Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency

[Soliloquy]

My dog likely has it. Thankfully, it can usually be very well managed with enzymes at every meal. It's likely going to be expensive, though. Regular priced enzymes can run $100-200 per month. Which is out of the question for us. He has at least 10 years left. But, supposedly, there are coops that buy the enzymes in bulk and share the cost to bring it down to a couple hundred a year. Which is doable. I hope I can find one

He's an amazing dog. He's MY dog. I need to help him but it needs to fit into our budget.

Also, in my research, I'm learning that some people with symptoms of gluten intolerance (bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea) may actually have EPI or a combo of SIBO and EPI. It's starting to be a part of testing for humans, too, so ask about it if you have GI symptoms.

[sweetpeasmommy]

I'm so sorry.

[Soliloquy]

I found a website that sells the enzymes at a price that should be workable, about $150 every 6 months. The dosage is per cup of kibble and he may start eating more once his gut feels better.

http://www.enzymediane.com/

Ideally we'd switch to a raw diet but that will depend on cost. We're in an area where bulk pet meat is available (lots of horses) so maybe we can do half and half in a year or so. This has been such an expensive year.

I feel affirmed that one of the best dry foods for dogs with EPI is the one we've been feeding him. I tried all different kinds of grain-free brands but he always seems better on Candidae All Stages which is corn, gluten, and soy free but does have rice and oats. Turns out dogs with EPI need a low-fat diet (because they can't digest fat) and the grain-free brands are typically high in fat (which is fine for most dogs). Rice is easy to digest and gentle on their gut.

[FaithHopeLove]

Oh no! I'm so sorry! That's awesome you found a good source and were already feeding him food that is recommended for his condition. (We use the same brand here, but mix the grain free with the grain version 1/2 and 1/2 because I just can't afford the grain free 100%. It's good stuff though - our dog's previous owner said she had to switch foods every couple of weeks or pup would stop eating it, and she's loved this brand for the two years we've had her.)

I hope your beautiful boy is feeling better soon.

[Aerynne]

Originally Posted by Soliloquy

I found a website that sells the enzymes at a price that should be workable, about $150 every 6 months. The dosage is per cup of kibble and he may start eating more once his gut feels better.

http://www.enzymediane.com/

Ideally we'd switch to a raw diet but that will depend on cost. We're in an area where bulk pet meat is available (lots of horses) so maybe we can do half and half in a year or so. This has been such an expensive year.

I feel affirmed that one of the best dry foods for dogs with EPI is the one we've been feeding him. I tried all different kinds of grain-free brands but he always seems better on Candidae All Stages which is corn, gluten, and soy free but does have rice and oats. Turns out dogs with EPI need a low-fat diet (because they can't digest fat) and the grain-free brands are typically high in fat (which is fine for most dogs). Rice is easy to digest and gentle on their gut.

I was going to ask about a low-fat diet. They're very effective for humans but I don't know a lot about dog nutrition. If you need to you could possibly mixed some cooked rice with the dog food if you need to lower the fat content even more.

[Soliloquy]

I forgot to update. He doesn't actually have EPI after all. The vet was 99% sure he did because his symptoms matched perfectly AND he's a German Shepherd. His blood work did show low lipase so we will still try enzymes. The vet suggested a biopsy of his colon but I'm not going to put him through that when it won't give us much info. If he has inflammatory bowel disease, we'd need to experiment with diet which is what we're doing anyway. Steroids would be an absolute last resort

I'm adding powdered gelatin to his meals and that seems to be helping.

[Amber]

I'm glad you aren't dealing with EPI. Hopefully you will figure out something to help him start feeling better soon.