EPI * Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency

Hi

our gsd tara seems to pant alot and can only sustain gentle exercise for 20-30mins is this normal ? ?

she is 15 months old and weighs 31kg

thanks

Hello Robert,

I saw in your other post that Tara had lung xrays which have been sent off to a specialist.  Most GSDs when they lay down will curl up or stretch out on their side.  If they start to lay straight down in a more sphinx type position it can sometimes mean lung problems, like fluid buildup.  Have you noticed any difference in how she is laying?  I don't want to alarm you but wanted to mention it just in case, especially with your newest post now. 

Hi Becky

no most of the time she lays flat on her side or curled up like a salmon but she has done this since a pup

dont worry i would always prefer to know than not know

thanks bob

OH GOOD!  Probably not an emergency situation then.  Well, I would  maybe try to limit her exercise until you hear back from the specialist on the lung xray.

While EPI dogs are being stabilized their bodies are trying to soak up the nutrients they have been lacking.  As such they might not always have the same stamina initially as a 100% healthy dog and this could be all that you are noticing with her tiring out easily. 

Excessive Panting always warrants evaluating the heart. My Susie panted way more than normal when she first got on the enzymes but even once stable the panting continued but once she was put on heart meds it stopped even with the real hot weather we are having no excessive panting which is a good test.

Hope it is not but I have found even with my cat care business any excessive panting with no real cause is almost always a heart condition. Suppose it would be the same with dogs?

Pharaoh who is a Shiloh Shepherd (related to GSD) has always panted a lot.  Since her half sister has mitral valve dysplasia they have listened closely to his heart and found no problems.  He is able to tolerate a fair amount of exercise.  He pants whether it is hot, cold, resting, whatever.  He is 2 1/2 and done this since he was a puppy.  I used to worry about it but our vet said some dogs are like this.  Hopefully there will be nothing to be concerned about with your pup!

HI Robert ~ i don't have any personal expereince to share with you  except that my EPi gal pantsa lot too.... but in her case ti is because she has the thickest coat of hair and just gets hot easily.....

Please keep us posted on wht the tests reveals and will be keeping paws and fingers crossed hoping that this is just Tara's system and that nothing is wrong.............

Hi Robert,

You say she is panting a lot and has low energy.  What is her B12 level?    If it is below mid range it can cause issues and should be addressed as soon as possible.   Is she currently receiving B12?

Something to consider.

thanks

i dont know her b12 level but she had another b12 injection last friday

bob

Hi Bob,

I don't know the history here and this may not be the proper avenue to pursue but if her B12 levels are way low that can account for the lack of energy.  If you can supply what her last B12 level was and when and how frequently you are giving the injections and at what strength/amount it would give us a better idea.  Once a month injections were not enough to maintain my dog for adequate B12. 

But again, I don't know the full story here, am coming in at a latter point so this may be moot.

Panting alone may be a heavy coat... Razzy has a coat you could lose the postman in and she does pant when its hot.

With low energy it could well be B12... its def worth a check.

Hi Robert,

Has the panting been for a while or just during this rather hot spell.

I agree with others low energy could also indicate B12 deficiency.  I've had personal experience with animals and humans with low B12  and the difference a course of B12 made is unbelieveable.

Normal protocol for B12 injections is

1 x injection once a week for 6 weeks

followed by

1 x injection once every two weeks for  6 weeks

then

1 per month at which point a marker blood test would be beneficial at that point.  Any excess B12 is pee'd out anyway so it doesn't do any harm.

Hi Robert...

Checking in on you and Tara and wondering if things are improving slightly after the B12 shot.

AK GSD at July 10, 2010 at 5:06 PM

OH GOOD!  Probably not an emergency situation then.  Well, I would  maybe try to limit her exercise until you hear back from the specialist on the lung xray.

 

While EPI dogs are being stabilized their bodies are trying to soak up the nutrients they have been lacking.  As such they might not always have the same stamina initially as a 100% healthy dog and this could be all that you are noticing with her tiring out easily. 

HELLO,  I READ YOUR ISSUE ON EXCESSIVE PANTING SO I THOUGHT I WOULD LET YOU KNOW ABOUT A CONDITION CALLED LARYNGEAL PARALYSIS WHICH MY PORTUGUESE WATER DOG JENAMAE HAD. SHE STILL LIVED TO BE 15 YEARS 3 MONTHS WITH LARYNGEAL PARALYSIS.   IT'S ALL ABOUT THE DOG GETTING TOO WARM/HOT AND THEIR BODY CAN'T DO THE WORK ANYMORE TO PANT AND COOL THEMSELVES DOWN BECAUSE THE LARANAX FLAPS ARE LOOSE AND DON'T DO THEIR JOB..  WHEN THE PANTING OCCURS IT'S BEST TO GET THEM TO A COOL PLACE INSIDE OR WATER TO SWIM IN AND THE PANTING IMMEDIATELY GOES AWAY.  YOU CAN ALSO GO ONLINE TO UPCO.COM AND DO A SEARCH FOR ''COOL BED III'' WHICH IS A DOGGIE WATER BED WHICH DRAWS THE DOGS BODY TEMPERATURE BACK TO NORMAL WITHING MINUTES.  I'VE OWNED A COOL BED III FOR OVER 25 YEARS AND HAVE TWO SET UP IN MY HOUSE ON THE TILE AND HARDWOOD FLOORS.  THE DOGGIE WATER BED DOES NOT WORK ON A CARPET AS YOU NEED TO LAY IT ON A COOL SURFACE BECAUSE IT TAKES ON THE TEMPERATURE OF THE FLOOR.   YOU CAN DO A SEARCH ONLINE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS CONDITION. GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR LOVE BUG.   WARM WISHES, BETTY & SUGAR

 KANSAS HAS CANINE LARYNGEAL PARALYSIS

On February 15, 1998, my almost 12 year old Kansas started frequent, excessive and hard edged panting along with throat clearing that sounded a lot like the honking of a goose. I will try and describe the panting and "honking" so that you will be able to see the difference between what is normal and what is not. This is hard to do without benefit of sound but I will try my best. The panting can happen at anytime, not just when she is hot or has been exercising. When she inhales there is a "harsh edge" sound to, similar to the wheeze of an asthmatic. This panting is more pronounced and prolonged when she is excited or stressed. The "honking can also happen at any time and sounds something like a loud "HRRRAAACH". This clearing can be a one time deal or can be repeated. These episodes did not last very long but were noticeable enough for me to start keeping a log and to keep a close eye on her. I went to my books as well as the Internet to try and find some answers. The pickings were slim but I finally found one small paragraph that mentioned Laryngeal Paralysis, it sounded like it just might be a fit. About a week later I had a Veterinarian who was helping her brother with his puppy search come to my home. When she heard Kansas pant she said "laryngeal paralysis" once again leading me in the direction of that diagnosis. I then went to my two Labrador Email lists and asked if anyone had information that might be helpful. Once again the responses I got confirmed what I feared. I also learned that there is an LP (Laryngeal Paralysis) email list so I subscribed to it.

Thansk Betty so much for posting this VERY useful (and intersting) information!!!