Dogs

[marco11]

My 2yr old German Shepherd has had diarrhea for weeks now, and she has lost a bunch of weight.. After repeated visits to the vet, it's looking like it may be a condition called EPI.. which, although I've never heard of it before, is apparently more common with this breed than any other.

Has anyone else had any experience with this condition?

Any input would be appreciated as I could certainly use some insight..

Have you tried switching her diet at all? How has she been lately?

 

[Freakmidd]

Have you tried switching her diet at all? How has she been lately?

Thanks for asking!

Until this, she has been raised on Kirkland lamb and rice, but we switched to real(cooked) chicken with rice.. then tried adding some pumpkin. From there switched to a prescription gastrointestinal food which she is still on for now. After blood test verified EPI, I am now giving weekly injections of b-12, plus added prescription enzymes to each meal, which does not appear to be working fully just yet.. so we continue to dial in the dosage..

She must be absorbing some nutrients because she is still high energy, but although she eats like she's starving, she has lost a ton of weight(like boney :/) and stool consistency is still very watery..

It's a horrible condition if you look up some of the pictures online..

 

[jJjburton]

Thanks for asking!

Until this, she has been raised on Kirkland lamb and rice, but we switched to real(cooked) chicken with rice.. then tried adding some pumpkin. From there switched to a prescription gastrointestinal food which she is still on for now. After blood test verified EPI, I am now giving weekly injections of b-12, plus added prescription enzymes to each meal, which does not appear to be working fully just yet.. so we continue to dial in the dosage..

She must be absorbing some nutrients because she is still high energy, but although she eats like she's starving, she has lost a ton of weight(like boney :/) and stool consistency is still very watery..

It's a horrible condition if you look up some of the pictures online..

I am truely sorry to hear that, really wishing the best. You are doing all you can!

 

[Chewbacca]

Thanks for asking!

Until this, she has been raised on Kirkland lamb and rice, but we switched to real(cooked) chicken with rice.. then tried adding some pumpkin. From there switched to a prescription gastrointestinal food which she is still on for now. After blood test verified EPI, I am now giving weekly injections of b-12, plus added prescription enzymes to each meal, which does not appear to be working fully just yet.. so we continue to dial in the dosage..

She must be absorbing some nutrients because she is still high energy, but although she eats like she's starving, she has lost a ton of weight(like boney :/) and stool consistency is still very watery..

It's a horrible condition if you look up some of the pictures online..

I wish you patience and faith. I admire you and your struggle. I'm sure everything will end well

 

[marco11]

Thanks for asking!

Until this, she has been raised on Kirkland lamb and rice, but we switched to real(cooked) chicken with rice.. then tried adding some pumpkin. From there switched to a prescription gastrointestinal food which she is still on for now. After blood test verified EPI, I am now giving weekly injections of b-12, plus added prescription enzymes to each meal, which does not appear to be working fully just yet.. so we continue to dial in the dosage..

She must be absorbing some nutrients because she is still high energy, but although she eats like she's starving, she has lost a ton of weight(like boney :/) and stool consistency is still very watery..

It's a horrible condition if you look up some of the pictures online..

When our boy had diarrhea we put a teaspoon to a tablespoon of psyllium husk in his food and mixed it in. It really helped to prevent watery stools and pretty much stopped him from getting diarrhea all together.

Not sure if you have heard of it or have ever tried it but if you have not I highly recommend it.

The Benefits of Psyllium for Pets | Odie Pet Insurance

Discover how psyllium, a natural fiber supplement and prebiotic, can promote gut health and alleviate gastrointestinal issues in pets.

getodie.com

 

[Canknucklehead]

 

[Freakmidd]

When our boy had diarrhea we put a teaspoon to a tablespoon of psyllium husk in his food and mixed it in. It really helped to prevent watery stools and pretty much stopped him from getting diarrhea all together.

Not sure if you have heard of it or have ever tried it but if you have not I highly recommend it.

The Benefits of Psyllium for Pets | Odie Pet Insurance

Discover how psyllium, a natural fiber supplement and prebiotic, can promote gut health and alleviate gastrointestinal issues in pets.

getodie.com

I do appreciate the advise, unfortunately her issue is not about diet.

Through blood testing she has been diagnosed with a condition called Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI), which is the inability to produce sufficient pancreatic enzymes to digest fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.

This difficulty in digestion leads to poor absorption of nutrients which commonly causes diarrhea and weight loss despite a normal or increased appetite.. (essentially starving while still eating).

The good news is, that by treating her with weekly b12 injections and adding digestive enzymes(pancreas) to her meals (for the rest of her life) she should be able to live somewhat normally.

Although we are still in the process of dialing in the dosage.. today for the first time in many weeks, things are starting to look a little bit better.. fingers crossed.

 

[marco11]

I do appreciate the advise, unfortunately her issue is not about diet.

Through blood testing she has been diagnosed with a condition called Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI), which is the inability to produce sufficient pancreatic enzymes to digest fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.

This difficulty in digestion leads to poor absorption of nutrients which commonly causes diarrhea and weight loss despite a normal or increased appetite.. (essentially starving while still eating).

The good news is, that by treating her with weekly b12 injections and adding digestive enzymes(pancreas) to her meals (for the rest of her life) she should be able to live somewhat normally.

Although we are still in the process of dialing in the dosage.. today for the first time in many weeks, things are starting to look a little bit better.. fingers crossed.

I understand. I figured it may still help with the watery stools during digestion. It's super cheap so maybe you can still throw it in with the food although it's obviously not dealing with the root cause of the issue it may still offer some relief when she has to go. Just a thought.

I'm glad the b12 injections and enzymes will help. Hope she gets better.

 

[Freakmidd]

I understand. I figured it may still help with the watery stools during digestion. It's super cheap so maybe you can still throw it in with the food although it's obviously not dealing with the root cause of the issue it may still offer some relief when she has to go. Just a thought.

I'm glad the b12 injections and enzymes will help. Hope she gets better.

I'll definitely keep it in the tool belt, as I have two dogs.

 

[Chewbacca]

View attachment 156966

there are no barriers when you see your favorite yummy)))

 

[Chewbacca]

I do appreciate the advise, unfortunately her issue is not about diet.

Through blood testing she has been diagnosed with a condition called Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI), which is the inability to produce sufficient pancreatic enzymes to digest fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.

This difficulty in digestion leads to poor absorption of nutrients which commonly causes diarrhea and weight loss despite a normal or increased appetite.. (essentially starving while still eating).

The good news is, that by treating her with weekly b12 injections and adding digestive enzymes(pancreas) to her meals (for the rest of her life) she should be able to live somewhat normally.

Although we are still in the process of dialing in the dosage.. today for the first time in many weeks, things are starting to look a little bit better.. fingers crossed.

When I started reading about the problem, I immediately thought about b12 and enzymes. Immediately I thought about this bundle that it can help and make life easier. I wish everything to be normalized

 

[CoffeeZombie]

I do appreciate the advise, unfortunately her issue is not about diet.

Through blood testing she has been diagnosed with a condition called Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI), which is the inability to produce sufficient pancreatic enzymes to digest fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.

This difficulty in digestion leads to poor absorption of nutrients which commonly causes diarrhea and weight loss despite a normal or increased appetite.. (essentially starving while still eating).

The good news is, that by treating her with weekly b12 injections and adding digestive enzymes(pancreas) to her meals (for the rest of her life) she should be able to live somewhat normally.

Although we are still in the process of dialing in the dosage.. today for the first time in many weeks, things are starting to look a little bit better.. fingers crossed.

But in general, what is the forecast of your situation, when it can be normalized or is it all my life on such a bunch of dietary supplements?

 

[Freakmidd]

But in general, what is the forecast of your situation, when it can be normalized or is it all my life on such a bunch of dietary supplements?

The treatment should help her to start digesting food again and we can slowly withdraw the injections, but it will be a low fat, low fibre diet with the enzymes being added to every meal for life. Low fat/fibre treats might be added in a few months, but if so, will be extremely rare because of the lack of enzymes to digest them.

 

[MFAAS]

FOR ANYONE making home made meals for their dog: they need more than chicken and rice and peas or some similar super simple meal prep. This leaves large gaps in the micronutrient requirements for your beloved little baby

My dog had diarrhea and upset stomach his whole life. No food, no matter what we tried, sat well with him. We tried probably a dozen different dry foods and wet foods--nothing worked. He was having anal gland issues because of the bad poops literally since he was a puppy. We finally tried the raw diet and he liked it for a bit but then stopped.

My vet then recommended I use balanceit.com to come up with a recipe that fully fills my dogs nutrition requirements ! Link to BalanceIt Recipe Generator. Now, the company will make and sell your a specialized supplement to fill int he gaps just for your dog. However, it is overpriced. My dog needed iodine and zinc still. Rather than paying $1 per day for those I just bought a tincture of each and it costs me under 10 cents per day.

The website allows you to choose from a TON of human foods. Then you enter in your dogs weight and how often you their meals are, and it will provide you with details about the recommended formulation. Basically it will tell, based on the ingredients you choose, exactly how much of each ingredient in grams/whatever unit of measurement.

I used it to formulate my dogs meals and he has never enjoyed his food nearly as much as he does now. It took me a couple hours of playing with it to get the recipe just right to totally minimize any nutritional gaps and thus reduce the cost and complexity.

I will say: it is quite the ordeal to prep his meals. We have to boil chicken thighs, breast, beef liver, mix it with the canned oysters peas, blueberries, kale, pumpkin, extra virgin olive oil, CBD oil, C60 supplement for dogs.

Either way, my dog is insanely healthy and every vet we take him to is just floored by how healthy he is. He is lean, fit, energetic, I definitely recommend a custom diet for those who can afford it and have the time to do so. But again, you have to do it PROPERLY, otherwise you risk having micronutrient gaps which can cause serious health issues!

 

[Chewbacca]

The treatment should help her to start digesting food again and we can slowly withdraw the injections, but it will be a low fat, low fibre diet with the enzymes being added to every meal for life. Low fat/fibre treats might be added in a few months, but if so, will be extremely rare because of the lack of enzymes to digest them.

And what does your veterinarian say. What are the prospects and how is it generally for how long?

 

[Ferret]

FOR ANYONE making home made meals for their dog: they need more than chicken and rice and peas or some similar super simple meal prep. This leaves large gaps in the micronutrient requirements for your beloved little baby

My dog had diarrhea and upset stomach his whole life. No food, no matter what we tried, sat well with him. We tried probably a dozen different dry foods and wet foods--nothing worked. He was having anal gland issues because of the bad poops literally since he was a puppy. We finally tried the raw diet and he liked it for a bit but then stopped.

My vet then recommended I use balanceit.com to come up with a recipe that fully fills my dogs nutrition requirements ! Link to BalanceIt Recipe Generator. Now, the company will make and sell your a specialized supplement to fill int he gaps just for your dog. However, it is overpriced. My dog needed iodine and zinc still. Rather than paying $1 per day for those I just bought a tincture of each and it costs me under 10 cents per day.

The website allows you to choose from a TON of human foods. Then you enter in your dogs weight and how often you their meals are, and it will provide you with details about the recommended formulation. Basically it will tell, based on the ingredients you choose, exactly how much of each ingredient in grams/whatever unit of measurement.

I used it to formulate my dogs meals and he has never enjoyed his food nearly as much as he does now. It took me a couple hours of playing with it to get the recipe just right to totally minimize any nutritional gaps and thus reduce the cost and complexity.

I will say: it is quite the ordeal to prep his meals. We have to boil chicken thighs, breast, beef liver, mix it with the canned oysters peas, blueberries, kale, pumpkin, extra virgin olive oil, CBD oil, C60 supplement for dogs.

Either way, my dog is insanely healthy and every vet we take him to is just floored by how healthy he is. He is lean, fit, energetic, I definitely recommend a custom diet for those who can afford it and have the time to do so. But again, you have to do it PROPERLY, otherwise you risk having micronutrient gaps which can cause serious health issues!

I'm a weirdo.. I only eat like 1 or 2 foods, never eat fruits, vegetables. Mainly just chicken, and my lab work is fine. Don't try to tell me a dog needs all this crap. Dog food market is a big scam. In fact.. I use to eat just bread and butter for lunch, and spaghetti for diner, everyday up till about the age of 13. I'm still alive

 

[Jestopherson]

FOR ANYONE making home made meals for their dog: they need more than chicken and rice and peas or some similar super simple meal prep. This leaves large gaps in the micronutrient requirements for your beloved little baby

My dog had diarrhea and upset stomach his whole life. No food, no matter what we tried, sat well with him. We tried probably a dozen different dry foods and wet foods--nothing worked. He was having anal gland issues because of the bad poops literally since he was a puppy. We finally tried the raw diet and he liked it for a bit but then stopped.

My vet then recommended I use balanceit.com to come up with a recipe that fully fills my dogs nutrition requirements ! Link to BalanceIt Recipe Generator. Now, the company will make and sell your a specialized supplement to fill int he gaps just for your dog. However, it is overpriced. My dog needed iodine and zinc still. Rather than paying $1 per day for those I just bought a tincture of each and it costs me under 10 cents per day.

The website allows you to choose from a TON of human foods. Then you enter in your dogs weight and how often you their meals are, and it will provide you with details about the recommended formulation. Basically it will tell, based on the ingredients you choose, exactly how much of each ingredient in grams/whatever unit of measurement.

I used it to formulate my dogs meals and he has never enjoyed his food nearly as much as he does now. It took me a couple hours of playing with it to get the recipe just right to totally minimize any nutritional gaps and thus reduce the cost and complexity.

I will say: it is quite the ordeal to prep his meals. We have to boil chicken thighs, breast, beef liver, mix it with the canned oysters peas, blueberries, kale, pumpkin, extra virgin olive oil, CBD oil, C60 supplement for dogs.

Either way, my dog is insanely healthy and every vet we take him to is just floored by how healthy he is. He is lean, fit, energetic, I definitely recommend a custom diet for those who can afford it and have the time to do so. But again, you have to do it PROPERLY, otherwise you risk having micronutrient gaps which can cause serious health issues!

My girl has a severe chicken/bird allergy. She breaks out into bloody rashes.

So she gets 3 cups of acana lamb and squash dry food a day. 1-2 carrots a day, 1.5g of epa/dha. Sweet potato regularly. Apples. An egg in the morning whenever I'm home from work and of course the occasional puppachino. Along with occasional stew beef fried up for her.

Shitty thing is her age is catching up to her. She's 7 but a gorgeous puppy at heart. Can see her appetite declining a bit and noticeably more sore after hikes or hard play. Stool is always firm so digestion seems to be good and vet says she has an incredible body score or some shit(muscle mass ratio).

Any suggestions on increasing appetite or reducing the muscle soreness? My mind went straight to winny as vets often use it for both of those but would rather give other stuff a go first. Obligatory shot of the lady in question. Staffy mix

 

[Chewbacca]

FOR ANYONE making home made meals for their dog: they need more than chicken and rice and peas or some similar super simple meal prep. This leaves large gaps in the micronutrient requirements for your beloved little baby

My dog had diarrhea and upset stomach his whole life. No food, no matter what we tried, sat well with him. We tried probably a dozen different dry foods and wet foods--nothing worked. He was having anal gland issues because of the bad poops literally since he was a puppy. We finally tried the raw diet and he liked it for a bit but then stopped.

My vet then recommended I use balanceit.com to come up with a recipe that fully fills my dogs nutrition requirements ! Link to BalanceIt Recipe Generator. Now, the company will make and sell your a specialized supplement to fill int he gaps just for your dog. However, it is overpriced. My dog needed iodine and zinc still. Rather than paying $1 per day for those I just bought a tincture of each and it costs me under 10 cents per day.

The website allows you to choose from a TON of human foods. Then you enter in your dogs weight and how often you their meals are, and it will provide you with details about the recommended formulation. Basically it will tell, based on the ingredients you choose, exactly how much of each ingredient in grams/whatever unit of measurement.

I used it to formulate my dogs meals and he has never enjoyed his food nearly as much as he does now. It took me a couple hours of playing with it to get the recipe just right to totally minimize any nutritional gaps and thus reduce the cost and complexity.

I will say: it is quite the ordeal to prep his meals. We have to boil chicken thighs, breast, beef liver, mix it with the canned oysters peas, blueberries, kale, pumpkin, extra virgin olive oil, CBD oil, C60 supplement for dogs.

Either way, my dog is insanely healthy and every vet we take him to is just floored by how healthy he is. He is lean, fit, energetic, I definitely recommend a custom diet for those who can afford it and have the time to do so. But again, you have to do it PROPERLY, otherwise you risk having micronutrient gaps which can cause serious health issues!

you will also have to try to order your sabake, let's see how he likes it or not

 

[MFAAS]

I'm a weirdo.. I only eat like 1 or 2 foods, never eat fruits, vegetables. Mainly just chicken, and my lab work is fine. Don't try to tell me a dog needs all this crap. Dog food market is a big scam. In fact.. I use to eat just bread and butter for lunch, and spaghetti for diner, everyday up till about the age of 13. I'm still alive

Okay...I am not sure what you are getting at here? So basically because you ate bread and butter for lunch, then spaghetti for dinner, and didn't die, micronutrient requirements are complete bullshit and totally meaningless? Unless you can clarify what value exactly you are trying to add to this thread, that's what it seems like you're saying. And that is completely fucking wrong and saying, "I ate like shit and I'm still alive and my blood work is okay" is a pathetically weak argument.

You just can't assert that there are no deleterious health effects to being deficient in a nutrient. Or, I suppose you can, but you're 100% wrong. That goes for humans as well as animals, and our beloved pets. You eat whatever you want, I don't really care, but don't come in here saying "I ate spaghetti my whole childhood so obviously there's nothing wrong with only eating spaghetti and nothing else." That's just plain stupid. Malnutrition is a serious problem in both the undeveloped and the developed world.

Also, you ate like shit for just a fraction of your life--and it sounds like that was during the childhood/teen years, which is when we are most resilient to crappy diet and abusing our bodies anyway. As we age we usually get more and more sensitive to these things. Dogs live much short lives than humans, so often times eating like shit for 5 years is eating like shit for HALF of their entire life. That's very different.

Regardless, TONS of people incur long-term damage to their body and mind by being chronically deficient in some vitamin or mineral. People with nutrient deficiencies (or even sometimes overabundances of certain nutrients) can cause all kinds of issues. From increased risk of various cancers, to worse looking/more wrinkly and saggy skin, to osteoporosis or arthritis, vision loss, etc. MANY people have had their health span drastically reduced because of poor diet. Micronutrients DO matter and are very important.

Regardless, the dog food market is crap, that's why I don't partake in it. I buy human food ingredients then me or my girl (usually my girl) cooks it and mixes it up according to our recipe, which I put a good amount of work into in order to ensure it is balanced for both macro- and micronutrients.

You can eat however you want, I don't really care (although it does affect all of us, as Americans' poor diets cost the US Economy 50 BILLION dollars in healthcare costs). The reason I feed my dog a homemade diet is to optimize his health and hopefully increase both his health- and lifespan.

Anyway, what you feed your dog does matter, just like what you feed yourself or your kids maters. Dogs aren't meant to eat kibble. If you wanna feed your dog kibble, go ahead, that is your business. All I know is my 11 year old dog is healthier than some 3 year old dogs we meet and a big part of that is from his diet and consistent exercise. He still powers through 5 mile hikes up mountains at over 10,000 feet elevation!

 

[MFAAS]

My girl has a severe chicken/bird allergy. She breaks out into bloody rashes.

So she gets 3 cups of acana lamb and squash dry food a day. 1-2 carrots a day, 1.5g of epa/dha. Sweet potato regularly. Apples. An egg in the morning whenever I'm home from work and of course the occasional puppachino. Along with occasional stew beef fried up for her.

Shitty thing is her age is catching up to her. She's 7 but a gorgeous puppy at heart. Can see her appetite declining a bit and noticeably more sore after hikes or hard play. Stool is always firm so digestion seems to be good and vet says she has an incredible body score or some shit(muscle mass ratio).

Any suggestions on increasing appetite or reducing the muscle soreness? My mind went straight to winny as vets often use it for both of those but would rather give other stuff a go first. Obligatory shot of the lady in question. Staffy mix

View attachment 157021

Wow! That is crazy. Poor girl, I had never heard of a dog being allergic to chicken/bird meat. She is a cutie!!

I would say that you'd be just fine making a diet with the primary meat sources being non bird animals. Consider the following ingredients instead:
- Beef
- Lean ground beef
- Lamb
- Goat
- Beef liver/heart for micronutrients
- Sardines/salmon/oysters (I would avoid tuna due to heavy metal bioaccumulation)
- Eggs (can she eat eggs or is she allergic to those?(
- You could look into pork meat - like pork tenderloin maybe?


Different dogs will slow down more in their older age. I noticed my dog start to get more chill when he was about 7 or 8, but he's been steady since then but he still goes strong and can do good long hikes and stuff. I massage his muscles and joints and also have this little "Roller ball massage glove" that he likes a lot for his ribs/sides and back. He gets massages pretty much every day and I try to do things to encourage him to stretch too, like scratching the front of his knee sometimes makes him stretch his iliopsoas muscle well. My dog gets about 16 mgs of CBD with breakfast and dinner. I give him pain medication very rarely as needed for hip pain, but usually I don't give him anything (remember, ibuprofen and a lot of human meds are toxic to dogs or at least are dosed way too high, you need special meds from the vet).

My dog loves to sleep a lot. He is less tolerant of the heat than he used to be and needs more water while we hike. But overall he can still make 3-6 mile hikes up and down the mountain. He was hiking at 10-12,000 feet for miles on our last vacation!

I think one of the best things you can do to keep their energy up is to keep them exercised regularly. Dogs seem to be similar to humans in that they can grow to become lazy. Also my dog almost never ever gets table scraps. If he gets anything it is just some meat, or maybe a little apple or banana, but overfeeding seems to make dogs lazier. We try to never give him anything with sugar in it or anything that is really very sweet. Both for health as well as dental reasons. For his birthday we would get him a cookie made specifically for dogs that has basically no sugar in it.

One last thing, I have been giving my dog C60 for the last couple of years. As in the supplement Carbon 60. I got it from C360Health.com. The research into C60's anti-cancer and longevity effects were compelling enough for me to want to give it to my dog. I took it for a while too, but it is SO expensive, so now only he gets it.

I don't know about steroids for the dogs. I know with humans winny causes the joint pain and such so I for sure wouldn't give it to my dog if it does that to dogs too. But idk, I am not sure increasing appetite is the right way to go? Animals that eat less tend to live longer. My dog gets pretty much the same amount of food regardless of whether we sat around all day, walked around our property, or went on a 4 mile hike (although he usually gets extra treats on the hikes so that makes up for some of it). He is not too thin, I would definitely up his food if he started losing weight, but he has stayed basically the same weight since he was about 3 years old.