New Member First Post

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

Re: New Member First Post

Post by Tuckaboo Pam » 18 Sep 2020, 14:20

WHOA!!!!! I meant to say it doesn't kill of the GOOD BACTERIA!!!! I'm so sorry. UGH.
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.

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zuzupetals
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Posts: 25
Country: Canada
Pet name: Bailey
My name: Tig

Re: New Member First Post

Post by zuzupetals » 21 Sep 2020, 07:48

Hello Jean nice to meet you. thanks for the links. Your foot note says you lost Kara to DM. I too believe that our girl Bailey has early stages of DM, however the vet will not give her anything until we figure out and resolve her tummy issues. I know there is no cure for DM but he wanted to try some anti-inflammatories to see if that help her.

Pam thanks again for your input.

I will be speaking with the vet later today. Friday, poor Bailey was going poop every couple of hours. Over the week-end it slowed down but still mush or like water. I've continued with the slippery elm at 2 capsules a day. Will ask the vet about Tylan and see what he says.

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zuzupetals
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Posts: 25
Country: Canada
Pet name: Bailey
My name: Tig

Re: New Member First Post

Post by zuzupetals » 21 Sep 2020, 20:47

Hello everyone. Feedback from the vet is he wants to do xrays. I am at a loss at what to do. After a bad weekend of multiple poops. Bailey only went poop after several hours on Sunday and again today. So not like she’s running out there every couple of hours as she was over the weekend. Her appetite is good. Still on bland diet & slippery elm. Poop today mush and slimy🤬. Bailey is a very nervous dog. Takes her some time to get over a visit to the vet. Worst case if they find tumors I am not sure at her age I want to put her through surgery or treatment. I feel selfish & horrible for saying that but that’s how I feel right now. I asked about the Tylin which has been suggested but the vet said he would want xrays before doing anything more😢😢😢. I cried on the phone with the vet. Sure that did not help my case but I need to know what is the point of sedating her & giving her xrays and the likelihood of what they are looking for is the cause of her GI issues. I told him I need to educate myself more before making a decision. Sorry for venting. Feeling pretty low right now.

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

Re: New Member First Post

Post by Olesia711 » 22 Sep 2020, 23:31

Hi Tig,

I am so sorry that all this is happening and without any answers not knowing what to do.

If you are up to it, may i suggest reading, everything on the SID/SIBO page as that might arm you with solid current veterinarian research so that maybe your vet would be willing to try Tylan / Tylosin Tartrate without having to sedate her for further testing, although i understand completely why he/she wants to do this ... for example possibly looking for tumors.....in which case he/she is right, Tylosin won't help.... but by better understanding SID..... maybe Tylosin is something he would agree to try first, even for jsut a little bit (Tylosin works pretty quickly) before sedating and doing x-rays.........

Just a thought.........
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.........

alyssagrace07
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Posts: 1
Country: United States
State: Arizona
Pet name: Zeke
My name: Tabitha

Re: New Member First Post

Post by alyssagrace07 » 23 Sep 2020, 00:03

Hello,
My name is Tabitha and we adopted our sweet dog Zeke last year, he is now about a year and a half old. In December of 2019 just a few months after we adopted him he was diagnosed with valley fever. We treated him for about 6 months the vet tested him again and his titer count came back 0 so they said to take him of the fluconazole. A few months later he started having diarrhea, eating less and lethargic and had lost some weight. We took him back and they treated him for possible worms and a parasite he seemed to start getting better until we finished the antibiotics and then was right back where we started. We decided to take him to a new vet and they retested for valley fever which came back positive so right away we started him back on fluconazole with not much change and his weight was dropping quickly as well as his appetite we were having to hand feed him with a syringe a special food prescribed by the vet. We then took him back to the vet and they recently diagnosed him with EPI and SIBO it has only been 3 days since we started him on the enzymes as well as Tylosin, and B12 tablets. We are still having to spoon feed him as he has not really seemed to regain his appetite yet. He seems to be up and down the first couple of days he seemed to slowly be gaining energy back and the stools are starting to look more normal, no vomiting so he is keeping the food down. But today he seems to be a little worse with not being able to stand and walk very far and we are having a difficult time getting him to drink enough water. I am not sure what to do at this point if anybody has any advice PLEASE let me know I don't want him to suffer.

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

Re: New Member First Post

Post by Olesia711 » 23 Sep 2020, 09:35

Hi Tabitha,

I am going to start a new thread for you as your very own topic/thread titled "Zeke.. not doing well"

In the meantime, i read thru your post and without knowing what is going on for sure...... what i first would like to recommend is for you to pull some skin away from the body, see if it kind of form a "tent" that is slow to go down..... if so, i'd like to suggest getting some children's unflavored Pedialyte......(or you can make your own at home)... because it is possible that Zeke might be dehydrated. Once dehydrated, it is a vicious cycle as then they don't want to drink water and then get worse, losing their balance, etc.

Homemade Pedialyte
Ingredients:
Six (6) teaspoons of Sugar.
Half (1/2) teaspoon of Salt.
One (1) liter of clean drinking or boiled water and then cooled – (5 cupfuls, each cup about 200 ml.).

And then i would call the vet... as this might be something else going on. My second guess is that this might be more closely related to the valley fever....

But just in case it is EPI related... if you can give us further information, that would be helpful. For example:
1. if you can let us know what is the brand name of the enzymes you are giving, how much you are giving with the food (how much and what kind of food) and how you are preparing the enzymes with the food.

2. let us know how much and how often you are giving the Tylosin AND how much Zeke weighs.
3. What kind and how much and how often is the B12 Zeke is getting.
5. and last but most important... if you can share the TLI, Cobalamin and Folate test scores with us, that would be really helpful.

Hope some of this info helps !
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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zuzupetals
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Posts: 25
Country: Canada
Pet name: Bailey
My name: Tig

Re: New Member First Post

Post by zuzupetals » 28 Sep 2020, 16:11

Hello Tabitha you are in good hands with the people in this forum I have learned so much.

Olesia711, thanks for your continued support and suggestions. I did have a follow up conversation with the vet, well it was his assistant actually, I mentioned the SIBO/SID she said she was not aware of it!! so I asked if the tests for EPI would have shown any indication of either of those, she did not know but said she would follow up with the vet. I asked what would be the down side to trying the Tylsin and if it didn't work at least we had tried. From my conversation I gathered the vet has no interest in trying it and wants the xrays. I asked if he was looking for something specific, thinking maybe he has some thoughts on what else could be causing our girls tummy trouble and she said no. Even though I would not proceed with any surgery or aggressive treatment he believes if we do the xrays we know one way or the other if there is a reason for concern. I am just so concerned of putting her through that ordeal. The assistant said they may be able to do the xray without sedation, I cannot see that, I think it would be more traumatic for Bailey. Having to be wrestled into place so they could do the xray just would not be good.

I have continued with the slippery elm. Her tummy is kind of the same although yesterday she had a firm poop and I thought we had cracked it. But today not so good. So now waiting for another call from the vet or his assistant to see if I managed to talk them into the Tylsin.

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

Re: New Member First Post

Post by Olesia711 » 28 Sep 2020, 20:06

well... that is encouraging that you did have one day of good poop.... continue for a few more days to give it a little more time.... and if the SLippery Elm helps, but just not enough, then i would push for the Tylosin Tartrate soluble antibiotic powder.

I sure hope you get some satisfaction from the vet's soon.....and Please 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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zuzupetals
Member
Posts: 25
Country: Canada
Pet name: Bailey
My name: Tig

Re: New Member First Post

Post by zuzupetals » 30 Sep 2020, 17:06

Thanks once again, no follow up from the vet so I will have to call. Poop is back to mush.... so the struggle continues!

Barb
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Posts: 918
Country: United States
State: New Jersey

Re: New Member First Post

Post by Barb » 01 Oct 2020, 21:26

I am sorry you have no resolution for your pup yet. You know your dog better than anyone. If you think that going through the procedure of X Rays without sedation will be traumatic for her, you have to do what is best for your dog. It's very unfortunate that they are not getting back to you. It certainly seems like trying the tylan would be a lot less dramatic than the other options.

Please keep us posted.

Barb

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