Epi4Dogs

It has finally happened! Tucker's blood finally made it to Texas, and I've done my best to copy and paste the results. An interesting thing is, both times we stopped the B12, his poo became firmer. I noticed it the first time, when we stopped for a week before the test. This second time, I stopped ten days early, because I was afraid I'd forget, and his poo was even better. I don't know what to make of it. But here are the TAMU results!!! What do you guys think?

Interval Assay Date
'Cobalamin Fasting 666 ng/L 251-908 03/25/21

Interpretation: Result is within the reference interval.

'Folate Fasting 9.7 μg/L 7.7-24.4 03/25/21

Interpretation: Result is within the reference interval.

'Pancreatic Lipase Immunoreactivity Fasting 38 μg/L ≤200 03/24/21

Interpretation: Result within the reference interval.

'TLI Fasting 1.3 μg/L 5.7-45.2 03/25/21

Interpretation: Diagnostic for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI).

GI

Yay! Glad to see Tucker finally got his results back.
That is weird about the B12. I know stools usually firm up with B12 supplementation in IBD.
Have you tried supplementing with only 1 capsule a day?

Jill

I used to only give him one, until I realized recently that he was supposed to get two. So, yes, I think I will go back to just one. The vet said everything else was normal, but the B12 is low for an EPI dog, right?---Pam

I always perceived an Epi dogs B12 level needed to be in the upper to high range so maybe 700-750 or higher? Someone else might have a better number.

Jill

AND, I haven't complained about this too many times, I think, but this one thing always nagged at me, and made me worried the vet may have gotten it wrong. It is also why I so desperately wanted to be able to afford the TLI test. Tucker's poop is usually pretty nice, BUT he still poops 6-8 times a day! Down from 12 or so at the beginning, but it's still a lot. Nearly every time we go outside, he finds a corner & poops, and it's usually a good amount. I would love for this to whittle down to 2-3. Any suggestions? Over time, could he just be conditioned & going outside triggers the urge? But then where is it all coming from? I swear, the volume is more than the 4 cups of food he eats daily.

Glad you finally got the test results. I personally think the reason the B12 is not as high as most when they re-test is if you stopped supplementing prior to testing. I know that is what Texas A&M recommends but in my personal opinion I disagree with it - the point is to see where the B12 is with the current supplementing so why would you stop it prior to testing? The reason Texas A&M gives is so that you can see how much B12 your dog can hold on it's own but again I'm more interested in what my dog's B12 level is with the supplementing I'm doing so I know if I need to increase or decrease. As for the poops - didn't you recently switch to Taste of the Wild? Usually when they are pooping that much but everything else is good it's either the enzymes need tweaking or it's the food. Doc poops less on Sport Dog Food than he did on the others.

Hi Madelon---Well, we switched to TOTW a few months ago, I think, but all this poo has been pretty consistent throughout the whole process. It is relatively easy to pick up, though not as firm as my other big dog's, who does not eat grain-free. I have tried feeding him less than the recommended amount, but then he always loses weight.

I am curious to hear from you experts, about his EPI. What does that number mean. Besides the fact that it confirms EPI, is there any significance?

I don't know what would have happened to Tuck, if I had just listened to my vet, who did send me to another vet, but still, EPI was my idea, and that is disconcerting to me. If that story about the rescue who couldn't gain weight because of EPI, hadn't crossed my Facebook page, how would we have ever figured it out? I do know that no vet or doctor can know everything, so I just try and focus on gratitude that this all came together.

I am so thankful to have you all to help along the way, and to people who have shared cost-cutting measures, this has kept us afloat. Tucker is the only one of my rescues that I got as a young puppy, and he means the world to me.

This sounds like I think I just won an Oscar. lol.----Pam & Tucker

I too am glad you listened to your gut and started treating Tucker for EPI. You're right, vets just like human doctors can't know everything and sometimes with the more rare conditions, they like to rule out the common conditions first.

As for the numbers - there is no significance to the TLI number other than it confirms EPI. However, I forgot to address your question about the B12 number - we recommend it to be 600+ so you are there but not by a lot - but since you stopped supplementing prior to the blood draw that is likely the reason so it's not an indication of whether you need one or two B12 pills - HOWEVER - it does mean that Tucker is able to hold some B12 without supplementing which is good. When I had Doc's B12 retested I did not stop supplementing and it was over 1,000. Doc has been on two B12 pills for years and I tried again recently to reduce to 1 pill - it's been about a week and he threw up bile this am (although even on 2 pills a day this sometimes happens) and he's got lots of tummy gurgling so I will be going back to 2 pills a day and see if gurgling stops - if so then I know for sure he needs 2 pills a day forever (this will be the second time trying to reduce B12).

As for the poops - if there too much poop it's likely the food - if it's just that it's not quite as firm but still logs with segments then I wouldn't worry - Doc's are not near as firm as my other dog's poop but whether that's partly an EPI thing or just a Doc thing I'm not sure - as long as the weight is good and they are formed I'll take it

Thanks Madelon. I may just start giving him a B12 every other day & see how things go. After we adjust to that, I may go back to SDE. He loved it, and I think I'll try the working dog formula this time. He's fine with turkey. Sorry, thinking out loud. I'm just so excited, knowing he doesn't have Lyme's disease or something else.---Pam

yippee

wrong word I know, but at least you are now sure

Just keep going as you are and keep an eye on everything advised