Newbie

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.
Emma
Member
Posts: 31
Country: United States
State: Minnesota
Pet name: Emma
My name: Beth

Re: Newbie

Post by Emma » 08 May 2021, 19:15

It’s been awhile since I have posted anything about Emma and that is because she has been great! And this is all thanks to everyone here. This site was a godsend. We still have her on three cups of sport dog a day split into 4 feedings. My guess she will be back to her normal weight within the next month or less. The challenge is going to be lowering the amount she gets. She loves to eat. She has been off the Tylan for about a month. She gets 1 cap B12 a day and awhile ago started only a 1/4 tsp of slippery elm twice a day. I know this is below the recommended dosage. Her benching however is starting back up again. Would you recommend upping the dosage to what is recommended for her weight which is 1/2 tsp twice a day? Now she has not seen the vet really since she was diagnosed. Are there any specific lab checks that should be done such as a B12 level? I ask because am curious if she is supposed to stay on the B12 daily for life or is this something that might eventually be tapered down? And one last question. Would a hard boiled egg or scrambled egg (no added milk) be ok once on a while? Oh and most important, her poos are beautiful!

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

Re: Newbie

Post by Tuckaboo Pam » 08 May 2021, 21:19

What a great update!

First off, there is nothing wrong with eggs, especially if you feed them near meal time & add an extra touch of enzymes. Between meals, I'd get some enzyme into the food & it should be fine. Eggs are an excellent food for your EPI dog.

If I were you, I'd increase the slippery elm & see if it helps in a couple of days. It's one of those supplements that you sometimes need to play with. I find with Tucker, that this EPI thing is like ocean waves, and we periodically need to adjust his routine, to keep him afloat. He is currently a gas machine, and I am increasing his slippery elm, too.

B12. you should probably keep giving it. I personally would get it tested again only if there were symptoms of it being low, but others do get things checked more often. I guess it would be up to you & your vet.

Good to hear from you! --- 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.

Emma
Member
Posts: 31
Country: United States
State: Minnesota
Pet name: Emma
My name: Beth

Re: Newbie

Post by Emma » 03 Apr 2022, 12:27

Wow I cannot believe it has been almost a year since I last posted anything. Emma has been doing great. She made it back to her normal weight shortly after this last post and has been stable ever since. Until recently. We cannot get her to eat. About three weeks ago she had a couple less than perfect poos. Not horrible but not perfect. Honestly I think it was something she picked up while on a walk. My husband isn’t the best babysitter and will come home and say she ate something off the ground. Since then she has been gassy, burpy and just doesn’t seem herself. The not eating is bothering me. We have had to throw out food that has sat for hours and now resembles bricks of clay. I am suspecting SID so put a call into the vet to ask for Tylan. The vet is refusing and wants me to up her enzymes to 2 tsp per feeding. I point blank to her that I was not comfortable doing that. She currently gets 1 cup sport dog twice daily with 1/4 tsp slippery elm, 1/4 tsp Fortiflora and one capsule B12 once a day. And one egg a day as her treat. Her poos are now back to normal but she absolutely refuses to eat. I thought maybe she is tired of the dog food but we just got a new bag today so now is not a good time to think about transitioning to something new. Does anyone has any suggestions as to what might being going on and what do we think about upping the enzymes and if that is what we should do how do you do that is she won’t eat to begin with?

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