Epi4Dogs

Good morning Juanita. One reason a grain free diet is usually encouraged long term is that the grains in the food can interfere with the enzymes and their activity to do their work on the food.

Chicken is not bad for EPI pups but it does seem sometimes if an issue cannot be resolved the culprit can turn out to be the chicken, chicken meal, chicken fat, etc. If your dog is good with it use it. One of those things you keep in the back of your mind.

Usually extras like treats(if food they too need enzymes), oil, etc are put off until the pup is stable.

Keep it simple to begin with till pup is good then add in an extra one at a time.

Keep up the good work.

Yep, Jill is right about the chicken. Some but not all EPI dogs do not tolerate chicken in any form. But many do, for example my girl is fine with chicken.
I would wait to add salmon oil or coconut oil for now. They both can be good things, but until things are stable, meaning good poops for a month or so, I would wait. Simple is best at the start. That way if something doesn't work well, you can identify it easily since there are few options.....Once things calm, you can try one of them and see how she does.
As far as the fat goes, if your pup has no other concerns, then fat does not need to be restricted. But some EPI dogs do better with a tad less fat. Are you starting to see a theme? Each EPI dog is a little different, and while we know some things work for all of them (enzymes with all food for example), there are some differences between dogs. This is when a log or a journal comes in handy. You can track what is working and what is not more easily that way.
Keep asking questions, and YES spread the word, one of our greatest missions is to educate vets, owners, breeders, shelters and rescues and everyone else about EPI and how manageable it is. Glad you found us!

Hi. Sounds like you are off to a good start. Jill explained it perfectly about why we recommend grain free with 4% fiber or less. As for salmon or coconut oil - we recommend waiting to add these things until your dog is stable for a few months and then only add one at a time and only half the dose to start with.

Have a great weekend everyone!

hello again

let us know how you are doing now. the last post was a long while ago