Epi4Dogs

Hi All,
I've been quiet for a long time now (about 2 years) because I didn't have anything to add other than a thousand Thank Yous for all of your help that resulted in my girl Sassy leading a normal life because of all your help!!! Thank You!!!
Now I have something to add that I don't remember seeing here in the past:
While it's somewhat common for our dogs to need their anal glands expressed I never had a problem with any of them needing it until recently. I took my girl to the vet twice, thought about doing it myself, and then did some research that has been working now for a couple months without physically having to express the glands myself or take her to the vet.
When we adopted our EPI GSD girl, we also adopted her brother. They are both about the same size and 70 lbs. She was found to have EPI after a little over a year old, but because of this forum I was able to get it under control quickly! Thank You again!!! But I always noticed that her poop was a lot more, bigger and softer than her non-EPI brother. I'm sure this softness resulted in her poop not being firm enough to express her anal glands like it's supposed to do.
What I've done is add one heaping tablespoons of 100% canned pumpkin per heaping cup of Costco Salmon and Sweet Potato kibble; and one heaping teaspoon of TopCare Total Fiber clear mixing powder per one heaping teaspoon of Enzyme Diane per cup of kibble mixed with about 1.5 tablespoons of about 117 degree tap water.
The result has been firmer and darker stools and she's no longer licking and/or biting at her anus like she was before. Her stools are still larger and more than her brother, but it appears the anal glands are being naturally expressed rather than manually.

Hope this might help someone else having the same problems!
Do you know if this is a more common problem with EPI dogs?

Hope all are staying safe and healthy during these difficult times!!!
Rich and Sassy

Good morning from the UK

Thank you for this tit bit

All of my Shepherds had to have their glands surgically removed as it became really distressing for them to have them expressed all the time

only one with EPI

Hi Richard, and welcome to the forum! You are definitely someone I need to try and emulate. Quiet for two years??? WOW. I don't seem to be able to keep my mouth shut! Thank you for speaking up to help others.

I, too, give Tucker canned pumpkin with most of his meals, and while it does stop his licking & scooting, his poop, though brown & tubular, is still a bit soft to pick up. I always attributed this to the turkey bone broth my vet has me add to his Sport Dog Elite Buffalo & Sweet potato kibble. I reached a decision that although the addition of poultry to his meal may not be ideal for an EPI dog, Tucker is also an 80 pound dog with other potential problems the broth may help with. So, I think it's worth it.

I am intrigued by the product you mentioned, which I now can't see while I'm responding, and unless I hear otherwise, I'm gonna try it, too. I also read on he forum that rabbit food may help. I bought some months ago but I haven't tried it yet. Why rush into something?

Thanks again for your input!---Pam & Tucker

Yes welcome to you and your pup. Just my own personal experience, Two major brand fiber I tried prodused totally different results. I first tried the one (B*******r)that uses wheat dextrin and partially hydrolyzed guar gum. I sounded like a machine gun! And nada for results but upset stomach and a lot of methane production(phew).
Then I switched to( M*******l) which uses psyllium fiber. Oh what a relief. No gas and it worked.
The brand you mention is psyllium fiber and I am glad it is working.
Probably more info about myself than needed but if one doesn't work try the other

Jill

Hi Pam and Tucker,

As far as soft stools go I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that maybe all EPI dogs have more, larger and softer stools than their non-EPI counterparts. I'm going to guess that although the enzymes help tremendously our EPI pets still don't digest as well as our non-EPI pets. I don't think it has anything to do with what you're feeding, they just don't digest as efficiently as the others. I do say this because I have the brother and sister and can see the difference. Since I started adding the pumkin and fiber to her diet, her stools are very noticeably darker since the anal glands are now expressing like they're supposed to, but otherwise I don't see much difference in them.
Her non-EPI brother doesn't eat as much, has much smaller (maybe 1/4 the amount), darker and firmer stools than his EPI sister. Both appear to be very healthy otherwise!!!

I'd like to add that I have been giving them both the Costco Dog Biscuits for a long time now without any problems. Originally, about 2.5 years ago it was suggested to stay away from grain based dog food and anything else. Since then that has changed somewhat now. So I added those dog biscuits to their diet and my Sassy girl just loves them!!! Her brother eats them, but it's more like "if I have too", and "I don't want to share it with her!". So I feel good adding some grain to their diet now and not feeling like I have to avoid grain.
I do give her the biscuit after she's eaten about half her enzymed food, so she'll have enzyme in her before and after the non-enzymed biscuit. If she's not particularly hungry and just nibbles at her food throughout the day she doesn't get the biscuit. I've got to know she has enough enzyme in her to give her one.

Rich, Sassy and brother Buddy since he's mentioned here!!! He doesn't like being left out, he thinks and demands being #1 Dog!

Our Piper seems to need her anal glads expressed monthly. We add pumpkin to each feeding along with some miralax. While her stools are and have been nice and firm her sacs still need expressing. We can tell when that is going to happen by the way she goes after her tail and starts to eat grass. We get her to the vet right before they start to leak. Every time the right side is always full.

Maybe I need more miralax? I only add a pinch (about 1/8 tsp).


Any ideas on what more I can do to help have them express naturally instead of going to the vet monthly?

Hi Shawn from NJ! I used to live in NJ (Sayreville, Raritan and Englishtown), but have been happily in California for about 45 years now. As I stated I have been using one heaping teaspoon of TopCare Total Fiber clear mixing powder mixed with 1 teaspoon of enzyme Diane per cup of kibble.
I do need to update though!!! She is still biting/licking her butt at times. Not as bad as before, and I haven't taken her to the Vet yet to have them expressed, but might need to sometime in the future, not sure yet. I have not tried to do it myself yet either, but might.

Good Luck with yours!!!
Richard and Sassy

Rich,

Excellent suggestion.... adding a "controlled" amount and type of fiber to an EPI dog's diet is a very good way to make sure they get the right amount of fiber without causing an issue with the efficacy of the enzymes, a great way to get anal gland expression under good control, if there is a problem ....and a great way to help SID stay in good control.... the trick is figuring out how much of the fibers you mentioned each individual EPI dog can handle.....

thank you so much for sharing. SOme folks dogs may be able to handle the same regimen that you do, while others may only be able to handle a little bit of it... but it is great knowing what food sources/supplements that you are using. Good post!

RichardB wrote: ↑08 Nov 2021, 22:29 Hi Shawn from NJ! I used to live in NJ (Sayreville, Raritan and Englishtown), but have been happily in California for about 45 years now. As I stated I have been using one heaping teaspoon of TopCare Total Fiber clear mixing powder mixed with 1 teaspoon of enzyme Diane per cup of kibble.
I do need to update though!!! She is still biting/licking her butt at times. Not as bad as before, and I haven't taken her to the Vet yet to have them expressed, but might need to sometime in the future, not sure yet. I have not tried to do it myself yet either, but might.

Good Luck with yours!!!
Richard and Sassy

I know those area well Richard. I lived in Sayerville for a few years but originally from Colonia. Still in Jersey but in Monmouth County now.

I have been adding 1/2 tsp Miralax along with 1 tbl of Pumpkin and some cooked oatmeal to her food. So far that seems to be helping. We have passed the three week mark that she always starts to tail bite then leak. Fingers crossed here.

Thank you for posting this. My EPI dog seems to be fine in this area, however, his non-EPI sister had an anal gland infection a few months back. Recently I've noticed her licking that area a bit more so I'm wondering if she needs hers expressed. I'm going to look into these products and see if they might help her in the future.