pancreatitis

Question
My Labrador came home from the vet Friday with a diagnosis of pancreatitis.  They gave him IV fluids and antibiotics but he hadn't yet had anything to eat or drink when I brought him home.  I was instructed to give him a small amount of the canned food they gave me (EN) Saturday morning which i did and again a small amount Saturday evening.  He ate a small amount again this morning and so far he has tolerated it very well.  No vomiting.  But today when I took him out he had his first bowel movement.  He still seems to have diarrhea.  Is that to be expected? Or, should the food be withheld again?

Answer
You are on the right track Gina. Keep giving him the small amounts of food. The diarrhea will clear up once the inflammation is down and he is eating normal food again. The vomiting is the worst part.

Don't forget that when nothing is going in the one end then the only thing that can come out of the other end is the leftovers and fluids. His stool will firm up once he is past the worst of this. Is he drinking now? That is as important as him getting a small amount of food. Resting the GI tract is paramount with pancreatitis and water is also important- but not too much. You do not want to start any vomiting.

So keep doing what your vet told you and if he continues to have diarrhea past the next 2 days then call your vet again.