Hi all new member here 👋🏼😊

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.
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Jean
Forum Director
Posts: 1707
Location: South Liverpool
Country: United Kingdom - England
Pet name: Kara, lost 10th May 2019
My name: Jean

Re: Hi all new member here 👋🏼😊

Post by Jean » 06 Aug 2022, 10:22

that's good to know and they do sting
My name is Jean we live in Liverpool in Uk

I am the Forum Director which I am very proud of

My Kara born 21 July 2009 diagnosed with EPI by cTLI test August 2010 TLI = <1...folate 14 Cobalamin 408, shot down to 94, b12 injections every other day

Lowest weight 39 pounds

We used Panzym enzymes, Tylan and Chemeyes b12 capsules

Sadly, on 10th May 2019, we lost her to DM


Jeanx

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

Re: Hi all new member here 👋🏼😊

Post by Barb » 06 Aug 2022, 16:32

We gave Kolby B12 injections for years before we switched to Wonderlabs pills and he never reacted at all. He didn't even feel them as they were given subcutaneously in the loose skin between the shoulder blades. As someone else said pulled up like a tent. They should not hurt at all. And yes, it should be the cobalamin, not any of the B combinations or they could sting, but not the cobalamin. The needle should be the right size also or they will feel it. We used 25 G single monoject. Worked like a charm.

Barb

Tara
Member
Posts: 12
Country: United Kingdom - England
Pet name: Toby
My name: Tara

Re: Hi all new member here 👋🏼😊

Post by Tara » 06 Aug 2022, 16:41

Hi Barb,
Thanks for that information, I’ll mention it on Monday at Toby’s next appointment.

The Wonderlabs pills I think are to pricey to get over here and Jean has already mentioned the brand available here of which we’ll be using once his injections have finished.

Thanks again

Barb wrote: 06 Aug 2022, 16:32 We gave Kolby B12 injections for years before we switched to Wonderlabs pills and he never reacted at all. He didn't even feel them as they were given subcutaneously in the loose skin between the shoulder blades. As someone else said pulled up like a tent. They should not hurt at all. And yes, it should be the cobalamin, not any of the B combinations or they could sting, but not the cobalamin. The needle should be the right size also or they will feel it. We used 25 G single monoject. Worked like a charm.

Barb

Tara
Member
Posts: 12
Country: United Kingdom - England
Pet name: Toby
My name: Tara

Re: Hi all new member here 👋🏼😊

Post by Tara » 06 Aug 2022, 16:46

Hi Michaela,

I’m wondering now why the vet thinks it is an intramuscular injection when your dogs aren’t having any issues with they injections 🤔

I’ll definitely ask if she can give it subcutaneous from now on.
Michaela wrote: 06 Aug 2022, 09:08 Poor Toby :( Nikki has been getting weekly B12 injections for years and never IM.

Maybe you can ask your vet to start giving them subcutaneous since he hates it so much?

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

Re: Hi all new member here 👋🏼😊

Post by Barb » 06 Aug 2022, 17:17

Yes, they shouldn't hurt at all. I would not have been able to give the injections to Kolby all those years if he reacted in pain.

Barb

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

Re: Hi all new member here 👋🏼😊

Post by Tuckaboo Pam » 07 Aug 2022, 19:07

Hi Tara---

Welcome from Florida. I admit I just skimmed through your post, so I don't know whether this was mentioned---

Toby needs to eat 150% the amount of food that is recommended for his IDEAL weight, broken up into 3-4 meals & enzymed accordingly.

Apologies if this is repetitive.

---Pam
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.

Tara
Member
Posts: 12
Country: United Kingdom - England
Pet name: Toby
My name: Tara

Re: Hi all new member here 👋🏼😊

Post by Tara » 09 Aug 2022, 04:53

Toby’s blood results
Toby’s blood results
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Toby’s blood results
Toby’s blood results
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9C0E1398-CCE4-4BCA-BEC2-BA16E5B2F4FA.jpeg (2.9 MiB) Viewed 655 times
Tara wrote: 05 Aug 2022, 13:18 Hi everyone, I’m Tara and my dog recently diagnosed with EPI is Toby. He’s a cavalier King Charles spaniel, 10 years old (11 at the end of the month) and we live in the UK.
Toby’s currently having weekly injections of B12 - 4 left out of a course of 6 of which he’s hating as it’s apparently an injection into the muscle… of which he doesn’t have 🙁
He’s also on Lypex. Vet said 1 a day but since talking to the lovely oracle known as Jean we are now increasing it to 1 capsule per meal. He’s having four meals a day. He’s on Arden Grange sensitive white fish and potato wet food which has been a life saver as he was diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease back in November and this food set his poops back too normal. One thing I forget to mention to Jean is that Toby also has a heart murmur of which he’s on Vetmedin for.

Is anyone else’s pup on heart medication? It’s just dawned on me whether or not that’s being processed by his body properly?! I know it’s processed by the liver but I didn’t think about EPI and whether that would have an effect on the tablet.

The questions I had for the forum have been answered by Jean so I thought I’d just introduce ourselves and give you Toby’s history.

I think compared too many we’ve been fortunate with Toby. As we’d stabilised his poops before his EPI diagnosis we didn’t know and you wouldn’t know there was anything wrong with him. He’s fine in himself, loves his food, loves his walks (that’s he doesn’t have any more due to no meat on his bones 🙁) He’s only experienced dramatic weight loss. He’s gone from >10kg to 8.7kg in 5 months.
I guess because of his IBD he doesn’t get any treats other than the foods he’d had since being diagnosed with IBD so at the moment nothing is giving him diarrhoea or upsetting him.

The reason we requested a blood test was to see why he was loosing weight even though we’d found a food that was working and that’s when the vet said he had EPI. We thought diabetes or thyroid problem…didn’t know about EPI.
So far we’re 18 days into the tablets and injections. No changes yet but that’s because we don’t think his enzymes dosage is correct but fingers crossed now we’re increasing it we might see a bit of change.

Sorry to go on 🙈 Just to remind you of the one question I could do with help on is the heart medication and EPI.

Thanks for reading.
Tara & Toby xx

mishi84
Member
Posts: 2
Country: United States
State: New York
Pet name: Kettie

Re: Hi all new member here 👋🏼😊

Post by mishi84 » 10 Aug 2022, 03:19

Hi all , I am new here and learning a lot from this community, glad to be here.

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Patsy
Member
Posts: 265
Country: United Kingdom - England

Re: Hi all new member here 👋🏼😊

Post by Patsy » 10 Aug 2022, 03:36

I’m impressed with the commentary on the blood test. It’s written in layman’s plain. English with recommendations in keeping with current treatment. There are highs and lows, but when digestion improves they will change. It really gives any vet good advice.
I hope the heart meds help.
Springer spaniel Marti had Epi, PLE , MMM just to confuse me. She lived till 12yrs, chubby and happy despite eight years of epi.
Capsule enzymes suited her best. B12 supplements made her into a new dog!
After a cocker with PLN kidney disease, I now have two healthy rescues, a lively, suicidal , small ginger terrier, adopted with pneumonia, and gum disease needing nearly all his teeth out, and a fluffy grey toy poodle/terrier from Greece.

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