Rio has EPI

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.
Cvfstein
Member
Posts: 18
Country: United States
State: New Mexico
Pet name: Rio
My name: Claudia

Rio has EPI

Post by Cvfstein » 21 Dec 2022, 11:11

Hello everybody!
My name is Claudia and my boy Rio is a 5 yo German Shepherd. In 2019 he was vomiting after eating and a vet clinic decided to test his blood. We were told he had EPI and they prescribed many drugs and special food for Rio. I had had 5 German Shepherds before him and had never heard of EPI, so I started researching. Rio didn’t have any symptoms and the vomiting stopped when I bought a slow feed bowl. I was giving him the pancreas powder but because the same vet did a terrible job with my cat, who ended up passing away, I thought the vet was bad and stopped giving Rio pancreas powder. In 2022, Rio started having bad diarrhea, nothing worked. Since we were living in a new town, we took him to 4 different vets and nobody knew what he had, that’s when I remembered the EPI test. Bingo, as soon as we started giving him the pancreas powder, B12 shots and the Tylan drug, he was better. Now, it’s been almost 2 more months since we started the treatment. He had a blood and stools work done Monday and he is normal. I still don’t know if the Tylan drug is supposed to be given for the rest of his life, like the pancreas powder. Does all the animals with EPI need the antibiotic forever? Thank you and Merry Christmas!

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Olesia711
Founder & Research Director
Posts: 3857
Location: North Carolina
Country: United States
State: North Carolina
Pet name: Izzy
My name: olesia

Re: Rio has EPI

Post by Olesia711 » 21 Dec 2022, 11:37

Hi Claudia... question.... when you say " He had a blood and stools work done Monday and he is normal." can you specify these tests? Take a picture of the results and post?

WHen you mention blood work done... was this a CBC panel or a TLI panel?
EPI cannot be determined by a regular CBC blood panel.

AND.....if your dog does have EPI, stool testing will not show anything.............

In the meantime, if you had a TLI blood test done, please post the results, as that will help us.

Now, to answer your question.... sometimes the enzymes and Tylan help the situation and EPI is not involved...
However, if confirmed EPI..... the enzymes are lifelong and you will want to see if you can use the Tylan on a temporary basis.... however, with that being said, in the end, some dogs, after they get straightened out on the TYlan they need to be kept on a maintenance dose only of Tylan going forward... but we always try everything else to not have to do this.

If this is EPI.......if you can ....let us know what food you are feeding, how much per meal and what enzymes you are using and how much and how you are preparing the enzymes with the food, how much tylan you are giving and for how long and if any B12 was tested and being given and what kind and how much.

Treating EPI effectively and long term requires treating the whole dog.... and unfortunately, with each dog there can be "variations" of the recommended protocol.... so once you give us some more details....hopefully we can help !
Olesia, was owned by Izzy, a 35lb Spanish Water Dog (SWD), Diagnosed at 1.5 years old - TLI results 1.. Izzy passed away on February 13, 2020 at 15 years old. She lived with EPI for 13+1/2 years. It was because of Izzy that Epi4Dogs was started... she was the inspiration. May her legacy of helping others with EPI continue for as long as needed.........

Cvfstein
Member
Posts: 18
Country: United States
State: New Mexico
Pet name: Rio
My name: Claudia

Re: Rio has EPI

Post by Cvfstein » 21 Dec 2022, 12:37

Hi Olesia! Thank you for helping.

So, Rio eats about 4 cups a day. 2 in the morning and 2 in the late afternoon. I sprinkle half tablespoon of Pancreaplus 15 minutes before he eats on both meals. I used to also put 1/4 teaspoon of Tylan on each meal, now our vet wants to try to use Tylan every other day. So, he had Tylan on Monday and Today, but not yesterday. So far so good!

If he needs antibiotic I’ll give him, but I wish he didn’t need it anymore. Drugs are good for something but bad for other things.

I feed him Royal Canin for German Shepherds and I’m starting to use Proplan salmon food because Rio has been having allergies, not as bad as his sister, so I’m trying food without chicken to see if it helps with their allergies. I will try Taste of Wild salmon too next week. Barbara, Rio’s sister has very bad allergies. :-(

Rio also had a B12 shot once a week for the last 6 weeks and now it’s going to be one shot every other week for 6 weeks and then once a month forever.

I tried raw pancreas and he loved. But the raw pancreas doesn’t last more than 4 days in the fridge, once you thaw it so now I give once a month. One pound is good for about 5 meals (3 ounces per meal). The pancreas is not expensive but the shipping is, so I can’t feed him in all his meals.

I also gave him probiotics on every meal for 2 months, Nexabiotics, but now the vet said he doesn’t need it anymore.

The stools test was to check if he had anything bad, I guess. EPI is a new thing for me, so if the vet asks for a test, I do it. I don’t want to miss anything that could make him sick.

I’m still learning about posting a picture here. Let me see if I can do it. Lol

Cvfstein
Member
Posts: 18
Country: United States
State: New Mexico
Pet name: Rio
My name: Claudia

Re: Rio has EPI

Post by Cvfstein » 21 Dec 2022, 14:32

While I learn to post pictures, this is the result of Rio’s blood work done in 2019 by Texas A&M University:

Cobalamin Fasting
193 ng/L 251-908

Folate Fasting
18.2 μg/L 7.7-24.4

Pancreatic Lipase Immunoreactivity Fasting 57 μg/L

TLI Fasting
1.3 μg/L 5.7-45.2
Interpretation: Diagnostic for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI).

Cvfstein
Member
Posts: 18
Country: United States
State: New Mexico
Pet name: Rio
My name: Claudia

Re: Rio has EPI

Post by Cvfstein » 21 Dec 2022, 14:42

Image

Cvfstein
Member
Posts: 18
Country: United States
State: New Mexico
Pet name: Rio
My name: Claudia

Re: Rio has EPI

Post by Cvfstein » 21 Dec 2022, 14:42

Image

Cvfstein
Member
Posts: 18
Country: United States
State: New Mexico
Pet name: Rio
My name: Claudia

Re: Rio has EPI

Post by Cvfstein » 21 Dec 2022, 14:43

Image

Cvfstein
Member
Posts: 18
Country: United States
State: New Mexico
Pet name: Rio
My name: Claudia

Re: Rio has EPI

Post by Cvfstein » 21 Dec 2022, 14:46

Image

Rio and his sister Barbara when she was a puppy.

Cvfstein
Member
Posts: 18
Country: United States
State: New Mexico
Pet name: Rio
My name: Claudia

Re: Rio has EPI

Post by Cvfstein » 21 Dec 2022, 14:51

Image

Rio today with his favorite ball.

Cvfstein
Member
Posts: 18
Country: United States
State: New Mexico
Pet name: Rio
My name: Claudia

Re: Rio has EPI

Post by Cvfstein » 21 Dec 2022, 14:53

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