Feeding After Splenic Torsion And Removal

[Kavik]

Diesel had splenic and stomach torsion on Christmas Eve which led to surgery to remove his spleen and tacking his stomach to his abdominal wall. After the surgery the vet said he had to change foods from Advance to Eukanuba Intestinal Plus (formerly Low Residue). Besides being expensive, Diesel has also lost a lot of weight and I have doubled the amount of food I am giving him to try to get his weight back up (the food is like air ). So I am struggling with this and trying to find out what else I can feed him. The vet has suggested I might be able to add beef mince if he can handle that. Diesel has always needed a lot more food than my other dogs to keep condition, before the surgery he was getting about 6 times as much food as KAos, now he is getting 12 times as much! I am splitting his food into 3 (vet suggested 3 x daily feeding).

[Guest Ams]

If you are looking to put weight back on ask the vet if you can feed Hills AD cans or Royal Canin Recovery. Both are really calorie dense food that looks like mousse and are designed for this situation where a dog cannot take a lot of food but needs lots of calories.

[OSoSwift]

I had a bitch with GDv & GD surgery 3 times. She was fed chicken and white rice in slight increasin portions until areound 2 weeks after her surgery - I think it was a while ago. Then slowly back onto her normal diet. I was told never to feed her more than 3 cups per meal, I fed her around 2 and a half and slightly soaked the food to stop her gulping it quite so much.

All dogs were fed twice daily before and after surgery.

She was on science diet energy or wsomething like that but after her last surgery ended upw ith some digestion issues and the only food she could eat was Eukanuba fish and potato.

I would trya dn eventually get him onto a more concentrated food so he needs to eat less eventually.

[Kavik]

I would love to be able to get him on a more concentrated food eventually, as the amount I may have to feed once I figure out the optimum for him may be enormous, but the vet said he would like Diesel on it for the rest of his life

[Guest Ams]

A lass at work had a GSD with torsion and she was told to feed him puppy porridge for ages afterwards to help him get the weight back on.

[Danois]

I fed porridge after a gastropexy. Made it with water in the microwave and then cooled it down and made it runnier with rice milk.

[TigerJack]

Try Satin Balls. They are very calory dense in a small meatball sized serving. I used them successfully to put weight on my Malinois cross when he got scrawny. He was a big chested do too so I didn't want to risk bloat and just feed bulk kibble.

I have a recipe if you want me to send it to you.

Jo

[dasha]

Splenic torsion adds a new element to the gastric torsion.

Given it is only weeks after his MAJOR ABDOMINAL surgery, I would be following the vets directions very closely.

Calorie dense food would be too rich for his guts right now. And my be for some months.

Yes he may loose weight and his diet may be forever changed and his management for life might be a big deal. Thats dogs.

In a few months, a new management plan may be able to arranged. But until then, he may very well need 12 times as much food as the dogs half his size. So be it.

Have you tried adding the mince yet? How is he handling it?

Sorry to hear that he had such a terrible emergency over a busy time. I hope he improves quickly for you.

You need to consult with your vets regarding his future feeding habits. They are the ones that saw what he was like on the inside. THey are the ones that understand how the spleen affects things as well as the gastric torsion etc. They are the ones to ask but it may be a while till he is ready for anything other than Euk Low residue. I know some other dogs that have to be on it for life........... shame, yes but if it means they can be as healthy as possible, its worth it

[Kavik]

It was a pretty awful time of year to have such a scare and emergency, though it had a better outcome than the vet initially thought - they initally thought splenic tumour and were worried about multiple tumours, so I am just glad it was something else and that he is still here with me.

I haven't had a chance to get the mince yet - will get it tomorrow when we do shopping and try it then. I'm not so much worried about having to change his diet, more about him losing weight, poor bugger seems to always be in the wars with his skin problems as well . I know the main concern is around food, so am now worried that since I am having to feed him so much 3 times a day instead of once or twice a day, that it is 3 times more I have to worry about a problem, dunno it just seems almost counterintuitive to have to do it this way. I just want him to be and look well again. I guess as he is now 9 years old and has several health problems it may be asking a bit much to expect him to look really well.

Edited January 9, 2013 by Kavik

[OSoSwift]

I understand fully how you feel. You end up feeling like every meal is a potential disater and you watch them like a hawk and worry about them after every meal.

That is a big part of why I would never have another Dobe. 3 times was the end of me and my shattered nerves.

I would have a chat to your vet and see if there is another food you can try or maybe if there is something he can suggest.