Epi4Dogs

Hi

I looked at another post with a similar concern. Our enzyme supplier is backordered with no date to return. My vet clinic failed to let me know until I called to check if I could pick up.

Unfortunately enzyme diane isn't going to of any help and I'm stuck.

Our boy Hogan was diagnosed with EPI about 2 years ago after suffering the weight loss etc. We've had good luck with the enzyme we were using, Pankaid.

It will be days. No access to fresh pancreas. My vet has ordered from another manufacturer.

Should I just feed him without until the enzyme arrives?

What would you do?

Thanks for any help

Tina

There is emergency enzymes advice somewhere on this site. I'll look for it. I think it's about human enzymes from a health food store. So sorry! I'll be back.

"If you need enzymes ASAP, you can go to any health food store, your local pharmacy or even Walmart and ask for digestive products made with 4x porcine pancreatin enzymes. Although not the exact potency that is recommended, these enzymes are close enough in the desired amount that they should “sustain” your EPI dog for a few days until you can secure the appropriate enzymes"...I went to HOME, to SEARCH, to EMERGENCY ENZYMES. There is more to read over there. Hope this helps!---Pam

Thank you so much.

Hi there. Have you reached out to EnzymeDiane? I know there were some issues in the past with Canada Customs changing things but I thought it had been worked through

is this Pank Aid by any chance, i understand that it is on back order in Canada

do you have access to raw pancreas porcine is best, or Creon which is a human drug, but widely used for EPI


JEANX

Hi I'm new to the forum and new to epi. After 6 months of not knowing what was the problem our vet diagnosed Murphy with Epi only a month-and-a-half ago. After only a few days of pank aid Murphy began gaining weight and having normal stool again. However with it being on backorder now our vet prescribed viokase. After only a week all the symptoms are back. We have uped the dose from 3 to 4 pills per meal with no visible success. I do have access to fresh beef pancecas and will start using it today. Wish us luck. Although with this new development that pank Aid is on backorder and no idea when we might get more - it got me thinking. Since I have access to Fresh beef pancreas is there a way that I can prolong the life/active ingredients beside freezing it. Has anyone ever ground up fresh pancreas and dehydrated it. I have read that some people do dehydrate fresh pancreas and mix with other ingredients to make training treats. If I dehydrate at a low temperature and grind it up into powder does anyone have any idea if vacuum sealing it in mason jar and storing in a cold storage will have any negative effects on its properties. Any insight on this would be greatly appreciated.

the situation with Pank Aid is difficult at best

as far as fresh pancreas goes, porcine is the best I think, but you use what you can get

i have only heard of people freezing it, but I have asked our founder Olesia for her thoughts, thanks for the question

you might want to try Creon


jean

Thanks so much for the reply. It would be nice if Olesia has any further insight. Thanks again

Hi!

Sorry it has taken me so long before i had a chance to respond.... it's been one of those days.
Anyway, good question about dehydrating the raw pancreas, but i would not do that to treat EPI.... due to the fact that i suspect it would be very difficult to dehydrate and still maintain the utmost activity of the enzymes... i would be concerned that too much would be lost.

Regarding what is going on.... i strongly suspect that what you are seeing is not that Viokase is not working, but rather, one of two things.... (1) this is SID kicking in and it wouldn't matter which appropriate enzyme product you were using..... what you are describing is very typical of how SID displays in a newly diagnosed EPI dog. The scenario is that the dog is treated with enzymes and OMG, thing improve dramatically and everything appears to be working right.... but then... anywhere between a week to one month... all of a sudden it appears that all the pre-EPI treatment symptoms returned. We have seen this happen repeatedly, and people think either the enzymes aren't working, or that the dog has developed a rare pork allergy. BUT what is really going on is that the enzymes ARE working, but that SID fully showed itself and what you are seeing is SID symptoms. With an EPI dog, unfortunately it is not just treating with enzymes.... you have to treat the whole dog.... and that means finding the right balance of (a)giving the proper enzymes (b) managing SID (c) managing B12 (d) finding the diet best suited to YOUR individual EPI dog.

(2) or the other problem is the application of the Viokase.... because i noticed that you mentioned that you are giving Viokase capsules? I am assuming you mean Viokase tablets not capsules.... YES???? If so, this also could be the problem. Many EPI dogs do not do well on the tablets, but do MUCH better on the powder... this is just a given.... BUT, some do okay on the pills with a few modifications. If using tablets.... you always have to give more than what is suggested on the bottle and you also ALWAYS have to crush the tablets into a powder, mix in the food and let incubate just like you would with the powder.

If you are already crushing the tablets and giving more (people who use the tablets have been know to have to give anywhere between 3 tablets up to 7 tablets per meal).... and you are still having this issue as if the EPI is not being addressed... then i would next treat the problem as a SID issue which means... (1) try adding a prebiotic to the regimen. You can try giving Slippery Elm powder.... and if this doesn't work, ....then ask your vet you want a 45 /twice a day course of Tylan antibiot to get the SID under control.. Unfortunately what they have recently discovered is that ALL dogs with EPI have SID going on and it is another facet of the condition that we have to learn to just manage.