Unhealthy Gut—Unhealthy Dog: Mandy’s Story

The most common cause of acute pancreatitis in dogs is the ingestion of a fatty meal or table scraps. It is by far not the only cause. Further, the picture gets more complicated with chronic pancreatitis.

Anything that disrupts the tissue of the pancreas can trigger panccreatitis. The list of all potential causes is quite long and includes:

  • breed predisposition
  • obesity
  • stress
  • trauma to the pancreas
  • reflux of duodenal contents
  • hyperlipidemia
  • diabetes
  • Cushing’s disease
  • hypothyroidism
  • hypercalcemia
  • certain drugs
  • certain insecticides
  • toxins
  • autoimmune disorders
  • antioxidant deficiencies
  • chronic disease of other organs
  • cancer

Further reading: Pancreatitis: What Causes It?

Unhealthy Gut—Unhealthy Dog: Mandy's Story

Mandy’s story

Mandy’s chronic problems escalated with a terrible bout of pancreatitis. 

She was 12 years old and had a long history of loose stools and anal gland issues. Her system was very sensitive and she kept having a hard time.

Chronic GI inflammation

Mandy was suffering from chronic GI inflammation.

Vomiting, gas, bloating and diarrhea was a regular thing for Mandy. Mandy’s parents tried all kinds of different diets to help her vomiting and diarrhea. However, nothing was making any difference.

Even though the foods were different brands and formulas, they did have certain ingredients in common.

Was it those that were causing all the trouble?

An inflamed GI tract cannot absorb nutrients properly. This leads to all kinds of problems as well as a severe imbalance of gut bacteria. All this becomes a vicious circle and the dog keeps getting worse.

Unhealthy Gut—Unhealthy Dog

This all sounds so similar to the problems Jasmine was having and all that stemmed from that. Mandy’s parents too came to accept her issues as a normal state of things. But it is not. Just like we did with Jasmine, Mandy’s parents were at the vets’ all the time. And just like with Jasmine, no solution came from that. Just like with Jasmine, Mandy always returned home with a prescription of antibiotics and antacids.

Lack of diagnosis

Just like Jasmine, Mandy was written off by her vets as a dog with a sensitive system.

Inflamed, poorly functioning GI system also increases the risk of acute problems, including pancreatitis.

Holistic consultation

Finally Mandy’s parents, just like us, turned to a holistic approach.

The holistic veterinarian changed Mandy’s diet. Mandy started eating novel ingredients, low fat, grain-free dehydrated raw food. She also received probiotics, digestive enzymes and a natural supplement for dysbiosis.

Mandy also didn’t receive any further vaccinations.

At her next check-up, Mandy’s pancreatitis has resolved, she had firm stools and no further vomiting or diarrhea. Her digestive tract is well-functioning and happy.

Full Story:
This Month’s Real Story: Mandy

Related articles:
Pancreatitis: What Causes It?

Further reading:
Redefining Chronic Pancreatitis

Categories: Conditions • Diarrhea • Gastrointestinal disease • Pancreatitis • Symptoms • Vomiting

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Jana Rade

I am a graphic designer, dog health advocate, writer, and author. Jasmine, the Rottweiler of my life, was the largest female from her litter. We thought we were getting a healthy dog. Getting a puppy from a backyard breeder was our first mistake. Countless veterinary visits without a diagnosis or useful treatment later, I realized that I had to take Jasmine's health care in my own hands. I learned the hard way that merely seeing a vet is not always enough. There is more to finding a good vet than finding the closest clinic down the street. And, sadly, there is more to advocating for your dog's health than visiting a veterinarian. It should be enough, but it often is not. With Jasmine, it took five years to get a diagnosis. Unfortunately, other problems had snowballed for that in the meantime. Jasmine's health challenges became a crash course in understanding dog health issues and how to go about getting a proper diagnosis and treatment. I had to learn, and I had to learn fast. Helping others through my challenges and experience has become my mission and Jasmine's legacy. I now try to help people how to recognize and understand signs of illness in their dogs, how to work with their veterinarian, and when to seek a second opinion. My goal is to save others the steep curve of having to learn things the hard way as I did. That is the mission behind my blog and behind my writing. That is why I wrote Symptoms to Watch for in Your Dog, which has turned out being an award-winning guide to dog owners. What I'm trying to share encompasses 20 years of experience.

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