New Diagnosis and Treament Not Working

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.
ssmith
Member
Posts: 30
Country: United States
State: South Carolina
Pet name: Harmony

Re: New Diagnosis and Treament Not Working

Post by ssmith » 26 Oct 2021, 17:08

Harmony had her first semi-normal bowel movement today in months! I am over the moon about her progress! She is gaining weight by the day.

User avatar
jilbert57
Staff
Posts: 2092
Country: United States
State: Washington

Re: New Diagnosis and Treament Not Working

Post by jilbert57 » 26 Oct 2021, 18:23

Thank you for reporting in.
Keep up the good work!

Jill
My name is Jill and we live on the Hood Canal in Washington State. We currently have 2 Jack russells, TJ is 8 and Sadie is 2.

Mickey and his pancreatitis brought me to Epi4dogs.com site in 2012 to help manage it.
He lived from 6/99 - 8/2014

Mickey, Jack Russell. Chronic Pancreatitis. Dianes enzymes, 1/8t 3x/day with meals.

ssmith
Member
Posts: 30
Country: United States
State: South Carolina
Pet name: Harmony

Re: New Diagnosis and Treament Not Working

Post by ssmith » 30 Oct 2021, 09:33

Hey!

So I have another question. Harmony has some spots on her back legs and I am wondering if it could be anything to do with the EPI. They are kinda gray-ish and are almost dry skin, scab like. She also has another spot that is bigger and I think she may be chewing on it because it is itchy. The vet said try benadryl for a possible allergy so I am attempting that for 7 days, but I am not sure if that is the issue. Is there something I am doing wrong or could do better? Here are some pictures...
Attachments
IMG_20211028_160201522.jpg
IMG_20211028_160201522.jpg (1.59 MiB) Viewed 1603 times
IMG_20211028_160442279.jpg
IMG_20211028_160442279.jpg (2.99 MiB) Viewed 1603 times
IMG_20211028_160319454.jpg
IMG_20211028_160319454.jpg (2.39 MiB) Viewed 1603 times

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

Re: New Diagnosis and Treament Not Working

Post by Tuckaboo Pam » 30 Oct 2021, 19:01

Hi---My thought is, it's not EPI related. Tucker was chewing his left front leg raw. My vet had me wash it, apply cortisone cream, and give him Benadryl. Did this for several days, and he is much better now. Dogs really like to chew themselves. I sometimes use bitter orange spray as a deterrent, but I haven't had to this time.

I'm not sure about the gray color, Tucker was pink & bumpy, scabby, but I would think if she was reacting to enzymes you would see a problem with her mouth. ---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.

ssmith
Member
Posts: 30
Country: United States
State: South Carolina
Pet name: Harmony

Re: New Diagnosis and Treament Not Working

Post by ssmith » 12 Dec 2021, 14:03

So I haven't been on in a while and Harmony has been doing pretty good until recently. She had gained more weight and just seemed healthy until that rash on her legs and paws. After going to the vet and trying medication for ringworm nothing improved. I took her off of the tylosin just to see what would happen, and the rash is going away! It was definitely a reaction to the tylosin which my vet and I were both shocked. So if anyone ever has a dog with a weird rash on the paws it is possible for tylosin to do that apparently. It was good to know what caused it but she just seems to be backsliding while not on the tylosin. Her stool is still mushy and gross and she has lost some weight. She is also shedding like crazy and being an outside dog in the winter she kinda needs her fur. I'm just so lost as to what to do. Everything has been the same except taking her off the tylosin. Am I missing something or is there something else I could be doing differently to help? I have read about slippery elm but am confused as to what it is for and how much to give. If someone could explain about that, I would very much appreciate it!

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

Re: New Diagnosis and Treament Not Working

Post by Tuckaboo Pam » 12 Dec 2021, 16:55

That's probably because the Tylan was stopped abruptly, and the SID still needs to be addressed, as all EPI dogs have it.

Have you tried slippery elm and/or proviable?

Slippery elm can be easily purchased online, provable, too.

First, you just use the slippery elm for a couple of weeks

1/8 tsp for dogs under 10lbs,
¼ tsp for dogs 10lbs to 30lbs,
½ tsp for dogs 30lbs to 80lbs,
3/4 tsp for dogs 80lbs to 100lbs,
1 tsp for dog 100/+lbs.

EPi4Dogs highly recommends the Wonderlabs Slippery Elm powder product… is is a very high quality source of SE at a reasonable price: https://www.wonderlabs.com/itemleft.php?itemnum=K97024

Then, if it's not yet working, add Proviable probiotic

Start with 1/2 recommended dose, building up to full dose after several days.

Keep us posted!---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.

ssmith
Member
Posts: 30
Country: United States
State: South Carolina
Pet name: Harmony

Re: New Diagnosis and Treament Not Working

Post by ssmith » 12 Dec 2021, 22:41

Thank you so much for the suggestions! I have ordered some slippery elm so we will be giving that a go. If I don't see any improvement I will for sure try that probiotic. She was on fortiflora at one point but it didn't really do much. Maybe it wasn't the right kind?

User avatar
Olesia711
Founder & Research Director
Posts: 3858
Location: North Carolina
Country: United States
State: North Carolina
Pet name: Izzy
My name: olesia

Re: New Diagnosis and Treament Not Working

Post by Olesia711 » 12 Dec 2021, 23:06

probiotics can be hit or miss simply because they are all "one-size-fits-all" and yet every dog has their own unique gut flora.... so if forti flora didn't do anything please talk to your vet and tell the vet that our suggestion is first either Proviable or Visbiome... and if you cannot afford either of these 2, the nedt on the list is VetriScience Mega Probiotic. And with any probiotic, Always start with less than half the recommended dose and work your way up to a full dose over the course of a week or two.... this makes it easier for the dog to adjust to it, just in case they are extra sensitive.

BTW... did you or your vet contact the makers of the Tylan product you were using that triggered this rash??? They really need to know that this happened.

Since it appears that the Tylan gave this rash to your dog.... and since TYlan is a macrolide antibiotic... known to inhibit the growth of bacteria but not known to kill all the bacteria (unless taken long term this will eventually happen over time)..... and since Harmony appears to have slid back to crappy stools now that you stopped Tylan. First see if you can immediately get the stools under decent control via Slippery Elm powder... and then also implementing one of the probiotics... and give it a few weeks at least. .. if you still cannot get the stools under good control after starting slippery elm and implementing the probiotic l...if this happens....ask your vet if he/she thinks trying azithromycin would be a possibility since it is in the same class of drugs (macrolides) as Tylan... i honestly don't know if this is a good suggestion or not, but if all else fails, worth asking your vet.............

Please keep us postedand thank you for sharing this regarding the Tylan.
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.........

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

Re: New Diagnosis and Treament Not Working

Post by Jane&Clyde » 13 Dec 2021, 13:26

Hi! I have a couple of quick questions. Did Harmony ever have normal stools while on the Tylan? If not, it's possible that the food and/or enzymes could still be playing a part in the loose stools. Could you tell us what food you settled on, and how much you are feeding? Also, how much enzymes you are adding? Basically, we want to be able to rule the food/enzymes out as part of the problem.

Has anyone mentioned enzymes by EnzymeDiane.com? Most of us here use them. Her 6x enzymes are the same as prescription enzymes, and their dosage rate is the same. Diane's enzymes are also much less expensive than the prescription ones.

ssmith
Member
Posts: 30
Country: United States
State: South Carolina
Pet name: Harmony

Re: New Diagnosis and Treament Not Working

Post by ssmith » 13 Dec 2021, 14:19

They were looking a lot better better and we're almost completely formed. I decided on Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream with white rice and canned pumpkin added in. I give two tsp of enzyme with two cups of food in the morning and the same at night. She seems to be pretty gassy and her poor tummy gurgles a lot.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Patsy and 238 guests