[Chloesmommy]

My 4 year old Cockapoo, Chloe, was diagnosed (thru palpating the bladder, no xrays) 2 weeks ago for bladder stones. She was given an antibiotic and Hill's Science Diet S/D canned dog food. After 5 days on the dog food she became lethargic and vomited 7 times in 6 hours. We took her to our vet, where they did 2 xrays and found signs of pancreatitis. The pancreas and small intestines were blurred on the xray and the vet said that was indicative of pancreatitis. We could also see undigested chunks of food throughout her large intestine. They kept her for the next 3 days, until we were informed she had rapidly deterriorated and was now anemic (her body was attacking and destroying her red blood cells). Ultimately, we were convinced that the chance of Chloe surviving was less than 10% and even if she did make it there would be permanent damage to most of her internal organs. Based on that, my husband and I agreed that euthanization would be the best for her.

I need to know if this has happened to other families! We are distraught over losing our little girl and want Hill's to be held accountable! Please contact me if you, or someone you know, has had this happen. Thank you!!

 

[whiteleo]

First of all, I'm really sorry for your loss! What food were you feeding her before the Hill's Science Diet food?

 

[Chloesmommy]

She was eating Racheal Ray dog food for 2 years prior to getting ill. And I'd like to mention that she very rarely got human food and when she did it would be such a small piece and not junk food like meat or bones. I would tear off a bit of my dry toast with a little peanut butter on it.

 

[chowder]

First of all, let me console you on your loss. I lost two dogs last year while they were under veterinarians care and both cases were arguably the vets fault (they were drug reactions that the vet could have prevented with more education). The very first thing that Hills is going to require from you is that you have a necropsy done (autopsy in human terms). They will not take the vets word on what happened to your dog and personally, I would not take the vets word on the diagnosis either. My Lhasa Apso had bladder stones two years ago at age 10 and as a vet tech, I know they usually have to be diagnosed by a minimum of a urinalysis and xray, and then taken care of with surgery to remove them unless they are very very tiny in which case the vet could not have felt them with just a palpitation. Antibiotics and food alone are not going to disolve stones that are already there. Pancreatitis is usually diagnosed thru bloodtests, and symptoms, not xrays. A quote from a medical article on the subject says "radiographs are usually normal although you may aometimes see some swelling". Blurry xrays are usually just from the dog moving or an error in processing. Did she have any blood work at the same time that showed increased liver enzyme or bilirubin leveis to correspond with pancreatitis?
I hate to be negative but I would want a full necropsy from a state run program to determine exactly why I lost my baby. That is what I demanded for my two dogs last year, just to give me some peace of mind. It may not be the Hills food that you need to be questioning (although I sure wouldn't feed it to my dogs). If this is no longer possible, at least get all her xrays and bloodwork and charts and have an independent lab take a look at them.

 

[chowder]

I did a little more research on the pancreatitis for you and found out the the Hills SD does contain a much higher level of fat then the Rachel Ray food you were using (26% as opposed to 15% in the Rachel Ray) and increased fat is a cause of pancreatitis. Also, some antibiotics can cause pancreatitis and you said your dog was put on antibiotics at the same time. Here is a link to an article about pancreatiti and the causes that may be helpful to you.
Pancreatitis In Your Dog Or Cat
I hope you are able to find the answers you are looking for. It's been over a year for us and my husband and I still have trouble coming to grips with losing the two dogs so suddenly. We have a new puppy and our old lady dog who help a lot. Let me know if I can help you with any more questions.