advice for EPI dog - Page 1

I have been reading posts on this board for awhile and I was wondering if I could get some advice. I have a 15 month old male that was diagnosed in March with EPI. He is currently on Hill's prescription i/d, tylan powder and the digestive enzymes. I could use some suggestions on what food people are using. I am not happy with the Hill's. I was thinking of switching to one of the Solid gold foods. I also need to know what people are using for "treats" for tracking and obedience. His trainer was using his kibble and it is not doing the trick. A toy would not work for the obedience either. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

The most important issue with the food will be the fat content. With EPI the body cannot digest fats very well, and they tend to further stress the digestive system. If there is a good food that is lower in fat, then that might be better. There are probably issues with the different types of carbohydrates, as well, but I do not know what they could be. Past that I can make no reccommendations. From my limited knowledge of EPI issues (I have been very lucky) it sounds as if you are doing everything correctly. Bob-O

As far as the treats for tracking and obedience, I suggest small pieces of raw hot dogs. I think that Bob Kress mentioned in a post a day or so ago that he uses chicken-based hot dogs because of the lower fat content. Evenso, with EPI, some allowance probably must be made so as not to overload the dog's digestive system with lots of small treats. Bob-O

I have a lot of experience with rescue dogs, mostly GSDs, who have pancreatic problems. Bob-O is correct in saying that a low fat food is best. I use Royal Canin Maxi Light and others with good success. If you wish, email me for other suggestions. Some baked food kibbles are also good. I have a GSD here now boarding who was in my rescue program 7 years ago who is doing very well now based on my empirical treatment and his good care from his owners. As well, I suggest turkey hot dogs for tracking treats or dried pieces of liver. Enzyme supplementation in an appropriate dose should help the dog. Also, often feeding less, more frequently, can make a difference. Good luck.

Thnaks for the tips. Do I need to put the enzymes on the hot dogs?

No, do not put the enzymes on the hot dog. The dog probably would not eat it. The enzymes often do not taste very good to the dog, depending on the brand and the way it is delivered. This is a part of the problem in helping these dogs because one has to constantly work to disguise anything that is not in pill or tablet form. Use only VERY SMALL pieces for the tracking, such as the size of a thumb nail. Freezing before using and then putting on the track can keep ants off the hot dog. Dogs do not like to eat ants either!

The single most valuable piece of advice I can give you is to sign on to the EPI support list, k9-EPIGlobal. Aside from the opportunity to exchange information with other owners of dogs affected with EPI, you can also obtain the enzymes at a greatly reduced cost to what the brand-name versions go for--the group buys the generic enzymes in bulk form, and one of the founding members of the group breaks the order down into smaller packages for each individual owner. To join the group, send an email to: k9-EPIGLOBAL-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Thanks again. This disease is so frustrating, but our dog is handling it very well. I just want to be careful not to cause a setback. I spoke to a woman on the phone from Solid Gold and she recommended the MMillenia or Wolf King, and also she said the Hund-N-Flocken would be good. She also said the green tripe is a good additive for his food. I bought a can but haven't tried it yet. I don't want to change too many things at once. Any thoughts on the tripe anyone?

Thanks, hexe,I have joined the epi group already, I just like to get different opinions. They were very helpful when my dog was first diagnosed. I also found out that the enzymes can be ordered directly through American Labs, so you can get them without going through the group and as long as you buy enough, you get the group price. It saved me a fortune!!!!!! The information is in the Welcome letter they send you when you join.

I know a couple of people who actually grind up pig pancreas and feed their dog with EPI that, which seems to work just fine, amazingly enough. The dog eats normal (albeit lower fat) foods/kibble without incident. It does seem a pain to do this rather than give the enzyme in pill form, but the dog seems happy to eat them, rather than have them stuffed down his throat or hidden in other items, as noted above. You might try this along with the Solid Gold. I really like their food, despite the fact that it can get expensive. Another really good one is Eagle Pack. They have a really good holistic selection that you might look into. I'm not sure of the fat content, however. The green tripe works great, because it also has some enzymes that the dogs tend to run low on. My dogs do really well with this added to their food at a rate of about 1/4 can per feeding. It's also a great item to use to get a picky eater to eat, as it smells just awful. haha...seriously. I've used it to put weight on a picky eater and also give it to my females when they are pregnant. Works like a charm. Good luck, and let us know how things progress! :)