Epi4Dogs

Thank you all so much! I will request his test results.

Yes, I agree that it sounds very much like the enzymes need to be increased. 1 tsp. per cup of food is our usual starting place and you weren't near that yet. To help see how things are going, we found it very helpful to keep a log/journal of everything you feed your pup, the amounts, and the resulting poos. It helps to see it in writing and get a better idea of what is working and what needs to be adjusted.

The beginning stage is the hardest until you get everything balanced. It will get easier. And you will help him get his weight back, too. We have all been where you are. Our Kolby was 54 pounds when he was diagnosed, but we got him back to his target weight of 85 ......he was a slow gainer. It took almost a year for him to get all the way back. It was slow, but very steady. Many dogs gain much faster than that, so don't be discouraged.

We will look for your results.

Barb

I’ve been giving 2 cups of food 3x a day with 2 tsp enzymes. His first meal includes B12. So far the diarrhea has stopped. I was pleased with the first couple of stools. They were normal in texture, still yellow. Then yesterday it was a bit loose. I have attached his test results.

THank you SO much.

Your dog's B12 is VERY low! I am guessing that you are giving him WOnderlabs "Pet Factor"... yes? Be sure to give 1 a day EVERY day...... and because the B12 is so low, please try to schedule another B12 re-test in 3 months..

I noticed that your vet is recommending another TLI in one month.... i agree with re-testing... but IMHO that is too soon.... see if you can schedule it for 3 months (along with doing a re-test of the B12 also. If your vet is hesitant to wait 3 months, then go with retesting in 2 months with both the TLI and B12 tests) ..just know that 1 month is much too soon.

Also stop the B12 pills 1 week prior to the blood being drawn for the B12 test.
Do not stop the enzymes... just be sure to "food" fast 12/+ hours prior to the TLI test.

The yellow in the poo is SID... you dog has SID, no matter what the Folate test results indicates. All dogs with EPI have SID.
SInce the poos are now formed.... things are definitely going in the right direction and because they are formed with the increased enzymes...and smaller but more frequent meals (thanks for doing this!) at this point in time, lets avoid giving Tylan and lets go with pre+probiotics first to help get SID under better control.....THen if the pre+probiotics don't work.... THEN lets looks at giving Tylan.

SOOOOOOoooooooo..... give things a few more days and then talk to your vet about starting up the probiotic again... Can't remember if your vet started your dog on Proviable or not... if they have not, then ask for either Proviable or Visbiome probiotic,,, and then start but start with less than 1/2 the recommended dose and work your way up to a full dose over the course of a week or two... let's see how that goes. Although we promote the antibiotic Tylan... when possible we try to improve SID without antibiotics.... when possible.

Sounds likee you are doing a great job!!!

It can be discouraging when you have a bad day, but you are on the right track, and working so hard for your doggy! Keep up the good work, and know that your pup is feeling better every day. ---Pam

Kilo is doing better. No more diarrhea. I wanted to ask if he needs to continue taking the B12 supplements. I wasn’t sure if that was supposed to be temporary or forever along with his enzymes.

Have you had his B12 retested? Remember, if you do that, stop giving him supplements for at least a week before the test.

I have been under the impression that B12 supplementation is for life, but I may be wrong. Tucker's result, after two weeks off supplements, was 666, but I give it to him anyway. If they get too much, they just tinkle it out. It's the least expensive of all the things he takes, so I figure giving it is easier than getting him tested. And EPI dogs need to be above normal range of B12.

There are probably some good reasons for getting that number, but I tend to be a little casual. ---Pam

Hi Kilo's mom,

Once an EPi dog is diagnosed with low b12....yes, they will need B12 supplementation for life.

The deal is that you are supposed to give him B12 to bring up the levels to somewhere in the upper mid range of B12.... then, once you achieve that ... then you and your vet need to figure out approximately how much and how often B12 will be needed going forward to maintain that upper midrange level of B12.

And as Pam stated... no need to be overly concerned about giving too much B12, as they will pee out any excess....