Epi4Dogs

Thanks for the input Pam! I could never be a vet either and mean no disrespect to our vet. Just trying to understand the nuances of all this information. I’m hoping Bailey will do well on SDE. So many people here are using it so hopefully it will help him too!

Hi Alice! My Doc throws up bile from time to time - for some EPI dogs it's just something that happens from time to time. I used to give a small enzyme meal before bed to help which it did for a while until I noticed even with the small enzyme meal before he bed he still threw up bile from time to time. It may or may not be SID related. I think Doc's SID is well under control but every now and then he'll have a soft stool or throw up bile - I personally don't think it's SID because it usually corrects itself quickly.

I also use the Sport Dog Food Elite Herding. The problem with social media and the media in general when it comes to the DCM/grain free issue is that they went all in on something before all of the information was there. There have been recent retractions to some extent about the statement "grain free food causes DCM". As it has been suggested already, I highly recommend sharing with your vet the information from our grain-free/Taurine information. Grain free food itself doesn't cause DCM, however the over abundance of certain ingredients and lack of other ingredients that is found in some of the grain free foods may be linked to DCM but to say that all grain free foods cause DCM is incorrect. I also am of the opinion that you should treat the condition you know your dog has - not one that they may or may not develop. In this case, we recommend low fiber for EPI dogs because it is proven that it is what works best. Typically the lower fiber foods are grain free foods, which is why we suggest it. At the end of the day, you have to do what you are comfortable with for your pet.

As for the Tylan - I can't remember how much your dog weighs but Tylan is a pretty gentle antibiotic so it wouldn't hurt to add 1/8tsp. I always recommend if your dog is close in weight to the next higher dose to go ahead and use that.

Hi Madelon,

I feel better hearing that your Doc has this issue with the bile also and it usually corrects itself. Bailey is 68.2 lbs. I am definitely going to share the information on the grain free page with my vet. Taking into account the feedback on the Sport Dog Elite Herding, if it agrees with him I think that will be the way to go. You are all an invaluable resource for me in gathering information to make an informed decision.

I'm so glad you decided to try the Sport Dog!

No disrespect intended for your vet or ANY vet, but most veterinary diets are made from terrible ingredients, There are only a very few specific disorders for which I would feed any prescription diet to my pets. EPI isn't one of them. It doesn't surprise me that the canned food has a primary ingredient of pea starch. I certainly wouldn't feed it to my dog. In addition to having terrible ingredients, most veterinary diets don't taste good to the dog, making it hard to get them to eat it. You will probably find that Bailey won't need the canned food to get him to eat the Sport Dog food once he is transitioned to it.

Thanks Jane! Do you just add water to the Sport Dog to mix the enzymes?

Alice - I put water in the bowl - just enough to dissolve enzymes and coat kibble, then add enzymes and stir until dissolved and then add kibble and stir stir stir making sure it's all coated.

I mix the enzymes with some room temperature to lukewarm water (not too hot or too cold. Both can cause problems.). Then I mix the food in and let it sit for 20-30 minutes. Lastly I open the B12 capsule and a probiotic and sprinkle them over the food and serve.

Also, when you get the Sport Dog, be sure to compare the calories and/or feeding recommendations between the foods. Sport Dog has higher calories than a lot of food, so you may be able to feed less per meal, which is better for Bailey. Of course, feed 150% of the suggested amount, and adjust the enzymes accordingly (1 tsp per cup of dry).

Thanks again Jane!

Thank you Madelon! At least I’ll know how to mix them with just the kibble. Hopefully he will like it the Sport Dog and I will be able to skip the canned food.

Hi,

When I leave the house I usually give Bailey a small enzymed meal followed by a Kong with 1/2c of kibble and a Kong treat in the end. I was wondering if I should treat the enzymed meal with the amount of enzymes including what is in the Kong or just use the amount for the food in his bowl? I hope this question makes sense. I can’t put enzymed food in his Kong since I can’t take a chance Bo would get a hold of it and separating them is not an option. Thanks in advance for any feedback!