Poop consistency

[Olesia711]

Yea... i think we all go thru 1st the "freak out" stage, then the 2nd stage where we try too hard/read too much and "exhaust" ourselves... but the good thing is as people chime in and share their experiences AND when you start keeping a log... all of a sudden you will start to see trends/connections

Please be sure to let us know what the vet says !

[Madelon]

Just chiming in here - you've been given GREAT advice from some of our best experienced members. The only other thing I would suggest is to feed smaller meals - is there any way you can do 2cups of food with 2tsp enzymes per meal? Not sure how many times you are feeding but my boy used to get 6 cups of food so I divided them into 2 cups each as it's easier on EPI dogs to eat smaller, more frequent meals - I fed 6am, 6pm and 8pm.

[Madelon]

Oh - if the bobbing for kibble isn't working have you tried feeding on a flat plate and using a wash cloth to wash the muzzle area?

EPI can be frustrating but I promise you will get there!

[Riley's Mom]

I can't believe I forgot to add feeding on a flat plate, and that's something I actually do! lol

[jilbert57]

Mickey was such a messy voracious eater I used a glass pie plate so the meal didn't end up on the floor!

[Rudysmom]

So, by taking in some suggestions from here and the vet, I've started to mix the enzymes in a small amount of water (just enough to moisten and make a bit of a liquid) and let it sit for 5-10. I then mix that in with the canned food and have it sit another 10 min. I add the dry kibble and mix, letting it sit for another 5-10. Since doing this method, I haven't noticed any bleeding. His poops are pretty good...most of them are a "3" on the Purina scale but I've had a couple of "2" and a couple of "4". I've kept feeding twice a day since that's been our normal schedule but will consider dividing up meals if anything changes or things don't further improve. At this point, I will keep this course for a bit as I think I need to see if he settles a bit. I have had to make changes over the last week and things are currently "ok". I'm away for a couple of days and my husband will be managing it all so I'm not sure how much detail I'll get, but fingers crossed all goes well.

Thanks all!
Oh, and I'll bring Rudy to the vet for a weigh in and I'll try to talk to the vet when I'm there. If not, I'll shoot him an email about the Tylosin and slippery elm. As I'm away, I won't likely be able to report back to you for a few days

[Riley's Mom]

Sounds like you have a workable routine going right now. I think waiting and seeing how things go is a good idea. It will give time to see how the changes settle in.
Good start!

[jilbert57]

That is great no more mouthsores! Glad you got to an enzyme routine that works! Yes please give us a update after the vet visit.

[Barb]

I'm glad to see that you are getting into a routine and are beginning to see some results. When we first start trying to manage EPI, we feel like the treatment is haphazard and we are all over the place......I think because we are trying to balance so many things at once. As someone else mentioned, keeping a log really helps us to see valuable information and patterns that begin to emerge. There is something about writing it down and then looking at what we wrote that helps us look at things in a different way.

Let us know how everything goes.

Barb

[Madelon]

So happy to hear there are no more mouth sores!! You're doing a GREAT job managing his EPI - it can be a bit tricky but having patience is the hardest part (and something I'm not very good at LOL). Your hubby may surprise you and give detailed information - we are three years in and mine still knows to take poop pictures if I'm not around so I can see what's going on LOL. You never know what's going to pop up on my phone