Pancreatitis and CKD

Hi, I’m looking for closure I guess. I had an 11 year old yorkie. I thought he was in great health. He was energetic and playful. About 2 weeks ago he was sick with bile only a tiny amount on a couple of mornings separated by a few days. Thought nothing of it. Still wanted his walks but was off his food. However he was a fussy eater but he still wanted his treats. He also wanted to walk miles. Then about 8 days later he was properly sick, twice and tried to eat it again. Took him to a vets and she treated him for gastritis. Told me he was very slightly dehydrated. Day after he was worse so I was worried and took him to the vets. Kept in and given an IV. Bloods came back with sky high urea. Ultra sound was conducted and his pancreas was inflammed along with the surrounding tissue. His kidneys had changes including some cysts, also indicated some chronic kidney disease. Unfortunately he never improved and we had to make the decision to put him to sleep. :( I’m struggling to understand how he wanted to walk miles one day then next he was on deaths for? was the bile a symptom a few weeks ago but how does this fit in with the acute pancreatitis. Also did the cysts contribute in anyway? The vets thought he might have had some low grade kidney disease. Devastated as I thought he would live a lot longer.

Hello - and I'm sorry you've had such a hard time time.  If you wish the case to be reviewed and explained, the best people to speak to would be the vets concerned - perhaps a senior vet - who may be happy to go through the history with you and answer questions regarding the case.  It's not unusual for owners to ask for clarification after thinking things through for a few weeks and as you are looking for closure, I would firmly recommend this - it is best done, initially at least - through your vet or the senior vet at the practise.  (Because, for example, your description doesn't really explain to me how the diagnosis came to be pancreatitis.  The signs (vomiting, high urea, dehydration) and signalment (11-year-old Yorkie) fit, but without the notes I don't know your vets' findings on the bloods or exam.  Furthermore, it would be unprofessional of me to comment on another vets' treatment of the case over the internet without speaking to them for permission). In general, pancreatitis can have a chronic (niggling symptoms over a long time) or acute (sudden onset, severe, apparently-out-of-nowhere) presentation.  The main symptoms are vomiting, abdominal pain (which some dogs take great care to hide and others demonstrate in assuming a 'prayer position' that stretches the abdomen).  Vomiting dogs, particularly if they aren't very big, often present dehydrated (this can show, for instance, with a high Urea level on the blood tests).  Dehydration, acute or chronic, can lead to kidney disease.   It is possibly for cysts to obstruct the kidney's nephrons, stopping them from performing their function. I hope that your vets are able to talk over the progression of the disease with you, in order that you can understand what happened.  I'm thinking of you at this sad time.