Epi4Dogs

So glad to hear such a great update on Sadie! I personally stopped giving raw hides about 20yrs ago because I had a Boston Terrier who got a big piece stuck in his throat and then heard other horror stories. Plus if I'm not mistaken they are hard to digest even in a non-EPI dog.

My vet has told me to never give anything edible and only recommends nylabones - that being said the fractured teeth does worry me. My German Shepherd is a HEAVY CHEWER and loves nylabones - I don't give them often because of the teeth issue - so far to my knowledge we haven't had an issue. I haven't tried bully sticks with him because he has so many food sensitivities BUT I have given them to my non-EPI dogs in the past and those are my preference for chewing.

Olesia.....thank you so, so much for your kind words. You have no idea how much it means to hear that. You know how much we worry about Sadie.....she hearing affirmation that we are doing the best job we can for her....well, it warms my heart.

Pam - I will take a look at the site you posted. I appreciate input from everyone on this site. I appreciate you taking the time to respond.

Madelon - thank you so much for taking the time to respond to my post as well. It's interesting to see how people have had different outcomes to certain items suggested. Our dogs and the treats we give them are definitely not a one size fits all. Just like the website says "if you met one EPI dog....then you've met one EPI dog". Same goes for treats/chews -what works for one may not work for another.

I hope you all have a great rest of your week and THANK YOU for taking the time to respond!!

Hugs - Lisa & Sadie

Good Morning my EPI family:

It's been a while since I have had to ask a question - but here I am again looking for some guidance/opinions/thoughts. Sadie has been doing extremely well. This past weekend she was playing ball (we throw - she retrieves). On the 3rd throw, when she brought the ball back and spit it out to be thrown again - there was bright yellow spit up (bile?) on the ball and on the deck (about 2 tablespoons full). We quit playing ball with her to let her rest. She was acting totally normal. It has been incredibly hot and humid - 90's the last week. We only throw the ball 3-4 times and then make her rest for quite a while and take her in the house in the A/C. Usually play ball with her all day long when it's nice out. She has been "off" the last week as well - not eating quite as much, VERY low key attitude, just lays around in the house. Very aloof.

I want to make sure I'm not missing anything. This is the first time she has ever spit up - (she has never thrown up). Poops are normal. No stomach gurgling. No burping. Would really appreciate some guidance on this - want to make sure we aren't missing anything. Only want what's best for our Sadie.

Thank you in advance. Lisa & Sadie

Lisa, I think I might call the vet. Is there a chance she could have eaten something poisonous in your yard?

My Sawyer got overheated once, and the vet called it heat exhaustion, but he was fine the next day.

Poor Sadie. Poor you.

Pam & Tucker

Hi Pam:

No, she didn't eat anything. We watch her closely. She threw up that bile on Sunday and has been fine since then. Meaning she has been eating, drinking and pooping normally. She still wants to play (in the house) --- but she seems a bit "off". I have had a few fleeting thoughts wondering if she is a bit "depressed" as she wants to be active but we won't let her be in this heat. Tomorrow is the first decent day we will have in the last 10 days. Think we should do our normal routine of playing with her and then see how she is for the day?

The other thing I've been pondering since this incident is something Jill told me a few times in the past. It has to do with an EPI dog developing SID/SIBO. I've always kept that in the back of my mind as something that could happen. I'm wondering if this incident is the start of that.

Thank you for responding to my message. Our local vet isn't equipped to handle an EPI dog - we would have to take her back to a specialist. If things don't improve - that's definitely going to be at the top of the list. I'm still hoping that someone on the board has some thoughts on this (or if it was just a 1 and done kind of thing that day).

Take care. Lisa

Hi Lisa. It does sound like something is off. Unfortunately it could be a few things. My first thought is to try giving Omeprazole 30 minutes before meal to help with the acid. The other thing is it could be the food is finally catching up and could be the issue - I noticed it is "chicken and pea" - peas tend to not agree with our EPI dogs. So the questions is what to try and change first - if it were me I would actually try changing the food - take a look at Sport Dog Food Elite - it's within the fiber range and has no peas - order a small bag and slowly make the transition and see if things get better. Your other option is to try a 45 day course of Tylan and slowly wean off.

Please let us know what you try and how things are going.

Good Morning Madelon:

I was hoping you would say it was a fluke because of the heat....but it doesn't sound like that... I will try the Tylan like you said and hope for the best. I will report back and let you know how she is in a month. Thank you so much for your continued support with Sadie. It's appreciated more than you may realize.

Hope all is well on your end. Take care.

Lisa & Sadie

Hi Lisa, nice to see an update!. I too would go with the acid reducer but look into the food Madelon mentioned. An animal can develop an intolerance to a protein even if they have eaten it all their life. Only other thing I can think of is as an animal ages sometimes you need to up the enzyme amount. But I would try the other suggestions first.

Jill

Good Morning Jill!

So nice to hear from you. We are trying the Tylan and hoping for the best. I will keep in the back of my mind the possible need to switch dog food.

I did read another recent post about the amount of poops per day their pup was having. Sadie poops about 4 times per day. Her poop always looks perfect - nicely formed, easy to pick up, good color. 2 years later and I still get excited to see good poops. It's the little things in life.

Thank you for responding. Take care.

Lisa & Sadie

Hi Lisa---Tucker goes at least four times a day, and it's not a small amount. Perfect poo, though, still makes me happy, too!---P