New here - meet Johnny!

Epi4Dogs Foundation Inc.’s mission is the advancement of science and education relating to EPI (Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency), yielding useful insights and positive outcomes in better managing EPI in dogs and cats. Our goals are to support and/or collaborate with veterinary EPI research and researchers, and to promote EPI awareness by educating the general public, pet owners, pet organizations, rescue and shelter organizations, veterinary schools and veterinarians.
Barb
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Posts: 918
Country: United States
State: New Jersey

Re: New here - meet Johnny!

Post by Barb » 30 Jun 2021, 21:30

MacKenzie, this is such a great update. Johnny looks absolutely wonderful. He and you are testimony to the fact that dogs with EPI can live normal lives and can do anything they enjoy and want to do. Keep telling his story. It illustrates so well what Emily Dickinson wrote : "We never know how high we are till we are called to rise." You and Johnny have shown us that this is true for dogs with EPI, too.

Barb

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Johnnycake
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Posts: 51
Country: United States
State: Texas
Pet name: Johnny
My name: MacKenzie

Re: New here - meet Johnny!

Post by Johnnycake » 13 Jul 2021, 07:47

Thank you all so much for your support! We wouldn't have gotten here without you guys!

Johnny has great manners when he's working but he knows there are certain times he's off duty and takes advantage of it... for example yesterday morning he swiped two whole pork chops off the counter and ate them both before I even had an inkling - and stored a third one between the couch cushions! That was fun to find... :oops:

Somehow, we've only had perfect poops since then...? Fingers crossed this means we won't be having any diarrhea... I can't hardly believe it but he does typically do well with pork...

We also went on a hike this past weekend and he well and truly tuckered himself out! Got me thinking about his first month at home when he couldn't even go on a ten minute walk down the street. Back then I really held onto the encouragement that he would be just as active as any dog once he was stable and you guys were 100% right!

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Jean
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Posts: 1707
Location: South Liverpool
Country: United Kingdom - England
Pet name: Kara, lost 10th May 2019
My name: Jean

Re: New here - meet Johnny!

Post by Jean » 13 Jul 2021, 10:16

He is having a ball , and learning all the way

we have had EPI service dogs here before, one was a guide dog, and fabulous, you can see the St Bernard in him with the colouring, and the other mixes are there too

I am so pleased he has given you so much pleasure and independance, it makes life so much easier, and fun at the same time, why do people think he is disabled , maybe get a harness label explaining he has EPI, not disabled , as Enzmye Diane is she has any bandanas left , but people are ignorant and need to be taught ! I know when Kara was very thin we had to put a t shirt on her to stop people wanting to report me to RSPCA, it gets to you

the bringing up white flegm is an empty stomach, we used to give Kara scrambled egg and mashed potato just before bed to get her through the night, all enzymes of course

so chin up and walk away love the pic in the car


Jeanxxxxxx
My name is Jean we live in Liverpool in Uk

I am the Forum Director which I am very proud of

My Kara born 21 July 2009 diagnosed with EPI by cTLI test August 2010 TLI = <1...folate 14 Cobalamin 408, shot down to 94, b12 injections every other day

Lowest weight 39 pounds

We used Panzym enzymes, Tylan and Chemeyes b12 capsules

Sadly, on 10th May 2019, we lost her to DM


Jeanx

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Olesia711
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Posts: 3843
Location: North Carolina
Country: United States
State: North Carolina
Pet name: Izzy
My name: olesia

Re: New here - meet Johnny!

Post by Olesia711 » 13 Jul 2021, 10:44

Oh WOW!!!! what a nice report of a typical day in the life of an EPI dog..... sounds like he REALLY enjoyed that pork chop :) And glad he didn't have loose stools from it..... yet.............

Great pictures of Johnny too... he sure looks mighty happy. And i am glad you posted these picture because for so many when they first get the EPI dog diagnosed...it is hard for them to imagine that in the future their EPI dog will be feeling and looking good!!!!!!!
Olesia, was owned by Izzy, a 35lb Spanish Water Dog (SWD), Diagnosed at 1.5 years old - TLI results 1.. Izzy passed away on February 13, 2020 at 15 years old. She lived with EPI for 13+1/2 years. It was because of Izzy that Epi4Dogs was started... she was the inspiration. May her legacy of helping others with EPI continue for as long as needed.........

Barb
Staff
Posts: 918
Country: United States
State: New Jersey

Re: New here - meet Johnny!

Post by Barb » 14 Jul 2021, 20:29

What a handsome boy! He is having the time of his life.......especially with those pork chops. Fingers crossed that there are no ill effects. He just wanted to show you he is a normal dog. LOL.

The pictures are just great. He is a charmer. I love the one in the car.

Barb

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Johnnycake
Member
Posts: 51
Country: United States
State: Texas
Pet name: Johnny
My name: MacKenzie

Re: New here - meet Johnny!

Post by Johnnycake » 15 Jul 2021, 09:36

Thought you guys might laugh at this like I did! Tried on Johnny's first harness today, but he's outgrown it for sure! It won't even go over his head now!!! He's still filling out and gaining more muscle (with his St. Bernard genes I wouldn't be surprised if he keeps growing for another year or two). I can't really look at him as a big dog cause he's still that gentle, goofy puppy in my eyes but I guess he is one now, huh :lol:

Thank you guys for all your support! There's so much negativity in other groups nowadays (not EPi groups, just in general, like a lot of the working dog or reptile ones I am a member of). I really appreciate all the positivity here.

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Olesia711
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Posts: 3843
Location: North Carolina
Country: United States
State: North Carolina
Pet name: Izzy
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Re: New here - meet Johnny!

Post by Olesia711 » 15 Jul 2021, 11:27

read your post and saw the pictures..... OMG..... i laughed so hard. And i can relate. I trained one of my dogs in Search and Rescue.... well, i started when he was a wee pup.... and then i was a little behind in upgrading his training vest to a larger size when he grew .... needless to say, my friends and co-workers laughed at me cause poor Rico had outgrown his vest and looked quite ridiculous in the too small size..................

Oh... and thanks for the nice comment about our group. We have some really great people as members on Epi4Dogs! It is probably one of the nicest groupsi have ever come across. Many of us feel like Epi4Dogs is our online family :)
Olesia, was owned by Izzy, a 35lb Spanish Water Dog (SWD), Diagnosed at 1.5 years old - TLI results 1.. Izzy passed away on February 13, 2020 at 15 years old. She lived with EPI for 13+1/2 years. It was because of Izzy that Epi4Dogs was started... she was the inspiration. May her legacy of helping others with EPI continue for as long as needed.........

Tuckaboo Pam
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Posts: 1335
Country: United States
State: Florida
Pet name: Tucker
My name: Pam H.

Re: New here - meet Johnny!

Post by Tuckaboo Pam » 15 Jul 2021, 14:28

This is hilarious. I love big dogs!---Pam
Tucker was a shepherd/lab mix--- TLI 1.3, Folate 9.7, Cobalamin 666, Lipase 38. Took Diane's Enzymes 4 teaspoons/day, Wonderlabs B12 one capsule per day, and Tylan 1/16 teaspoon/ morning (to hold SID at bay). Taste of the Wild High Prairie, 1 1/2 cups/day, with a total of 4 cups of Fresh Pet. Stopped eating everything in sight, and went from 60 to 85 pounds! Tucker was my boyfriend, and my husband was OK with that. Tucker succumbed to hemangiosarcoma, but we cherished every day we had with that wonderful, beautiful boy. I will always, always miss my sweet big boy.

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Johnnycake
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Posts: 51
Country: United States
State: Texas
Pet name: Johnny
My name: MacKenzie

Re: New here - meet Johnny!

Post by Johnnycake » 02 Aug 2021, 15:36

Hi guys! I am back with another question, this one having to do with B12. Has anyone ever observed differing symptoms of low B12 depending on what form of B12 they are using? For example when Johnny was on oral B12, if he missed a day he would only display symptoms related to appetite - acting ravenous, whining for more food after meals, that sort of thing. Now that he is on B12 injections, I can tell if I need to give him his injection sooner (usually it is every 7 days) because he will start to act slightly anxious, and that goes away entirely once he gets the B12. No whining for food or acting starving since we switched over, either.

In both cases, his B12 numbers have been good - he tested at >1000 I think it was, when we tested him a few months ago. We switched to the B12 injections primarily because we would go through the oral B12 super fast - compared to what I usually see from other people, he needed 8-10 capsules daily to maintain his levels. He didn't really like consuming that much (either in capsules or sprinkled on his food) and it also ended up being a lot more expensive than the injections (in his case). I think for whatever reason he just consumes B12 really fast because he often needs his injection around 5 days instead of 7. If I give him the injection every five days or so, no anxiety. He was on trazodone for anxiety when I first adopted him and had horrible separation anxiety, but I wonder now how much of that had to do with his B12 levels.

It's something I was going to ask his vet about when he goes in for his yearly vaccinations but I was just curious if anyone else has observed anything similar?

Also a non-related update: he hit 80 pounds this week!!! Still a growing boy, haha.

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Olesia711
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Posts: 3843
Location: North Carolina
Country: United States
State: North Carolina
Pet name: Izzy
My name: olesia

Re: New here - meet Johnny!

Post by Olesia711 » 03 Aug 2021, 12:33

MacKenzie,

First let me congratulate you on getting Johnny up to 80 lbs... WOW!!!! that is AWESOME! You are obviously doing a great job caring for Johnny!!!!

Now, thanks for asking this... but..... when reading your post, my eyes popped out when i read that you are giving him 8 to 10 B12 capsules a day??????

Is this correct, or is it a typo.....And are you referring to the Wonderlabs Pet Factor B12 capsules?

This is way, WAY, WAY too much! YIKES! For an 80 lb dog he should have only been taking 1 to 2 capsules a day.

But, if he is responding better to the B12 injections.... i would definitely continue with the injections and do not go back to the oral tabs..... if you had to use that much oral, then that means the oral pills, whatever brand .....was not working for him.

Now, to answer your question, to date, no one has ever mentioned different symptoms between oral vs. injectable when not enough B12 was given . Interesting!
Olesia, was owned by Izzy, a 35lb Spanish Water Dog (SWD), Diagnosed at 1.5 years old - TLI results 1.. Izzy passed away on February 13, 2020 at 15 years old. She lived with EPI for 13+1/2 years. It was because of Izzy that Epi4Dogs was started... she was the inspiration. May her legacy of helping others with EPI continue for as long as needed.........

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