By Heidi Clayton
As the holiday season approaches, I thought I would revisit the dangers of your dog overindulging on a rich Thanksgiving Day dinner. Every year, my social media floods with warnings and horror stories of dogs that ate too much turkey and rich foods. As a result, they were hospitalized with pancreatitis.
My late Kiki was a covert treat stealer. Kiki landed himself in the hospital a few times with acute cases of pancreatitis. He was lucky to survive each bout. Pancreatitis can be life-threatening to a dog and can result in death without quick treatment.
The pancreas produces enzymes and hormones that help break down food. It also regulates appetite and blood sugar levels, as well as making insulin. Pancreatitis is the inflammation of that organ when the flow of enzymes is disrupted. Foods that are high in fat such as turkey that has been cooked coated in butter or brined, rich gravies, and even vegetables like green beans cooked in rich mushroom soup or sweet potatoes coated in brown sugar can cause pancreatitis in dogs. Even small quantities of these foods can result in dogs getting pancreatitis.
Symptoms usually surface two to three days after the consumption when your dog starts vomiting yellowish, thick bile. The condition is also painful, so your dog may hunch up when walking. Dogs with this illness can also seem lethargic.
If you suspect that your dog may have pancreatitis, try going to your regular vet if they are open. Unfortunately, however, most veterinary clinics are closed on Thanksgiving. In that case, this is absolutely a trip to a veterinary ER. Don’t risk waiting for your regular vet to open their doors again if your dog becomes sick after eating rich holiday foods.
Diagnosis will involve blood work, X-rays, and most likely an ultrasound. Most cases of pancreatitis will involve some sort of hospital stay as the only current treatment is supportive care such as IV fluids, pain medications, and fasting. However, there is a new drug that has been conditionally approved by the FDA called Panoquell that is being tested to aid in the recovery time of pancreatitis. Currently, the administration does not avoid a hospital stay but seems to aid in recovery time.
Taking preventative measures can save you the worry of your dog falling victim to pancreatitis. Take a few minutes to personally put away all food that is brought into the house. Safely store it out of reach from your dog by using baby gates to block off dining areas or countertops.
Be sure to let all of your guests know that the Thanksgiving menu is only available to humans and not to the dog. I typically find that hosting Thanksgiving dinners can be hectic. For that reason, I like to give my dogs a nice marrow bone in the confines of their room or crates until dinner is over. This reduces the need to have your head on swivel to make sure the dog isn’t helping themselves.
The holidays are hectic enough without an unwanted visit to the ER. Make your life easier and your dog’s life safer by managing their access to tasty fatty foods. Four on the Floor wishes you all a very peaceful and happy Thanksgiving.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email heidi@fouronthefloordogtraining.net.
Heidi Clayton started Four On the Floor Dog Training to provide positive, reward-based dog training in South Jersey. She breeds, trains and shows bull terriers under the SoraBully’s Bull Terriers kennel name. Email questions to heidi@fouronthefloordogtraining.net or learn more at https://fouronthefloordogtraining.net
