Summer barbecues and celebrations such as Christmas provide great enjoyment for humans, but for our pets, dogs in particular, an overdose of the good life can lead to a painful and potentially fatal condition called pancreatitis.
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The major risk factor is ingestion of excess fat. Think table scraps, lamb chops, fat off the ham, sausages, cold grease scrapings, cheese and other snacks.
Symptoms can be acute or chronic, ranging from nausea, abdominal pain, refusal to eat, vomiting, diarrhoea and fever. Treatment of pancreatitis often involves long hospital stays on IV fluids, IV antibiotics, anti-emetics and pain relief.
As always, prevention is by far the better option. Do not feed your pets leftover ham, sausages or fatty scrapes. Other no-nos include cooked bones, which have the potential to cause significant damage to your pet’s digestive tract by causing a blockage which can compromise the blood supply to the gastro-intestinal tract and cause the area of the gut to die and in some cases even perforate the intestine resulting in septic peritonitis, shock and even death.
If you suspect your pet has eaten something that they shouldn’t have, then contact us at Crookwell Vets on (02) 4832 1977 to discuss your pets condition.
Pet pics
Mark it in your diary, December 9 from 9-1pm, Santa will be visiting Crookwell Veterinary Hospital to take photos with your beloved pets. Please give us a call to book your spot. There will also be a barbecue to curb your hunger.