaps your dog is not eating or drinking on its own? Perhaps the electrolyte imbalance/dehydration was too bad it has still not recovered? Perhaps each time they take away the anti-emetic, the dog ends up puking?