Ate Junk Food- Your dog or cat raided the trash, Ate Dropped Food, Stole food off the table or from a toddler.
What we will do
- Gather Historical Data: It is important to know how long ago the trash/stolen food was eaten and if any symptoms have started. Some food is high in fat and can cause GI upset or worse, pancreatitis. Some food is toxic and can cause life threatening illness.
- Gather Current Data: We will perform a thorough physical examination and, in many cases, get baseline bloodwork. Even in situations where the patient ate the food, but seems to be fine, baseline bloodwork is an outstanding tool to use for comparison later in case symptoms develop. In addition, sometimes bloodwork can alert us to changes that can at times predict the onset of symptoms. Some lab values change in hours. A pancreatitis test is often recommended to help gauge the severity of illness when patients are vomiting or have abdominal discomfort.
- Treatment: Many of these patients do well with outpatient treatment. This may include subcutaneous fluids, an injection to reduce nausea, prescription food, probiotics, and antidiarrhea medications. Patients who cannot nourish themselves (cannot eat/drink without vomiting it back up) are generally hospitalized and receive intravenous fluids and medication. Some patients have abdominal pain and benefit from pain medication while hospitalized. For information about patients that ingested a toxin, see below.