Pancreatic Insufficiency - Page 1

Must both parents be a carrier to produce a pup with PI? Asking for a friend. Regards, Melanie

As far as I know; yes, both parents must be a carrier of the recessive gene responsible for heriditary PI. I presume since it is a puppy who is affected that it is caused by genetics. In dogs at three-four years of age it can be caused by a diet that is too high in fat. However, I have read that PI can also be caused by an infection or certain chemical compounds that are present in raw turkey skin. One would think that a growing puppy would have to eat a lot of raw turkey skin in order for this to be a cause. In my opinion these other possible causes are a long shot since the problem is generally thought to be caused mainly by genetics, diet, or both.

This disorder, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI)is the "unspeakable" disorder among top GSD breeders of W. German bloodlines. It is like a leprosy for GSDs. Few breeders who have had it occu in their puppies (especially ones sold) want to talk about it because it is a sinister, parasitical disorder. Like aids, it can have no good outcome in its serious form (pancreas transparency). Because it is polygenic and may have penetrance affected by other genes, it can easily skip generations (even multiple generations), but both parents must be carriers. I'd guess that top kennels want to bury their mistakes rather than talk about the genetics since any recognition and acknowledgement of any such affected progeny from a stud dog is the "kiss of death" to that stud dog's popularity and future use. It is a well known fact by most vets that EPI occurs in GSDs in higher frequency than most other breeds. The way the disorder emerges and develops is truly sinister in its effect on the progeny with it as they "outgrow the capacity" of their pancreas to produce and discharge enough pancreatic enzymes into the dogs digestive system. In mild forms it is a "pain in the neck" for the GSD's owner and extracts a toll from the animals vitality (failure to thrive, unthrifty ie needs a lot of food, dull coat) I think there is a fair shar of "working line dogs" who have this in mild form and just cannot put on any bulk, while appearing as hyperacvtive nerve endings. One of the DX'ing symptoms is a dog that have excessive prey drive, constantly hungry and hyperactive. Videx has a good article about EPI posted on their web site. The LTI blood test is apparently the gold standard for diagnoses. I think it is valuable to test both sire and dam and assume that a borderline LTI score probably suggests that the animal may be a carrier. What is very tough about EPI is that both parents can be completely normal but carry this very bad, lethal gene, similar to bleeding disorders, pituatary dwarfism, aortic arch stenosis, megacolon and mega esophagus, and epilepsy. Scientists at a top university are very close to finishing the complete gene typing locations on water spaniels if I remember correctly, and this should apply to GSDs, too. If this occurs specific gene tests from saliva or blood can be developed to test for this gene in the sire and dam.

EPI is not limited to West German bloodlines. I see it often as well in American and even have seen it in Czech dogs. Though I agree that dogs having this condition should never be bred, there are a variety of things one can do with most dogs who are symptomatic to help the condition.

I think when you say these dogs shouldn't be bred it's too late. I don't know if EPI runs more in West, East or Ambreds but I had a son of Ursus with EPI in its worse state. A Rikkor son with a mild case that was managable but the Ursus son had to be euthanized. It's a miserable condition for the poor animal and those who have to take care of them. Margaret Bradley is making a database of dogs who have this condition and a Yahoo group dedicated to EPI as well. I'll look up her email address and post it for anyone who wants to help her by adding your dogs that have EPI to the database. Birdy...

Hat's off to GSDfan for bringing attention to his much under-reported and largely ignored subject. If a GSD has the severe form (pancreas is "transparent or transluscent"), it takes about $200 per month in RX'd pancreatic enzymes from your vet to keep the dog going, and that doesn't work in many cases. Some treat with pig pancreas enzymes sold in health food stores but that can cost up to $100 or more if given in necessary doses with or before the food. Thanks Birdy for the reference to Margaret Bradley and I'll look forward to learning more about what she is doing. The subject of EPI once again sets up the whole issue of how to select truly worthy sires and dams and how to breed them for maximum heterogenity of immune system related genes (5 pairs) while still enhancing the combining of the desired recessives for the desired confirmation and performance traits. That's wh an outcross between two "genetically worthy animals" of similar type is so highly desired. But they must be producers of quality, health and all the desired traits in and of their own right.

I have a 6 year old male GSD that developed insufficiency of the pancreas at 12 months of age. He lost weight rapidly and developed an insatiable hunger. The veterinarian had us try several types of special dog foods that were designed for digestive problems. He insisted that we use special low residue food along with enzymes. The results were horrible. I decided to start experimenting with various foods and finally tried Dick van Patten’s Natural Balance. This food and Viokase-V enzymes did the trick. He has now been on Natural Balance for several years and it is my belief that he would not survive with any other food. The Viokase-V is very expensive!

Westermarck's research reports that EPI (which he has called Pancreatic Degenerative Atropy--or PDA) "is a disease inherited as an autosomal resessive trait, although the possibility of dominant inheritance with incomplete penetrance cannot be excluded." Williams, Batt, and McLean's studies has have explored the concommitant existance of SIBO (small intestinal overgrowth) and have concluded "that bacterial overgrowth in the duodenum is common in dogs with EPI and that, when such overgrowth includes large numbers of obligate anaerobes, there may be associated biochemical and morphologic abnormalities in jejunal mucosa. Functional disturbances related to abnormal intestinal microflora may be responsible for the failure of some dogs with EPI to respond fully to oral pancreatic enzyme supplementation without antibiotic therapy." Reading Willis'history of the breed and his discussion of the general unthriftiness and premature deaths of several early pillars of the breed, leads me to conclude that EPI has permeated the breed almost since its inception and has paid no favorites as to country of most immediate origin or to bloodlines. Louise

Our story is similar to the one presented by S Rogers. Our Indiana vom Wildsteiger Land (Sired by Xenos vom Wildsteiger Land, mother: Nanda vom Wildsteiger Land) was losing 2.5 KGs of weight during severe diarrhoea over the course of two/three weeks at the age of only 3.5 months. Almost completely dehydrated, he survived due to the efforts of the team of the Vet's University of Merelbeke, Gent, Belgium. (The link towards SIBO was also suggested.) He was placed on a diet of Hill's Prescription Diet "XYZ", I forgot the exact lettercode (canned food, and extremely expensive too, only purchased at chemistries/Apotheker). We later changed to Eukanuba light food. He has since then been kept very skinny, now an adult dog he weighs 38 kg (height: 65.5 cm).

wow thanks everyone, great info! regards, Melanie