Our New EPI Journey

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.
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jilbert57
Staff
Posts: 2089
Country: United States
State: Washington

Re: Our New EPI Journey

Post by jilbert57 » 25 Apr 2023, 10:25

Stacie, we appreciate updates, thank you!

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.

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slrocky
Member
Posts: 20
Country: United States
State: Texas
Pet name: Ryder
My name: Stacie

Re: Our New EPI Journey

Post by slrocky » 30 Apr 2023, 03:04

Hello everyone,

So, instead of needing help today I have good news to report. After trying everything you guys have suggested, Ryder's stool is normal. Yay!!! What's working for him is 1/4 cup Natural Balance Grain Free Salmon & Sweet Potato Dry dog food with 1/4 teaspoon PancreVed powder enzymes applied to the food four times a day. With his first feeding I open a B12 capsule and add it to the food after it has incubated for at least 20 minutes. We're on day two of successful normal stool and couldn't be more excited.

Thanks again to everyone for the advice and recommendations. I know there can always be a relapse but for now I'm just thrilled.

Best of luck to everyone trying to get their fur babies stable.

With much gratitude,
Stacie

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jilbert57
Staff
Posts: 2089
Country: United States
State: Washington

Re: Our New EPI Journey

Post by jilbert57 » 30 Apr 2023, 09:23

What a great update!
Nothing like seeing great poops. Keep up the routine and if you can just keep to the basics for a couple weeks that would be great.
It also helps if you can keep a daily journal of food/meds in and how poop is.

https://epi4dogs.com/epi-log/

Remember that anything that goes in the pups mouth from now on will need to be enzymed.

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.

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MamaOfGomo
Member
Posts: 22
Country: United States
State: Texas
Pet name: Kagome
My name: Cassidy

Re: Our New EPI Journey

Post by MamaOfGomo » 03 May 2023, 12:12

So glad to hear there are some good results happening!! It's always exciting and very hopeful.

I look forward to the next update.
I'm Cassidy and I live in Austin, TX.

My pup is Kagome, a 9-year-old Pittie Mix who I foster failed in 2015.

She was tested for EPI on April 19th, 2023 and it came back negative for the usual markers.

She did however have low B12 and high Folate... so now we are chasing this trail... or tail?

More journey to come.

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slrocky
Member
Posts: 20
Country: United States
State: Texas
Pet name: Ryder
My name: Stacie

Re: Our New EPI Journey

Post by slrocky » 03 May 2023, 14:23

Thank you guys!! I just feel so blessed that this particular protocol is working for him thanks to everyone on here.

I pray for all of our EPI pets and owners for stability and healing.

With lots of gratitude,
Stacie

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Olesia711
Founder & Research Director
Posts: 3857
Location: North Carolina
Country: United States
State: North Carolina
Pet name: Izzy
My name: olesia

Re: Our New EPI Journey

Post by Olesia711 » 03 May 2023, 19:53

Hi Stacie,

I just read thru your entire thread..... so sorry that i missed chiming in on your thread, but Jill did a wonderful job guiding you along and so glad to be reading that you sweet pup, Ryder (who is a real cutie!!!) is doing really good now following Jill's recommendations (thank you so much Jill!!!) and it was nice to hear from Cassidy too.

keep up the great work and also do keep us posted!
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.........

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slrocky
Member
Posts: 20
Country: United States
State: Texas
Pet name: Ryder
My name: Stacie

Re: Our New EPI Journey

Post by slrocky » 03 May 2023, 21:11

Aw, thank you Olesia. I so appreciate epi4dogs and all the wonderful work you guys have put into making it accessible for us EPI pet parents. I don't know what I would have done without you all.

I will absolutely keep posting updates.

With sincere appreciation,
Stacie

User avatar
Olesia711
Founder & Research Director
Posts: 3857
Location: North Carolina
Country: United States
State: North Carolina
Pet name: Izzy
My name: olesia

Re: Our New EPI Journey

Post by Olesia711 » 03 May 2023, 22:59

thanks Stacie for your kind words :) just very glad that that Ryder is doing good now !
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.........

User avatar
slrocky
Member
Posts: 20
Country: United States
State: Texas
Pet name: Ryder
My name: Stacie

Re: Our New EPI Journey

Post by slrocky » 28 Jun 2023, 22:46

Hello everyone,

Ryder has been doing great on Natural Balance Grain-Free Salmon & Sweet Potato food along with his PancreVed enzymes and B12 for the last month and a half. We've been ecstatic that he's eating a normal diet and having normal stools. We had a vet check-up this week and the vet is saying grain-free diets are not recommended because it can cause heart problems. I'm now devastated. I don't won't to mess up the stability we have found for Ryder but I don't want to cause a new problem either.

FYI: The reason we went with grain-free food is because he quit tolerating his Hill's Science Diet chicken & brown rice food. We also noticed he didn't tolerate boiled chicken and rice when he was so sick. So, we thought it might be the chicken and/or the grains.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for always being a resource for us pet owners.
Stacie

User avatar
Olesia711
Founder & Research Director
Posts: 3857
Location: North Carolina
Country: United States
State: North Carolina
Pet name: Izzy
My name: olesia

Re: Our New EPI Journey

Post by Olesia711 » 28 Jun 2023, 23:37

Hi Stacie,

I am so sorry you now have to deal with conflicting information....but i am thrilled to hear that Ryder is doing well now.
PART 1
Unfortunately, grain-free foods have been painted with a broad brush as bad and causing DCM. Unfortunately..... no one is paying attention to the science and finer details of DCM....it is not so much food without grain, but rather that now the foods without grains are "overstuffed" with peas, lentils, etc... which are cheap fillers and the protein ingredients have been greatly lessened. So it is not the grain free but rather, the ingredients they are over representing the lack of grain with. And what really makes me angry is how much the dog food companies touted peas as "high" protein.... Peas causes gastro issues in many dogs, especially ours and is a very cheap protein that does not meet canine requirements, but rather the bottom line of dog food company profits.

Please read research after research that has since reported on this: We have some of it posted here:
https://epi4dogs.com/taurine-grainfree-diets/


PART 2
EPI dog need pancreatic replacement enzymes. Unfortunately, the efficacy of the enzyme can be destroyed by fiber (in grain) from anywhere between 0% to 50%.... and we have no idea which dog is affected by which percentage. This is why we suggest "starting" with a grain free food, but to avoid food with multiple pea products in it and also avoid products with peas as one of the top 4 ingredients in the food. And it is also why we suggest looking at food with 4% or less fiber content in them.

ONce a dog is stable... if you want, try introducing a food with some grain in it.. (rice is usually preferred) to see if your dog can tolerate gran and if so how much.

PART 3
A few years ago, many EPI dogs did great on grain free food as most of it back then was made with sweet potato. Then dog food companies started changing the formula and starting lessening the sweet potato or removing it completely and replacing it with peas...a whole lot of peas :(. EPI dogs everywhere started getting sick ... and owners were baffled because they didn't change food.... but then realized the formula was changed :( .This all started happening long before DCM got attention.

PART 4
This is not to say that no EPI dogs will get DCM, however, since all this bru-ha-ha about grain free food and DCM started hitting the newswires and vets, shortly thereafter more research came out that DCM is actually more prevalent in certain breeds and may be more related to breed specific and THEN when on foods laden with too many peas/lentils are indeed more prone to DCM.

SO.....my personal suggestion is take in what others have to say, but before making changes.... do your own research. And decide what you think is best for you and your dog.
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.........

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