Creon Dosing Experience

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.
User avatar
Rowan's Mom
Member
Posts: 17
Country: United States
Pet name: Rowan
My name: Elissa

Re: Creon Dosing Experience

Post by Rowan's Mom » 03 Apr 2023, 09:36

Jean - Yes, I saw the phone number. Thank you so much. I'm trying to stay the course first with Creon, since it's so easy to get. Do you feel that there may be better outcomes with Lypex?

Olesia - After dropping the calories the day before yesterday and seeing he stopped gaining weight, I quickly pivoted back to the original 475 calorie count. Thank you for your feedback about food intake because this really confirms that I am right in following my gut. My vet also confirmed that the only harm in eating a lot of calories is becoming overweight and we know that is not an issue right now.

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

Re: Creon Dosing Experience

Post by Olesia711 » 03 Apr 2023, 12:26

glad you listened to your gut!!!! :)
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.........

User avatar
Rowan's Mom
Member
Posts: 17
Country: United States
Pet name: Rowan
My name: Elissa

Re: Creon Dosing Experience

Post by Rowan's Mom » 05 Apr 2023, 10:53

Hi Olesia,

Just wanted to get your take on whether I should be holding steady or upping the Creon dose. After doing 3K/meal for 8 days, this will be day 5 on the 4.5K. Rowan has crossed the 12 lb threshold, which is amazing. I'd like him to get back to to 12.5-13 lbs.

As you know, he's eating a lot. So I'm questioning how much of the weight gain is due to the Creon vs the large amount of food. He already had solid stool and started gaining weight back before starting on enzymes, but I know Creon is doing something because he was pooping 4X/day and it was light in color, and he's maintained 2X/day and a dark brown color since 3/18, 2 days after he started powdered enzymes.

And he's not only able to eat large amounts of food, but he's also super hungry. He's always been food driven, but it's definitely more pronounced now. He's been on prednisolone, because before the EPI diagnosis the thought was he had IBD. I've been tapering him off slowly, and we are now at every other day, with his last 2 doses of 1.25 mg on Thursday and Saturday. I know steroids can increase appetite, but like I said he's always been an eater. I've never seen him turn his nose up at food until the EPI symptoms started appearing in January. And he got his appetite back before starting on steroids.

I'm hoping that his voraciousness can ultimately calm down a bit. Do we think the prednisolone is contributing to it? It will likely be some time before it's fully left his system. Is this hunger more so/also a sign that he should be getting more enzymes? Do some dogs/cats with EPI remain this starving and eating massive amounts of food indefinitely?

Thank you for your guidance!

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

Re: Creon Dosing Experience

Post by Olesia711 » 05 Apr 2023, 12:15

Hi Rowan's mom,

Once you get a little over the 13lb threshold and it has been a few weeks after the prednison dosing has stopped...... (you ALWAYS want an EPI pet to have just a wee bit extra weight due to the very nature of EPI)... then i would slowly and slightly reduce the amount of food.

Prednisone can really increase one's appetite! So in addition to Rowan's general healthy appetite, i would guess that the prednisone is a contributing factor to not only his increased appetite but also his weight gain.... which is also why i would not greatly decrease his food intake at this time. ....remember .....Rowan has EPI so you shouldn't be too stringent about a supposed weight gain threshold that is a generalized estimation based on cats not on steroids and not battling a digestive absorption condition such as EPI. Although i don't know scientifically how long this will take, my thought is to give Rowan maybe two weeks for his 's body to settle out.

If he gains slightly more than what he was when healthy and stays at that level a few weeks AFTER prednisone... i'd leave things as they are
If a few weeks after you stopped the prednisone he continues to gain weight on said amount of food and enzymes..... THEN i would slowly and slightly reduce.

Usually what happens is that most EPI pets, once they gain back all or most of their weight, they slow down on their need for so much food. Of course this is no guarantee that this is what is going to happen with Rowan, however.... but more typical than not.

I can't tell you how many times EPI parents felt their pet gained too much weight, so they reduced the food/enzymes and then in short order, the EPI patient losses too much weight.... so take it slow & slightly.

And again, i credit you for taking such good care of Rowan! :)
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.........

User avatar
Rowan's Mom
Member
Posts: 17
Country: United States
Pet name: Rowan
My name: Elissa

Re: Creon Dosing Experience

Post by Rowan's Mom » 05 Apr 2023, 12:54

Olesia,

Thank you for the positive feedback. I am truly trying to stay on top of things, logging it all, to try to avoid backsliding. Point taken about gaining a little more weight. That makes sense.

My guess is as long as he's eating so much food, he will need to poop 2X a day so that factor might not be something to evaluate. But would a little more enzyme help him more efficiently absorb nutrients/help so he's not SO ravenous? Or think it's hard to say since he's on the steroid still and slowly gaining weight for whatever reason. What are your thoughts on the dosage adjustments?

As a reminder, the other EPI cat gets: Creon 2X a day - 5K + 60 calories wet food AND a powder compounded serum + dry food afterward; 1x a day - powder compounded serum + dry food. Rowan is getting: 6X a day - 4.5K + 80 calories wet food.

Thanks again!

User avatar
jilbert57
Staff
Posts: 2089
Country: United States
State: Washington

Re: Creon Dosing Experience

Post by jilbert57 » 05 Apr 2023, 13:03

Hi Rowans mom
Great job you are doing with Rowan. Are you seeing any undigested food in Rowan's poop? If not I would say you are doing a good job on enzymes.
Just my 2 cents lol!


Jill
My name is Jill and we live on the Hood Canal in Washington State. We currently have 2 Jack russells, TJ is 8 and Sadie is 2.

Mickey and his pancreatitis brought me to Epi4dogs.com site in 2012 to help manage it.
He lived from 6/99 - 8/2014

Mickey, Jack Russell. Chronic Pancreatitis. Dianes enzymes, 1/8t 3x/day with meals.

User avatar
Rowan's Mom
Member
Posts: 17
Country: United States
Pet name: Rowan
My name: Elissa

Re: Creon Dosing Experience

Post by Rowan's Mom » 05 Apr 2023, 14:11

Jill - Thanks so much. Before his poop became more of a dark-medium dark brown it was kind of ash brown/dark beige. What do you mean by undigested food?

User avatar
jilbert57
Staff
Posts: 2089
Country: United States
State: Washington

Re: Creon Dosing Experience

Post by jilbert57 » 05 Apr 2023, 14:15

Do you put any people food in his food? So it would be normally digestible food that would come out recognizable in the poop, indicating a scosh more enzyme is needed.

Jill
My name is Jill and we live on the Hood Canal in Washington State. We currently have 2 Jack russells, TJ is 8 and Sadie is 2.

Mickey and his pancreatitis brought me to Epi4dogs.com site in 2012 to help manage it.
He lived from 6/99 - 8/2014

Mickey, Jack Russell. Chronic Pancreatitis. Dianes enzymes, 1/8t 3x/day with meals.

User avatar
Rowan's Mom
Member
Posts: 17
Country: United States
Pet name: Rowan
My name: Elissa

Re: Creon Dosing Experience

Post by Rowan's Mom » 05 Apr 2023, 14:16

Nope, only pate cat food

User avatar
jilbert57
Staff
Posts: 2089
Country: United States
State: Washington

Re: Creon Dosing Experience

Post by jilbert57 » 05 Apr 2023, 15:06

Oh ok. If the poop is good I would keep the enzyme level the same.

https://www.purina.co.uk/articles/cats/health/digestion/guide-to-cat-poop

Jill
My name is Jill and we live on the Hood Canal in Washington State. We currently have 2 Jack russells, TJ is 8 and Sadie is 2.

Mickey and his pancreatitis brought me to Epi4dogs.com site in 2012 to help manage it.
He lived from 6/99 - 8/2014

Mickey, Jack Russell. Chronic Pancreatitis. Dianes enzymes, 1/8t 3x/day with meals.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 230 guests