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.
Tuckaboo Pam
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Posts: 1345
Country: United States
State: Florida
Pet name: Tucker
My name: Pam H.

Re: New here - meet Johnny!

Post by Tuckaboo Pam » 14 Jan 2021, 13:46

Hi Eve! Your comment says only one post & I don't recognize your name, so I think you may be new. I just wanted to say there are suggestions on the site for even cheaper options for enzymes, called EnzymeDiane, and I've used them successfully for over a year(I'd say many, many of us in the forum use them). You are welcome to start your own thread, if you want others to pitch in and help you with ideas about the doggy gas, etc. It's lethal! Take care, and we hope to hear from you again!----Pam & Tucker
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 » 21 Jan 2021, 11:20

Just wanted to pop in real quick to say thank you guys for the recommendations for the Wonder Labs B12 and the Proviable! Johnny's been on both for a little over a week now and there's already been a hugely noticeable difference.

No more gas or stomach rumbles, poops much less stinky; behaviorally he's not acting like he's starving anywhere near as much and he seems a bit more settled just in general.

Taking him back in for a follow up appointment with his vet soon - definitely still have a ways to go but I feel like this is definitely progress in the right direction!

Thank you!!!

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

Re: New here - meet Johnny!

Post by Olesia711 » 21 Jan 2021, 15:09

You are very welcome and please continue to keep us posted on handsome Johnny !!!!
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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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 » 26 Jan 2021, 09:04

Maybe a silly question, but is it possible to over-incubate food with the enzymes?

I increased the time I was incubating the food because I was worried about mouth sores (I haven’t seen any signs of them, but I was only incubating the food for 10-15 minutes), and Johnny’s had some pretty mushy poops since then.

I haven’t really changed anything else aside from changing the time I’m incubating the food (20-40 minutes depending, I don’t incubate the canned food for as long as the kibble usually).

Otherwise he’s still doing great! Enjoying all the snow we’ve had lately! You guys were right, he’s perked up so much these past few weeks!
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GabandSam
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Posts: 12
Location: Park City, Utah
Country: United States
State: Utah
Pet name: Richie Robison
My name: Gabi or Sam

Re: New here - meet Johnny!

Post by GabandSam » 26 Jan 2021, 11:27

Hi there! Ok, Johnny you are cute! Im sure Richie would love to run around and try to eat gross dead animals together. haha!!

I have read your thread and am also curious about over incubating food. EPI is such a fickle thing...!

Anyways, thanks for asking great questions and helping myself better understand EPI.

-Gabi and Richie boy
Richie is a 5yo schnoodle(3/4poodle 1/4 schnauzer)

Diagnoses with EPI Nov. 2020. Lowest weight was 8lb. Normal weight 12-13 lbs.

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

Re: New here - meet Johnny!

Post by Barb » 26 Jan 2021, 14:20

Our Bridge German Shepherd, Kolby, did have trouble with mouth sores at the beginning, so we were incubating even longer than normal for a time period. At one point, we were at 45 minutes plus, and we added more water to his kibble. Eventually, the sores went away and we could begin to decrease the time of incubation. The reason you don't want to incubate too long is to prevent bacteria from forming. I have to say we never had a problem with that happening, but just keep it in . I think your 20 to 40 minutes is in range, though.

He sure is a sweetie.

Barb

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Olesia711
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Posts: 3857
Location: North Carolina
Country: United States
State: North Carolina
Pet name: Izzy
My name: olesia

Re: New here - meet Johnny!

Post by Olesia711 » 26 Jan 2021, 19:18

is everything still incubating at normal room temp (not heated or not allowed to get too cold (like refrigeration cold) ?

I have not heard of enzymes incubated for 20 to 40 minutes affecting the poo and making it go "mushy".... but i have also learned never to say never.

That being said.... this could be SID getting a little out of control... how many days has this been happening for?
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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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 » 27 Jan 2021, 09:49

Maybe I am incubating at too high a temp? I have an infrared temp gun I use to check the temps in my ball python's habitat so I can get exact numbers when I feed Johnny today. I was going for hot but not too hot/close to boiling so maybe I am using too warm of a liquid. I did start using warmer than what I was about a week ago, because I was having a little trouble getting the enzymes to mix in the liquid properly. I got a whisk and that seems to help a lot though also.

It hasn't been long, just 4 or so days. All his poops aren't mushy, just some of them, but thankfully none of them have been liquid consistency. Just a few that have been like maybe a 5 or so on the poop chart, so definitely backwards progress.

I have been able to reduce the enzymes down to 3/4 tsp per cup of kibble after switching his food (I switched to Acana a number of weeks ago since it's easily available here and my cats really like it, plus no peas! - so I don't think it's the change in food, and I saw immediate improvements such as no more whole pieces of kibble being pooped out) and had great poops for a couple of weeks like that. I did realize when I'm using canned food (I'll mix it in with the kibble sometimes) I might be using too many enzymes, which I was having problems with before - generally you want to use less for canned food, right? So if I'm using 3/4 for kibble, I should try less for canned food? I had been using the same amount (1 tsp) for both canned and kibble before.

Sorry for being so clueless! Thank you guys for the help!

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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 » 27 Jan 2021, 09:51

Oh and I do have some slippery elm to try if needed! I just hadn't wanted to add it in yet until I figured out what was going on.

Jane&Clyde
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Posts: 157
Country: United States
Pet name: Clyde
My name: Jane

Re: New here - meet Johnny!

Post by Jane&Clyde » 27 Jan 2021, 15:20

Johnny is so cute! He's lucky to have you.

I'll be interested to hear how hot the water is. I think you may have hit the nail on the head when you said it might be too hot. Heat over approximately 130 F does kill the enzymes.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't like how the enzymes mix in the water. My solution was to mix about a tablespoon of water in a spoonful of yogurt and stir that up. Then I heat it to barely lukewarm, and finally I stir in the enzymes. It still takes a bit of stirring, but things mix in more evenly. Plus, it coats all of the food, but doesn't turn it into a mushy mess. Clyde would eat anything, but I didn't like it with just the water. LOL I'm just weird, I guess.

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