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This website was a life savior

In 2020, I took in an Egyptian stray dog puppy – Jolie. She had a bad leg injury and we eventually had to amputate her leg. When she had just recovered, she started losing weight, having diarrhoea all the time and showing relentless appetite, eating anything that crossed her way.

Despite several visits to different vets and various medications, her situation would just not improve and she kept losing more and more weight until she only weighed 10kg.

One day, the vet told me her symptoms reminded him of another case he saw several years back, a dog that had a rare disease called EPI. I did some more research on my own and eventually came across this website, which was perfectly describing Jolie’s behavior and symptoms.

With testing for EPI not available in Egypt, I simply proceeded and ordered a box of Enzyme Powder from the US as it was my last hope anyways. And it was exactly what Jolie needed! She gained back 7kg over just two weeks and gained her energy back right away!

Ever since she is healthy and living her best life. Thinking back at the times she was sick, I remember the helplessness I felt but also the hope that I gained from this website and all the testimonials. That’s why I wanted to share my experience here as well, hoping it would help someone else to keep fighting for his or her loved one.

Ludwig

Website saved Mattie

My German shepherd was diagnosed approximately 8 months ago, and I was the one that had to figure out what was wrong with him. I had him tested the summer of 2017 and they did blood work, x-rays, stool sample and couldn’t find anything wrong with him. I was told he was just an energetic puppy. In 2018 I started doing my own research because he was skin and bones and ate nonstop, I come across this site by a description of his stool. I then took him back to the vet and ask them to test him for EPI they said they doubted that’s what he had however when the test came back it was positive. They had never had a case of it before however when I called back in to try to get some help and answers they said they’d had another case that week. They didn’t have any advice, I cried all weekend, didn’t know what I was going to do, I couldn’t afford to take care of him, I had bought one bottle of powder from the vet and was just lost on what to do. I came back out to this site and read everything I possibly could I compared all the dog foods came up with the one that was in our area that I thought I could afford and reached out to the president of this site about Diane’s enzyme. She got in touch with Diane for me and she sent me a package of enzyme powder in memory of Maggie. This has been a life saver I was so lost without this site, all my family was telling me that I had to put him down, he is only 3 years old and I just couldn’t do that. I have 3 other German shepherds, and it has been a trial to get them all to eat from their own bowls but we’ve managed. I wish I had a before picture but I didn’t take one, he is so healthy now and weighs just as much as my other dogs if not more. This website and the people involved saved my dogs life!

Debbie Repphan

Amazing

This site was mine (and my dogs) lifesaver. Remington was a healthy, happy 1 year old full blooded pittie who out of the blue started wasting away and staying sick. Almost a year passed and I had no answers. Vet’s kept saying “change his food” or “he has worms” but I knew something else was wrong. However, no amount of research could help me until 1 thing happened. He pooped, it was worse than ever, with blood and FLESH. Yes, I said flesh. Naturally, I went into panic and decided to google “Flesh in stool.” BAM! Here this website was. As soon as I started reading I knew this was what he had. I knew 100%. My vet was shocked as she had no clue that EPI could happen to pitties. Test results came back positive. Luckily, I caught it before SIBO or b-12 issues started. Remington was 37 lbs on August 27 (1 day before his 2nd birthday). I now have him on California Naturals Lamb & Brown Rice & use powdered enzymes for his food every day. He is now a happy, healthy, 60 lbs. Thanks so much!!!!!

Sarah Logan

Lifesaver

This site has literally saved our GSD’s life. Between finding out more info than my vet even knew (eg. feed 150% of diet until dog up to normal weight), referring us to enzymesdiane (without which we could not afford to treat Lucy) and giving us all the info we needed to make tasty treats for our girl, we feel her EPI is now manageable and she can have a good, long and normal life. I can’t thank you enough!

Lucy's Mom

Relief

When i first got the diagnosis that my sweet boy had EPI I couldn’t do anything but look at him and just Cry. He’s 15 months old and a beautiful German shepherd, I felt alone and just devastated on “what did I do wrong”. He’s my husband and I’s first fur baby and I couldn’t imagine “lessening his life” all I wanted was to give him what he deserves as a new EPI mom (we were diagnosed 2 weeks ago) we have started enzymes and sarge is starting to gain a few pounds back, not going to the bathroom as much as he did but we’re still haven’t the diarrhea cow patty like, slowly but surely he’s doing better day by day. As much as we don’t want our babies to have this horrific condition it’s nice to know my husband and I aren’t facing it alone, I’ve learned so much within the hour i scoped through this website. I will keep everyone posted on our journey like you all have been doing, think about us as we have another vet appointment tomorrow morning.

Victoria

So Grateful

Winter my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel age 6yrs. Started symptoms in March we went through numerous tests all clear she was losing weight just didn’t know what to do. Then I found this website she had all symptoms asked vet for cTLI test and it was positive, from my first post I have received advice and know that we are not alone in this. She was so ill, it started with a urine Infection in February a month later bad poops and losing weight this went on for five months numerous tests all clear. I went on the internet and epi4dogs came up she had all the symptoms asked for cTLI test and came back positive, I was so worried but after becoming a member I found FRIENDS who were all dealing with epi. Thanks to Olesia and all who gave me advice.

Carole Jones (UK)

So grateful

Thank you SO much for this site. It saves tons on vet bills by running in every time I have a question. It’s wonderful stuff to read everyone’s situations-all different, but all similar. The BEST!

CC

Saved my baby. Saved my life.

I have been meaning to write a thank you for over a year. My baby girl, Eva, was starving and crying and wasting away. There was no solution until someone mentioned the possibility of a rare condition and Google led me to salvation. This website was my, and my vet’s, resource for all EPI information. Neither of us had heard of it before. We quickly got medication to kill the bacteria stealing her nutrients and enzymes to help her digest her food. Thank you for Diane’s Enzymes. It was a long, hard journey but she is so happy and healthy now I can’t imagine her as she was. She got down to around 50lbs (I don’t want to look it up to rehash it, sorry) and is now 75lbs!! She was skin and bones and test after test came back negative while she cried for food even after just finishing. It took months for me to recover the sleep I lost over the month of trial and error. I now tell anyone I hear with a dog that has any one symptom, to look into EPI and help make others aware. Thank you.

Eva's Mama

Thank you

Thank you so much for this wonderful website. Our Rough Collie Lucky was sick and after reading the information on your website I was convinced that he had EPI and after convincing our vet to test for EPI it was confirmed. (A lot of tests was done before testing for EPI and our vet was convinced that it could not be EPI as he is not a german shephard) Lucky fell from 23 kg at a age of around 1 year old to 17.2 kg in a matter of weeks. Since starting treatment 2 months ago his weight is up to 19.4 kg and he is just a ball of energy. He is not gaining weight as fast as we hoped, but he is only 17 months old and he is like a energiser bunny. This wesite saved his life and I would like to thank you for the time and effort that was put into creating this website. We live in South Africa and the products and information available here is very limited.

Adele

Not alone anymore….

When we received the diagnosis of EPI, I thought “oh good, now that we know, all is well” Little did I know the ups and downs I would face. I began to feel overwhelmed and discouraged, then I found this site. I know so much more to help my pup now, and I am not alone. The giving people on this site always take the time to answer questions, and reading other’s posts help me figure things out as well. A big thank you to all who give your time and knowledge and to Olesia for taking the time to guide us along.

Riley's Mom

Thank you all a 1000 × over

This Web site was my little gypsy lea night in shining armour when I had her taken from me on the basis of neglect eg. .. starvation I research her symptoms and to my relief I could finally see the answer to our parys and she was sent home but she has had such a ruff time but I have been very blessed with so much help and support along the way and she is still here to day and we day mot better but so ooOoo much better then she was thank u all especially to those super fab epi mom’s and dad’s for sharing all your existence and tip also for helpful hints for Darnell too but most of all thank u for being here to i could get gypsy lea back home again

Jo

We wouldn’t have survived…

We can’t begin to explain how beneficial this website was and still is to us. When our poop Jade got diagnosed with EPI, we were just so overwhelmed with everything…the news and what it even meant…the growing vet bills…the cost of treatment…we thought we were going to have to give Jade away. But then we found epi4dogs.com and it was a life saver. The information it provided us and likes to products we could use that were affordable was a god sent. Most importantly its members and their advise. Without our ongoing dialog in the forum with other EPI parents, we would not be as informed as we now our. Their guidance and reassurance enables us to provide the best treatment course available for Jade. Jade is now a happy, healthy puppy once again, and a lifelong epi4dogs member and EPI survivor.! Thanks epi4dogs.com for saving our puppies life.

Sara,David and Jade

Happy Owner

MuShu, our chow has had loose stools. We have tried many different kinds of food. When giving him a bath last we saw how skinny he is. He was still a happy active dog, a voracious eater. The vet suspected it when regular tests came back. She was diagnosed less than a week later. Antibiotics were started before the diagnosis as were probiotics and a prescription diet. The next day he was diagnosed, the enzyme was order. The next day, he began to improve. I have spent many hours reading your posts. The information has helped me feel a sense of power and confidence in the diagnosis. Thank you so much. I would have felt desperate about him without all your information.

Deborah

Gave me a great dog!

I rescued Duke from a gentleman on Craigslist. Half Ridgeback, half Boxer, he was pretty thin when I went to meet him. It was in the first week I knew there was a problem with my new 4 legged baby. His stools were loose and yellow. I went through a month of cooking the ‘bland’ diet and giving him worming meds that he didn’t need (at the recommendation of the vet, eventhough he tested negative for worms and parasites). I was watching my beautiful boy waste away and sleep 23 hours a day. After doing research online, I came across this site and was shocked to see he had ALL the symptoms of EPI! My vet never mentioned it at all. I ordered the sample which has lasted 2 weeks, and in that short amount of time, my boy has gained weight and has so much energy! You’ve given me a great, loving, HEALTHY dog!! Thank you so very much!!

tiffmarie23

Huge THANKS from Slovakia!

Thanks to epi4dogs.com was my Jamie very quickly and right diagnosed, we have overtaken the time! Thanks to this great website is Jamie?s journey more easy! After confirm EPI diagnosis for Jamie I was very destroyed, I was unhappy and I didn?t knew how to help Jamie in best way 🙁 Blessed epi4dogs.com, blessed Olesia, blessed all nice friends, whom are here! THANKS THANKS THANKS from Slovakia

Kat

Relieved Mom

A huge thank you to Olesia for creating this site. Gabi would not have gotten stable without all these beautiful people & pups (& cats). We share our stories, ideas & experiences. We cry, we laugh, we make it work. Big paw hugs to you all!

Cheyrl S

Grateful Mom

When we were debating whether to adopt Drakkar in July (we were told of his condition prior), I found this website with all of the positive and supportive members. So, while we knew it would be an expensive and challenging relationship, my husband and I did go ahead and adopt Drakkar. We have had our ups and downs…and probably more to come….but we would not change our decision for anything. This “dog” has become the center of our lives, and the best friend we could hope for. We have given him a second chance, but he has given us so much more. Thank you all for the advice and support for us “newbies to EPI”!

Drakk's Mom

Mum to Eva

I have a beautiful Maltese, Eva. She will be 4 in March. In July this year she started to poo too often. After a stressful four months and lots of sleepless nights and tearful days we are finally, hopefully turning the corner. Eva had the TLI blood test as well as allergy tests which as she is also allergic to certain foods confused diagnosis for a while but she i now confirmed to having EPI. I was soooo disappointed, devastated to tell you the truth, infact I refused to believe it! After reading your forums and all the fantastic info on the website I managed to accept things an understand things better. The website as been a godsend. I could not have got Eva back to health without it. My vet has been ok but didnt know all the little things that make big differences eg incubating the enzymes, feeding 150% etc. I started reducing the feed to twice a day today and hopefully we will get some sort of life back! Along with a cuddly happy dog again. Thankyou from the bottom of my heart. Not only has the site been so helpful to me to refer to and keep me sane in the last four to five months but tonight when I wanted to ask about spaying Eva I mailed Olesia and she replied to me within an hour! You are an angel in disguise Olesia, i would have felt soooo alone without you site and precise info. Eva sends you a big Scottish healthy wet kiss! X

Sandra & Eva

Thank you epi4dogs

One year ago I found this site by listing all my dogs symptoms on a google search. After reading your good advice and testimonials, I had my vet do both the TLI and the Cobalamine tests on Frodo after he was already half his weight and dying on me. Believe it or not my profile picture was taken a couple of weeks after he was diagnosed with EPI. He is so furry you could only tell he was all bones by touching him. Today I was trying on his Halloween costume (the very same cape) and it didn’t fit anymore!!! I’m so grateful to all of you EPI mom’s and pop’s for helping me to manage Frodo’s EPI even if I have not participated in forums or shared my story, you are always here for support (every time I start to write I end up crying so hard I have to stop). Today Frodo weighs his ideal 10 pounds and its all because of you!!!

Frodo's Mom

EPI symptoms but no positive test

I became aware of your EPI4Dogs website when my rat terrier, Jack, was ill. Although he ultimately tested negative for EPI, he has many of the symptoms, and his vet and I have been able to successfully manage his absorption and diarrhea problems and bring his weight up with the same treatments that seem to work for EPI. Olesia is going to post Jack?s Primal Frozen diet on the food page, so I won?t copy it here. But I wanted to say thanks so much for this website. Whatever Jack has, following the guidelines on your site has turned him around, and I’m so grateful. He is up from 10.7 pounds (the vet wanted him at 14) to 15 pounds and down from eating 12 ounces a day to 9 ounces. The day he gained enough weight that I had to buy him the next size up collar (and he’s still a slim dog) was one of the happiest days I’ve had since he got sick. And I really don’t miss haven’t to bring latex gloves and paper towels on his walks to clean up the poop.

Jayden H

Encouragement To All

Hello to everyone, I know it can be very overwhelming when your animal has been diagnosed with EPI, I know I was! GSD Orion was diagnosed Fall of 2011 and I was so scared. He was so so thin and lifeless and didn’t know what to do, but I knew I had to look for more information and answers. I finally found this wonderful forum and information on products that were good quality and affordable. I have been given so much support and advice to get started, I soaked it up like a sponge. Everyone said to keep a journal and they were soooo right. It helps to be able to see your progress, what worked and didn’t work. Orion is doing great, he has gained 23lbs so far since January of 2012. I’ve learned so much and it’s something you can manage and you have help from all of these wonderful members! Warm Regards, 

Patty and Orion

The only place

When a child is sick, there is limited things you can do. They can’t tell you where it hurts or what’s wrong. The days before Kobe’s diagnosis of EPI were filled with fear, worry, sleepless nights and expecting the worst. Once the results came back, I didn’t feel much more secure.. Until I found this website & forum. There is little known about EPI in Australia. Everything that could go wrong, did. With the help of the amazing, selfless people across the globe, I was able to get on the right track and become more knowledgable than my vet. To say this site is a life saver would be an understatement. I have no doubt it helped save Kobe’s life, and stopped Brandi and I having a broken heart. Thank you Olesia, the EPI family you’ve created and continually foster is truly amazing.

Samantha

A great resource!

When Cedar was having difficulty and quickly wasting away before my eyes, my vet mentioned EPI and I searched the internet right away and found this site. Based on the information on here, I called our vet back and asked for Cedar to be tested the next day Our vet wasn’t overly familiar with EPI and the site has helped me to help him; we have a great partnership. We were able to get the proper testing done right away and to start Cedar on enzymes before we even got the results back that confirmed she did have EPI. The combination of the scientific information and the lived experience of people from around the world managing their EPI dogs that is available on this site makes it a very precious resource and a support to great partnerships such as the one we have with our vet. Bottom line…this site saves dogs’ lives! Thank you for helping us save Cedar.

Cedar's Mom, Barb

Thanks

We want to thank all the people who have give us already advise in just a short period. Hopefully we can say in a short time everthings goes right. We are glad these site is on the internet for al kinds of help. Thanks again!

Anita

Thrilled

I am so very thankful for this website, forum, and its members. I truly don’t know where I would be without the knowledge and advice I’ve gained since becoming a member. Every time I see my dog, Pepper run, play and wag her tail, I send a silent prayer of thanks for epi4dogs.com. The knowledge gained here is second to none, and the people are sympathetic, understanding and want nothing more than to see a picture of your dog’s healthy poop. Nowhere else can you find a community like that!

Pepper's Momma

Grateful family member

not sure where we would be today without this forum this has been a journey of faith and learning and i have found friends alomg the way to share the good and bad times with thank you Olesia for founding EPI4DOGS and giving so much hope to all of us alll over the world.

Jean & Kara

Forever grateful

Although my EPI girl is no longer with us, I will be forever grateful to Olesia & everyone here on epi4dogs who helped me every step of the way. Whenever we had a problem, we found answers here & lots of support as well as friendship. I would highly recommend this site to anyone whose dog has been diagnosed with EPI, or to anyone who might suspect their dog could have EPI.

Lynn

Great information and current research

As Kodi became our 2nd EPI dog, I was really I was searching for more information about EPI and came across this site. It has so much research and information that I wish I had known for our other EPI girl , Sadie. Even our current vet is very impressed with this forum. Many thanks to Olesia and the members of epi4dogs for your continued support and valuable advice.

Dar

Grateful EPI Mom

When I inherited Pixie from my mother-in-law, I was very nervous about managing her EPI. She had already been diagnosed, but as my m-i-l’s health deteriorated, apparently Pixie’s did, too. She was a skinny minny 11.2 lbs. when we got her. I was really afraid she would die before we could figure this out. Then I found this site and started to feel better. It was nice to hear people say that yes, it’s tricky at first, but it’s doable! Between all the great advice I got on here and the expertise of Pixie’s vet (who was also receptive to learning more and trying new things – yeah!), she’s now a healthy, happy 18.6 lb. cutie pie! She’s also training in Rally-O and agility, and having a wonderful time! I feel extremely fortunate to have such a wonderful group of people to go to for advice and support.

Shirl

Support & Comfort

When I found out Addie had EPI, I was really panicked & scared. Luckily, we found this site right away and a wonderful, caring group of people welcomed us with open arms. They answered question after question & helped me get my girl back on the right track. Now she is healthy & stable. It’s so nice to have this “family” of support.

Kelli & Addie

One Satisfied Customer…

To say I am “satisfied” is an understatement. Thank you for putting this site together, for collecting the valuable information and the willingness to share. At a time when I was frantic about having an EPI dog – thinking she may die – I came across your site Olesia and you and all the beautiful people here helped save her life. I am forever grateful for the information, the compassion and the love I have received here. As you know – because of this site, I opened my home to a second EPI dog, with full confidence he would be well – and he is! Thank you to you and all the people of this forum – even those who have written the article and information which are a valuable resource of this site – they have allowed us to have healthy dogs and cats! With much gratitude, 

Michele, Jackie and Dexter

It’s a family

My dog, Maya, was diagnosed with EPI in October 2010. We embarked on our EPI journey with the advice and support of the wonderful people on this forum. Maya has gained back the 15 lbs she had lost before diagnosis, and then some! She is now the picture of health! But it’s always nice to know that this family is here for support and advice.

Paula

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