What’s in a name?
Dear Dr. Forsythe: I have an 11-year-old dachshund that has ongoing pancreatitis and needs to be on medication frequently. In fact, over the last year he had five or six different bouts of it and needed to be hospitalized every time. I was wondering if there was any preventative you could suggest to decrease the frequency of his outbreaks. It is very stressful when he gets sick with vomiting and my wife and I look at each other knowing it’s the pancreatitis setting in. Any suggestions for our little boy? We love him and wish we could prevent all his pain and suffering. – A.M, Oakmont
Dear A.M.: Chronic pancreatitis is a difficult illness to cope with. There are many causes, such as pets eating high fat food or human scraps, but there are also cases of idiopathic pancreatitis (no known cause for the disease). Some pets have percolating, recurring bouts of this irritating illness, and it is frustrating that they seem to break out with sickness such as vomiting and diarrhea for no discernible reason.
I have a few clients with dogs that have a similar story to yours. They find themselves staring at their pet just waiting for the dreaded clinical signs of pancreatitis to visit. For cases like this, it is important to do as much as possible to prevent another outbreak. Feeding a low fat food such as W/D by Hills can help, and avoid feeding any scraps at all. In addition, your veterinarian may want to provide ‘pulsing” antibiotics year round. An example of this would be prescribing two weeks of antibiotics, then one month off. After the month off, start the antibiotics again and repeat this on and off pattern long term. Several cases of prolonged recurring pancreatitis can be warded off somewhat successfully using this tactic. Of course, many people (including veterinarians) detest the idea of filling dogs and cats with large amounts of antibiotics, and I understand this concern. However, for clients who own a dog who suffers from this painful, life-threatening disease, this extreme type of medical management can be successful. It may be something to consider chatting with your veterinarian about – especially considering all the misery your pet has had to endure. I hope things improve and next year is healthier for him than the last.
– Dr. F.
Dear Dr. Forsythe: My roommate just had a little Chihuahua given to him by a friend who got into trouble with the law. “Andrew” is not sure how long he is going to be in charge of the little dog, but it looks like it could be up to a year. The problem is that Andrew calls the little dog a she, but it is a male. He also has different names for the little dog, including “Snuggles, “Riley” and “Snickers.” At first I thought it was funny him calling the dog a “her,” but now I think it is kind of strange. And can’t it be confusing for a dog to ever know who he is if the owner calls him by several different names? I’ve told him my opinion, but Andrew hasn’t listened. I was wondering if you agree with my concerns or not. – Roger W., American Canyon
Dear Roger: I agree with you that it is a little strange to constantly refer to one’s pet using the wrong gender. Hopefully you can point out the dog’s vital anatomy and really ask him why he thinks the dog is a “she.” In addition, I agree that using several different names for a pet is like rearranging the furniture by surprise at a blind person’s house. Unless Andrew settles on one name and can develop some consistency with the pet, I suspect that “Snuggles” or “Snickers” will be getting the last laugh with trouble potty-training, obeying, and settling into the house. Tell your ninny roommate to “notice the anatomy” and commit to one name. Pets really don’t CARE if you refer to them as a he or she, but his ditsy-ness with this pronoun makes me question how focused he is as a pet caretaker. I suggest you purchase a nice name tag for the little Chihuahua and present it to Andrew to help him take a step forward. I hope the poor confused thing has a good year – and the little dog too!! – Dr. F.
