Pekingese appetite

Question
QUESTION: HI Catherine,

my peke suffers from pancreatitus. she has been hospitalised several times and always comes out on fine. she is currently being fed Eukanuba Dermatosis which we changed to from Hills RD as this did not prevent her relapse. she has been fine on this food for roughly a month and a half but for the last few days her appetitehas been insatiable. i have fed her extra but she still wants more. is this possibly a symptom of something else? as i write this she is lying in the kitchen staring at the food cupboard. the only external factor is that she had an ear infection i have been putting "Otomax" ear drop suspension for the last 6 days.

ANSWER: Hi Richard,
Sorry to hear about your little dog! Pancreatitis can be a serious condition and does indeed require dietary management. My concern with the scenario you are describing is that while the Eukanuba is controlling her symptoms, it is unlikely to be providing optimal nutrient levels, given the lower quality ingredients the company tends to use. A few questions can help me focus an answer for you:

1) How old is she?
2) have you had a full panel thyroid donerecently?
3) how much does she weigh and how much do you feed?
4) Does she receive any extras or treats?
5) how much exercise does she get?

For me, a home made diet is the gold standard for a dog with pancreatitis, but I recognize not everyone can do that. It can be a problem to find a premium quality commercial food that is formulated for the needs of a dog with pancreatis. If home made IS an option it absolutely must be formulated by an experienced professional. But get back to me with more detail and I will see what I can do.
All the best, Catherine

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Catherine,
Thanks for your prompt response.in answer to your questions:
1) she has just turned 5
2) im not sure but she has had several scans and been in hospital on a drip for 4 days twice since february and they operated to check out a anomally on the scan but found nothing. i assume she had all necessary tests.
3)she weighs just over 6kg's
4)she gets Eukanube restricted calorie biscuits 1-2 sometimes at night
5) she is very active and runs around the yard like a demon when there is someone in the street.

She also had back surgery about 2.5 years ago for a slipped disk but made a full recovery.
with regards to a home made diet i would really appreciate some info because it seems all our vets in south africa only prescribe the Hills RD or Eukanuba restricted calorie due to the "low fat" content and as i understand pancreatitus it is the inability to break down fat?

once again thanks for your response

Kind Regards
Richard

Answer
Hi Richard,

With the multiple issues your dog has I wouldn't feel comfortable issuing a generic diet. A low fat diet needs to be correctly formulated to ensure that within the lower fat, all fatty acid requirements are met, and of course when you lower fat and use moderate protein (as pancreatitis entails) you must fill the energy balance with fiber. This generally means a large volume of food and most require some support during the transition. And on top of that, supplements need to be added (vitamins and minerals) to ensure nutritional adequacy.

Here is a link on pancreatitis:
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1580&articleid=335

A typical diet I would use might include about 7 - 9% dietary fat, 21 - 24% protein and the balance from assorted compex carbohydrates.  I like to use whitefish, lean skinless turkey, beef heart, egg white and tripe in these diets,  with brown and white rice, sweet potato, lentils and quinoa filling in the carbs. They all require additional Vitamin D, some Bvitamins, calcium and phosphorus, and a wide assortment of minerals. But I truly would need to work with this dog professionally before posting a recipe. With any serious condition like this it's not responsible to take chances. If you would like to discuss a consultation please feel free to email me; if not, I do recommend you stick with the Eukanuba as opposed to going to a better quality, but higher fat diet.

Wish I could help more, I'm just not aware of any commercial premium foods that would fit your dog's specialized needs.

If you wish to try it on your own, please at least join my yahoogroup, where we will be happy to help you balance nutrients using the most recent National Research Council guidelines.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ThePossibleCanine-Nutrition
All the best, Catherine