Can chicken wings cause Pancreatitis?

BARF refers to Biologically Appropriate Raw food or Bones and Raw Food. It is where owners have decided to feed their Schnauzer a natural diet of raw meat, bones, and organs. If you are considering this for your Schnauzer, you will find lots of handy tips here.
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sbsmiths
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Location: East Midlands

Can chicken wings cause Pancreatitis?

Post by sbsmiths »

Hello,
We’ve got a very poorly boy. The vet thinks it’s Pancreatitis but waiting for blood results. We’ve fed our 14 yr old MS raw for 8 years. He has chicken wings for breakfast. I’ve never thought about removing the skin but now wondering, IF IT IS PANCREATITIS, have I caused it? I’ve always prided myself on giving him the healthiest diet and avoiding this common condition but would welcome opinions. Thank you
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zeta1454
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Re: Can chicken wings cause Pancreatitis?

Post by zeta1454 »

Hi Jane - I know from personal experience how easy it is to start trying to analyse why one of our dogs has become ill despite everything we have done to keep them well and speculating on what we might have done wrong. I would wait for the results of the blood test first so that you know what exactly is the problem but, even if it is confirmed as pancreatitis, please don’t blame yourself for the chicken wing feeding. While it is true that the skin on chicken wings can contain a higher percentage of fat than other parts of the bird, dogs do generally cope well with digesting unprocessed fat and the fat content will also vary anyway depending on the chicken.

14 years is a good age for a miniature schnauzer so your boy has clearly been doing well on his regular diet until now and there can be a number of health issues that can crop up in senior dogs just due to ageing and the body not being as efficient as it was in processing food, removing potential toxins etc.

If it does turn out to be pancreatitis you can modify his diet to reduce the fat content e.g. remove the skin from the chicken wings if that is suggested to be a likely cause. However, just because a certain food is causing an issue now, it doesn’t mean it was never a good idea to feed it. If he has been fine for 8 years on his regular diet ( including the wings) which is well over half his lifetime I am sure that any reaction now to anything he is fed will be more likely to be due to an ageing digestive system rather than a bad choice on your part over the past 8 years in not removing the chicken skin.

Take care and do let us know the results of the tests when you have them. Sending hugs and hope your boy is feeling better very soon.
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Oscar 12345
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Re: Can chicken wings cause Pancreatitis?

Post by Oscar 12345 »

Jane, first of all sorry to hear your boy is unwell and hope that he pulls through. He is a great age by the way and it is possible that some foods have become a bit too much for him, you have clearly done lots of great things to get him to this age and I doubt very much you have caused the problem. I can't help thinking that if it was something you were doing you would have had signs of issues much earlier. Hopefully you can stabilise him and enjoy more time with the little fella. Fingers and paws crossed here.
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sbsmiths
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Posts: 53
Joined: 29 Aug 2011, 12:26
First Name: Jane
Dog #1: Gregory
is a: P/S Mini Dog
Born: 17 Jul 2006
Dog #2: Alfie
is a: P/S Mini Dog
Born: 0- 0-2006
Location: East Midlands

Re: Can chicken wings cause Pancreatitis?

Post by sbsmiths »

Thank you both for your kind words and support. The blood test did suggest pancreatitis but our vet can’t say categorically that it is. Probably an infection - he did have gastroenteritis 2 weeks ago (or so the vet thought) but could have been the early signs of this infection. Who knows what they pick up when they’re out. A neighbours dog had a recent strange “turn”. A healthy young adult Labrador out walking suddenly couldn’t walk and had difficulty breathing. Diagnosed as toxic shock probably from something rotting in the hedgerow. Our boy is back home on a course of antibiotics and expected to make a full recovery after which I will continue with his normal diet but I will remove the chicken skin and just monitor him. Once again thank you.
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zeta1454
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First Name: Leigh
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is a: P/S Mini Bitch
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Born: 15 Mar 2012
Dog #3: Pip
Born: 21 Feb 2014
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Location: North Yorkshire
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Re: Can chicken wings cause Pancreatitis?

Post by zeta1454 »

Fingers crossed he is soon well again. Take care x
Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole. ~Roger Caras

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Frederickdawg
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Re: Can chicken wings cause Pancreatitis?

Post by Frederickdawg »

I’d love to feed raw food to Tobias. I sneak it in sometimes. Don’t tell the mrs lol
Female black and silver mini born 15.1.14. Gone way too soon. RIP my sweet darling Sept 28 2021 😭 we'll never forgot Cleo. You left a hole in our hearts.

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