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Jessie, the pooing Poodle!
Jessie is a 13 year old female spayed Miniature Poodle who came to see us with vomiting and diarrhoea after eating too many treats. She was diagnosed with pancreatitis, which means inflammation of the pancreas.
The pancreas is an organ that produces enzymes to digest food and it also produces insulin to control blood glucose levels. Jessie was hospitalised and started on treatment for pancreatitis. She made a reasonable recovery, but over the next few months, she continued to lose weight despite being constantly hungry. She was also having bouts of diarrhoea and she was pooing more than normal.
Jessie then had a consult with Mark Robson, a medicine specialist from the Veterinary Specialist Group (VSG), and we ran a few more tests, including a pancreatic function test. We found that because of her initial and then, ongoing pancreatitis, the part of her pancreas that produces digestive enzymes was not functioning well. As a result her food wasn’t being digested and nutrients were not being absorbed. Jessie was “eating like a horse”, because unfortunately, she was pooing like one!
Jessie was treated with a pancreatic enzyme supplement and a low-fat easily digestible diet to keep her chronic pancreatitis at bay. With careful monitoring, she is making good progress. She has gained weight, is running around like a puppy and is having more “poodle-sized” poos.
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