Epi4Dogs

Not sure where to post I was recommended this forum through someone on FB. My pup is 7 months, and diagnosed with EPI a month ago. Since then we have started giving her Pantex, and B12. We see no changes and definitely no weight gain. We are close to making the difficult decision to put her down. Any advice?

oh gosh...please PLEASE don't.....we will help you!!! Many people don't see results until everything is addressed properly and sometimes it is just a few simple little adjustments. PLease let us try and help you out.

First, can you please let us know what the TLI test results were?

Next please let us know what kind of food you are feeding (brand name and amount) and how much pantenex powder are you giving per cup of food ( the rule of thumb is 1 tsp of the powdered enyzmes per 1 cup of food) AND are you adding enough water/liquid to moisten the food so that it gives the enzymes something to adhere to? And then are you letting the enzymes and the food sit for about 20 minutes BEFORE serving.

Next, since you have been dealing with this for a month, what you are seeing is most likely SID that is not being addressed. SID is small intestinal dysbiosis and ALL dogs with EPI have it to one degree or another. If you are dealing with no improvement, for a month..... and if you are giving the right amount of enzymes per cup of food correctly, then i strongly suspect this is what is going on.

Typically we suggest tryig a prebiotic first nd if that doesn't work, then move on to a pre+probiotic (we currently are recommending Visbiome or Proviable or I am also now suggesting Mercola Complete Probiotics or VetriScience Mega Probiotics.....
BUT.............since this has been going on for a month....my suggestion (after i hear "how" you are giving the enzymes) and if this is being done correctly, then call your vet and tell them that you want your dog started on Tylan (Tylosin Tartrate 100 grams soluble powder) antibiotic ASAP. it needs to be given twice a day with breakfast and dinner and it needs to be given for 45 days. https://epi4dogs.com/antibiotics/ Tylan dose is by weight of the dog.

Once you start the Tylan, about halfway thru the course, you will then want to introduce one of the probiotics i mentioned above. Start the probiotic with LESS THAN 1/2 THE RECOMMENDED DOSE and then work your way up to a full dose over the course of a week or two. Probiotics CAN be given with TYlan....
However... DO NOT let your vet prescribe Metronidazole instead of Tylan.

Also... another possibility could be the food that you are feeding. We tell everyone when starting out, start with a food that is 4% or less in fiber content... in other words... look in the grain free food section. The reason for this is because fiber can destroy the efficacy of the enzymes from anywhere between 0% and 50%... and we just don't know from one dog to the next who will have this issue and by how much... so to start with... use a very low fiber content food... You can always try food with grain in it later, AFTER you get the dog stable.

REgarding B12... that is good that you are giving B12... as over 0% of all dogs with EPI are low in B12. However can you share with us what B12 product you are giving... sometimes this makes a difference too.

Effectively treating EPI is all about finding the right balance of:
Enzymes
B12
Diet
Controlling SID

And this is what we do here on the forum ... is help people find what works best for them.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Hi as Olesia said we can help.your pup. Please share all information. We look forward to helping.

Jill

we are all, behind you

Hello, the vet did not do lab tests. However I have been recommended to do so from someone else on FB so I'll be looking to get that done. She is getting 1tsp of pantex with half can of EN Gastroentric and 1 cup of kibble (Strive) 2 times daily. I was doing 3 times but she started denying one meal. So I found it was best to feed early morning and in the evening. But she has recently been eating less where as before she would eat it all.

The b12 I give her is wonderlabs I break a capsule and mix it with the food

This is Miss Adrian. She was part of a unwanted litter I took in. She was the runt. I always noticed she was significantly behind the rest. However vets just said it was because she was the runt. So I kept writing it off. And because we didn't know what he dad was they said maybe she was part lab or great Dane and would fill out as she got older. But her siblings show that they are full-blooded staffordshire terrier.

Not sure if I attached a picture correctly or not

Hi Bianca, and we are all so glad you are here. Everyone who has responded before me is on staff, and they have been at this a long time, also they all have had EPI dogs. I am just responding as someone who was in your shoes three years ago. SO, I don't really have anything to add.

But yes, get her blood tested for EPI.

The test will involve fasting her from everything but water for twelve hours before the blood draw. You will want to do this in the morning so she can eat afterward, and on a Monday or Tuesday, if possible, so the blood doesn't sit around. It will most likely be sent to Texas A&M. I am telling you this, in case your vet doesn't have experience with EPI. The test can be expensive, and you don't want to waste it.

Wonderlabs B12 with Intrinsic Factor is the correct one.

I had to treat Tucker as if he had EPI for quite awhile, before I could afford the blood draw, but he had every single symptom & my vet was sure he had it. He was right.

Take care, and keep asking all of your questions. The people here really care.

---Pam & Tucker

The blood test is specific for EPI, it is called cTLI test, and must be 12 hours food fasted, best to book it in first thing in the morning avoiding a Friday as it will then go over the weekend to the lab, ask for Cobalamin as well , this is the test for B12

Please ask ANYTHING