Acute Pancreatitis

Background

Three year-old Spike was taken to the emergency vet after about twelve hours of severe diarrhea and vomiting. At first, it seemed that he might have swallowed part of a tennis ball, or ingested a large piece of rawhide. The emergency veterinarian immediately recognized that he was extremely dehydrated and admitted him immediately so that he could receive IV fluids and monitoring. X-rays were done to rule out an obstruction or ulceration. Pain relievers and antibiotics helped to alleviate Spike's symptoms. Fortunately, he was released after two days but not before the bills for his stay had reached $2,075.40.