Advice need, HGE, pancreatitis

[Morgan2020]

Hi.. I have a sweet 2.5 year old male mini schnauzer, Remy. He has suffered stomach issues, originally thought to be acute pancreatitis back in December. I made changes to all of his foods at that time.. switched him to low fat kibble, no more treats other than raw sweet potatoes/carrots, and occasionally science diet low fat I&D wet food. Just over the weekend he had another episode of severe vomiting, diarrhea and had to be hospitalized for IV fluids/antibiotics. This time the vet thinks that it was acute hemorrhagic gastroenteritis. Anyone else have a dog that has suffered from this and what diet changes did you make?? any advice appreciated. I hate seeing my poor pup feel so awful.

Thank you.

[zeta1454]

Hi Morgan and welcome to the Forum.

I am sorry to hear about Remy's digestive issues and can understand how awful it must be for you seeing him in distress. HGE is not uncommon in dogs and is usually an acute condition that should not necessarily recur even without any change of diet. We had 2 young miniature schnauzers many years ago who had a single bout of this at different times and, more recently a couple of our other dogs have had a one-off bout of bloody diarrhoea. The most worrying aspect health-wise at the time for the dog is dehydration (especially if there is vomiting too) and that is usually why they will be hospitalised but, once over this they should recover well.

Our first two minis were kibble fed but for the past twelve years our dogs have all been raw fed and generally have very few digestive issues and recover well after any upset. We use a probiotic powder (YuDigest) and Tree Barks powder after any tummy upset mild or more serious and that usually has them back to normal very quickly.

Raw vegetables are OK as a treat for dogs but are not absorbed well unless they have been blitzed in the blender and may in some dogs cause a bit of tummy rumbling although would be unlikely to cause HGE. They usually pass through undigested.

I know some people are sceptical or unsure about the benefits of a raw diet for dogs but I do believe that most dogs do very well on this and it can resolve a number of health issues of itself as long as the diet is balanced and good quality. We now have 11 dogs and I would be reluctant to change to a non-raw diet for them seeing how they thrive on this.

More information on the products I have used with our dogs when they do have a tummy upset are on these links:

https://www.dorwest.com/blog/soothe-dog ... ks-powder/

https://www.lintbells.com/products/yudi ... s-for-dogs

[Morgan2020]

thank you for the response and links.. I have definitely been thinking about switching him to a raw diet. I will research it! thanks!

[zeta1454]

If you do decide to move to raw feeding, it may be best to try and find a good supplier of quality prepared raw food for dogs at least initially as it is important to be sure the diet is balanced and has the right range of nutrients. Even if you DIY you may need to add a few extras to the meat and you also don't want to include too much bone.

If you are in the U.K. there are many raw food companies nowadays to choose from and most will have some guide to the composition, source of their ingredients and guides to amounts and how to transition your dog from kibble to raw. We have tried several over the years since the early days when Natural Instinct was almost the only one. We have since used Nutriment; Paleo Ridge and Wolf Tucker but there are many more. Our dogs seem to do best on Wolf Tucker but other people we know have their own preferences of other brands. Most will have had some Veterinary input to the composition of the meals and balance of nutrients.

There are a few links here you may find helpful but if you check out other websites too you should find plenty of information or ask questions here as there are a number of other raw feeders on the Forum

https://www.wolftucker.co.uk/feeding-ra ... cky-simon/

https://www.wolftucker.co.uk/making-the ... -dog-food/

http://www.rawfeedingrebels.com/wp-cont ... rguide.pdf

[Oscar 12345]

I echo Leigh's advice Morgan. About 18 months ago Otto had an awful bout of HGE (I think he was just over 12 months old). He got over it but from that point his poop was soft and mushy and I just couldn't seem to get him right. He was fed a fresh mince/veg but processed food. I decided to try a raw complete and my goodness what a revelation. It suits Otto and I have seen so many other benefits. He recently had a few days of diarrhoea and he got over it really quickly, I think his system has improved greatly since the switch. There is a thread on here called Rosie and Edie go on raw. Take a few minutes to read it. Schnauzer Sam posted it and you will find it helpful cataloguing Sam's journey switching to raw.