I believe my Scooby has EPI.

[Scoobysmom]

Over the past month, maybe longer, I’ve noticed my 1 year old GSD, Scooby, hasn’t gained any weight. I have a GSD female Riley 2, who’s significantly thicker. I’ve also noticed what I described to my husband as cowpaddies in the yard as well as seeing him strain to poop. Upon examination find only chocolate pudding drops. I treated him with a dewormer, yet it still persists. Plus now he’s noticeably thinning and excessively shedding. I had a sleepless night of chocolate milky diarrhea and he then threw up this morning immediately projectile pooping water. Until today he acted completely normal. We went to the vet 1st thing this morning. They raped my wallet with a pat I test, Giardia, xrays and a special food with anti diarrhea meds. Then wanted and addition 400 for the epi test which I insisted on at the get go. My problem is I’m moving in 2 days to N.C. from NV and can’t get him the test until we get there. I’m broke until Friday when our house closes. Any suggestions or words of encouragement are welcome.

[Jean]

Welcome from the UK

WOW

The first thing to say is the EPI test known as the cTLI test, is 12 hour food fasted, and ask for Cobalamin (b12) and folate to be tested too

in the mean time if you can get emergency enzymes to tide you over

this is on Enzyme Diane's site

https://enzymediane.com/emergency-enzymes/

it might help

as for wallet raping we have all had that !, and the projectile pooing is horrendous, we had that for a good while

is there any tummy rumbles ?

what do you feed ?

Good luck with the move

Jean

[Olesia711]

Hi Scooby's mom,

SO sorry this is happening... especially right now! Unfortunately with gastro "issues" the symptoms you are describing can be any number of things.... EPI among them. So as Jean suggested, the best thing to do is get the TLI done as soon as you can when in NC.

In the meantime..... just as a guess from your description, EPI and/or IBD (a food sensitivity) immediately jumps to my mind.... or this can be some sort of small intestinal bacteria bug.... in which case there really is not test to confirm, but an antibiotic will clear up.

SOOoooooooo.... another thought. Maybe while you call the vet tonight, ask if they would consider giving you some Metronidazole or Tylan just in case the food, etc doesn't help while you are on the road........ and that this is some sort of Small Intestinal Dysbiosis (SID) which one CANNOT accurately test for...... but what anti's will clear up.

What i have noticed (although this is not scientific, but rather an observation....) when a dog has watery loose BROWN stools, it often is IBD, even though many of the symptoms appear to indicate EPI..... not that what you are describing can't be EPI.... just that they can also be IBD.

Good thing your vet already prescribed anti diarrhea and nausea meds.... in the meantime..... what may help is a sample enzyme pac from Enzyme Diane (just enough until you get to NC and have him tested if you have time to get this)... or go to a drug store and get 4x pig pancreas enzymes (ask the pharmacist for help with this) or even try plant enzymes.. (just be careful that there aren't any funky ingredients included that may be harmful to a dog). and/or at any health food store see if you can get some loose Slippery Elm Powder... this would be my #1 thing to do now before the trip..... as it will help with both loose stools and vomiting and not hurt the dog.
For a 53lb dog... give 1/2 tsp of loose Slippery Elm powder mixed in the food WITH about a tablespoon of water added (since SLippery Elm is a mucilage)

In the meantime.... (i saw your message to the EPi4Dogs administrator) that the vet prescribed some special gastro food??? If anything else this may help, if EPI this may not help..... often with EPI dogs, a food with no grain in it "usually" works better- -something low in fiber content and no peas.....or very very little legumes in the ingredients, unless you are dealing with IBD, then a food that is "hydrolyzed" often works better....

Hope this helps.... you already have my cell... call me if you need to .

[Tuckaboo Pam]

Can you possibly feed him white rice & boiled chicken? 3 parts rice/1 part chicken. You said you were moving, so it might be hard to cook. Maybe you could get some of the pre-cooked rice & a rotisserie chicken----no skin. Just a thought. Poor you.

[Scoobysmom]

Thanks for talking Olesia. I’ve called around for slippery elm. All only I’ve found is all capsule. Hydrolized food is out at my old vet but they have it at the place I went today. I’ll head to CVS to look for the pig enzymes. Can I crush and add B12 supps to his food? Be threw up yellow bubbly water about 30 min ago. Vet said it was most likely regurgitation being that I didn’t even hear it and since it was all water, that he had probably taken in a large amount quickly. I’m u sure. Thank you for all the posts. I’m super busy with packing and the dog. I’ll check back soon.

[Scoobysmom]

Thanks for talking Olesia. I’ve called around for slippery elm. All only I’ve found is all capsule. Hydrolized food is out at my old vet but they have it at the place I went today. I’ll head to CVS to look for the pig enzymes. Can I crush and add B12 supps to his food? Be threw up yellow bubbly water about 30 min ago. Vet said it was most likely regurgitation being that I didn’t even hear it and since it was all water, that he had probably taken in a large amount quickly. I’m u sure. Thank you for all the posts. I’m super busy with packing and the dog. I’ll check back soon.

[Olesia711]

Okay... go ahead and get the Slippery Elm capsules BUT don't give until you contact me and read exactly what the dosage is on the capsule.... as you will need to break open the capsule and divide the powder accordingly to weight and dosage... and i will calculate how much to give.

Regarding that yellow stuff he threw up.... bubbly / foamy-like???? Every time we see that with our dogs it is a bacterial upset in the gut, with EPI dogs it almost always is SID (small intestinal dysbiosis).... unfortunately there is NO test to accurately diagnose SID with.
Ask the vet to PLEASE give you (#1 choice) Tylan antibiotic powde to treat SID. It is nasty tasting and some dogs won't eat it unless camouflaged... but you will have empty gel caps from the slippery elm capsules... so you can use that and to camouflage the Tylan powder if needed..

If your vet doubts our recommendation for Tylan... have him read the research on Tylan for SID in our SID/SIBO section.
If the vet won't or can't give you Tylan cuz they don't have any.... then ask for Metronidazole (Flagyl) as a #2 choice antibiotic....

[Madelon]

Hi Diane. I am so sorry you are dealing with so much right now. You're in good hands with Olesia. Try to remember to breathe as everything is overwhelming right now. Once you get to where you can have the test run, post the results when you get them and we will be here to help any way we can.