Meats That Digest Well for Cavaliers (possible pancreatitis)

[Kate H]

Jerry wrote that the present kibble is 'about 17% fat and 38% protein'. This seems incredibly high to me. I feed Burns (which I don't think is available in the US), which is a very well-regarded brand of good quality dry food. Their puppy food is 21% protein and 11% oil (not animal fat); their adult food is 18.5% protein and 7.5% oil, which is about average for most good adult foods in the UK. My two thrive on this level of protein. Burns' highest level of protein (24%) is in their food for pregnant and nursing bitches. Even if your youngster hasn't got pancreatitis, the levels of fat and protein she seems to have been getting just in the kibble might well upset her tummy - if you had to eat a plate-size steak fried in fat with added salmon or chicken three times a day every day, and not much else, you might end up feeling a bit queasy too! (Unless of course you're an athlete who exercises enough to burn it off - but a 7-month-old Cavalier isn't!)

Kate, Oliver and Aled

[ladybug11]

Scary, but I'm glad he's doing better. I was feeding Lady Orijin, I know the puppy food has salmon in it, and to be honest she was not doing well on it. Just because it's five stars doesn't mean it's going to work for every dog or every kind of dog. It definitely upset her tummy - she also can't eat chicken. Turkey is ok, because it is a little bit leaner, but I give that to her as a rare treat (ie when we work on recall or loose leash walking). She seems to like peanut butter and that sits well with her, but I give that to her even more rarely than turkey. I switched her to a lamb and brown rice puppy food and she's SO much better...so while it's great that you're cutting down on the amount of meat you're giving her, I do agree with Karlin that you definitely don't need to be feeding it to him very much/at all. You can get dry-freeze treats which are lower in calories and fat. Sounds like you're going to be keeping a good eye on him now though, so good luck and I hope he doesn't have any more of these spells! No fun for anyone

[mommytoClaire]

Sorry I'm late to this thread! I was the person that Karln mentioned that had a dog that actually had pancreatitis attacks at one time due to smells.

Keep in mind, this wasn't a Cavalier, it was my Cocker Spaniel. He developed chronic pancreatitis, and actually ended up diabetic. He was 9 at the time, and was on a low fat food (senior food), and the same premium kibble for quite a bit of time before that first attack We don't know if he had gotten a hold of something outdoors, that brought on that first attack, as he was closely supervised, but we do live in a wooded area (think lots of critters).

Pancreatitis can be managed, but as others have mentioned it can be very dangerous.

From what I know, Orijen is a good premium food, with a great reputation. I think more than likely it's the extra's you've been feeding your pup that have contributed to the sensitive tummy issue you experienced.

I'm glad to hear that all the testing showed normal levels, as pancreatitis as this young of an age would be scary. Of course, there is acute (one off) and chronic. My Nash had chronic. We probably dealt with at least 4 episodes in the first couple years of his diabetes. One time, he had an episode just from smelling cooking. Apparently, the increased salvia activity triggers the attack. So we had to keep him in our Master Bedroom and Bath far away from the kitchen when cooking, for almost 2 weeks till we were sure he was on the mends completely. I would have liked to use his pancreatitis as an excuse to not cook, but hubby was having none of that, lol.

Depending on the severity of pancreatitis, and whether it's caught early, many times a bland diet of boiled white boneless skinless chicken and white rice with water mushed into it, will suffice for a meal. But severe cases may require absence of food and water for 24-48 hours to rest the pancreas. My Nash responded well to Science Diets Prescription food, canned I/D. And we kept several cans on hand when we felt he was acting a bit uncomfortable. Of course, all of the above supervised by a Vet.

Hopefully you never have to think back on any of this information, and that your dogs digestive health is perfect. But I agree, best to be cautious!

Now go have fun now with your pup, they are such wonderful dogs.

[Karlin]

Thanks for the personal detail! I realised from one of Nicki's links on this thread that it was your cocker who would even react to smells.

Orijen is a good premium food, with a great reputation.

This is true but the food's reputation isn't the issue -- for the normal, well dog, it can be a great option (like many other kibbles, for those who feed kibble) but it IS a very high protein food (and there is much debate on giving dogs such high levels of protein -- the average for most foods would be more like 20-ish%, as a proportion). And 17% fat would be very high for a dog with pancreatitis that needs a low fat diet -- such high fat levels could definitely trigger a serious episode. I'd always be cautious with this sometimes fatal condition, and would really be wary of continuing on this kibble til I knew more about what I was dealing with. The kibble alone I would guess could have triggered an episode in a dog with pancreatitis because the fat levels are high.

That's why I think it is important to have a thorough discussion with a knowledgeable vet on proper diet and whether there's an indication this is indeed pancreatitis. It should be possible to test further and get some answers. I wouldn't risk losing my dog to this condition by not being sure whether the dog should be on a special diet -- and would want to be sure my vet knew there is a high incidence of this condition in the breed. For a really young dog to have had an episode would seem worrying, and bear further, proper exploration.