EPI * Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency

Hello all,

My question is how long before our girl can be dropped down on her enzyme intake?  She is getting 1 Tb. for every 1 C of food, 4 times a day.  When she will be able to go down should she be feed more at each meal time?  Lowered when she is up on her weight?

Thank you,

Hi Cam.  Some dogs can never go down, some can.  Once stable, about a month of good poops, etc, you can try lowering about 1/8 tsp at a time, wait 3-5 days, and see the results.  If good, you can then try again.  Just wait and see, you will know when you are at your lowest possible dose.  It's all about the outcome.

Also I was curious if I might be able to notice when she puts on a little weight?  MAtou's Daddy workds a lot and we only have one wehicle so I have not been able to get her to the vet or pet'smart and onto a scale.

At first she looked happy and she seemed to have more energy but is sleeping a lot again.  And she started growling at the cat's anytime they are near her food when she is eating, is that just a hungry dog thing, could she need to be feed five times a day?

On another note, I would like to thank everyone for all the advice and help and say that I would be lost with out this sight. 

Thank you,

This is just my experience:  Buddy Lee did fine on 1/4 tsp Viokase to 1/4 cup of food.  Then I dropped his food to 1/8 cup, with 1/8 tsp Vio and fed him more often..... that worked well for us for about a year.  Suddenly he started losing weight, something he has very little to spare of.  He developed yet another bout of SIBO, which required more antibiotics and upping his B12, along with his Viokase.  Now he gets 1/4 tsp per 1/8 cup of food.  He *seems* to be doing ok........but we also just switched to generic enzymes so he's a little on the vurpy side.  We will wait and see what happens.  We may need to make other adjustments.  He also has refused to go walking with us.........so I suspect something is up.

Hi Cam,

How is her B12 level?  The tiredness and irritability sound like low B12.  Has it been tested recently?

We have not lowered Kolby's enzymes yet. (since May). He is taking 1 tsp. per cup of food.   We  were waiting for weight gain, which has been increasing slowly and steadily.  He reached the first goal of 70 pounds about 2 weeks ago.   Actually, last week he hit 71. So we are very happy about that.  And yes, we could see his ribs filling out, but we didn't quite trust ourselves, so we were taking him in for a weekly weigh-in.   We are going to test his B12  again on Monday.  He seems energetic, but we want to know his level after 5 weeks of being off the B12. We want to know if it is holding.

Barb

just checking - are you measuring by teaspoons or tablespoons?

Hi Cam,

I have never been able to lower Partner's enzymes. His poops get bad very quickly.

I notice changes anytime his B12 is off or the twice that he's had SIBO.

Good luck on the weight gain.

Ann & Partner-Melrose, MA. USA

Hi Cam,

I was able to lower the dosage of enzymes but it was after I was positive Jackie was stable and putting on weight.   It was probably a good several months after I finally found her right balance (food, enzymes, B12) - then and only then did I even consider lowering the enzymes.   I would take it back 1/8 tsp at a time and I am happy to report that today she went from 4 tsp per meal (4c food also) to 1 tsp enzyme per 4c food.   

It is all a trial and error to get things spot on.

I could never lower Razzy's enzymes... then after a year she was back to the symptoms and I had to raise the enzymes a touch on the understanding that her natural enzyme production had ceased altogether.

One thing I learned though... every different kind of food required a slight re-balance of enzyme amount.

Kibble needed most... like 2 capsules (about 2 level teaspoons of 6x strength) to 7ozs of kibble weighed then soaked

Raw needed less like 1.5 capsules (1 and 1/2 level teaspoons 6x strength) to 12 oz of raw diet.

I haven't tried tinned except to put a spoonful in her meal when she gets fussy.

It also depends on the strength of the enzyme ... I also use an enteric enzyme that is one capsule to about one level teaspoon of 8x strength.

The same food as above requires

5oz kibble weighed then soaked to one capsule of enteric(about one level teaspoon x8 eight)

12 oz raw diet to one capsule of enteric (about one level teaspoon of x8 )

For me as long as the poop is great I don't tinker with the enzyme amount.

If there is tiredness and agrivating behaviour... then the others are right it could be B12 or SIBO.... but if the poops are off it could be you need to help the digestion with 1/8th of a level teaspoon MORE or LESS.... you ARE measuring by the TEASPOON because a tablespoon is FAR to much.... and tinned food contains a lot of water so needs a bit LESS enzyme than feeding kibble.... too much enzyme is as bad as too little... !

Val