Author Topic: Chronic Diarrhea - EPI in Dogs  (Read 6080 times)

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Chronic Diarrhea - EPI in Dogs
« on: May 25, 2020, 02:01:24 PM »
EPI is Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency

From https://epi4dogs.com/

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Dogs with Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI) have a malabsorption and maldigestion condition where the pancreas is no longer producing enough pancreatic enzymes to digest fats, carbohydrates and proteins. Because of this, dogs (and also cats) will often present with unexplained weight loss, diarrhea/cow-patty like yellow/pale stools. Although EPI was once thought to be just a German Shepherd condition, it is now found in all breeds. That is why Epi4Dogs was created, because of Izzy, a little Spanish Water Dog born on July 11, 2005 diagnosed with EPI on December 15, 2006, who wasn’t supposed to have ‘that German Shepherd condition’. Izzy passed away on February 13, 2020 at almost 15 years old.  May her legacy of helping others with EPI live on………..

There is a forum at this website as well.  I haven't had too much time to explore it but I think it's for dogs, however I've found some information helpful for my cat.
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Re: Chronic Diarrhea - EPI in Dogs
« Reply #1 on: June 02, 2020, 06:02:40 PM »
A little information about B12, from "Could It Be B12?  An Epidemic of Misdiagnoses" 2nd edition by Sally M. Pacholok, RN BSN and Jeffrey J. Stuart, DO.  (A very good book, and not too technical, by the way. It's about B12 deficiency in humans, but I don't see why it wouldn't apply to cats, dogs and other mammals as well.)

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As B12 deficiency continues, your immune system also falls prey, because it can no longer produce enough disease-fighting white blood cells.  Thus, you become an easier target for viral or bacterial infections.  Your gastrointestinal system suffers as well, because your body can't make enough cells to replace your intestinal lining efficiently, so you may experience diarrhea, nausea, or severe appetite loss.  And eventually, as your B12 deficit grows, you're likely to feel exhausted and weak due to the anemia that occurs when your body can't make enough healthy blood cells to carry oxygen to the cells of your body.
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Re: Chronic Diarrhea - EPI in Dogs
« Reply #2 on: June 14, 2020, 08:32:27 AM »
Here's a link to an article by Dr. Karen Becker about EPI in dogs.  She states it's rare in cats but I don't think it's as rare as she thinks, and there are several comments to the article from readers who have cats with EPI.  Anyway, here's the link:

https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2018/08/05/exocrine-pancreatic-insufficiency-in-dogs.aspx

It's interesting that this disease can also create behavior issues.  Here's another article:

https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/health/exocrine-pancreatic-insufficiency-in-dogs/

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Every part of the body is at risk, even the nervous system (including the brain), which in turn wreaks havoc with the dog’s temperament. Some EPI dogs exhibit increased anxiety, becoming fearful of other dogs, people, and strange objects.

With hunger as an overwhelming force, many dogs act almost feral. Desperately seeking vital nutrition, many ingest inappropriate items, but nothing gets absorbed. As the disease progresses, the deterioration becomes quite rapid. Some dogs lose interest in any activities, preferring to just lie down or hide somewhere. Many owners of EPI dogs become increasingly frustrated, as they feed more than normal amounts and yet their dogs continue to waste away before their eyes.
2-4-6-8  Please don't over-vaccinate!
"Pass on what you have learned."  -- Yoda, Star Wars:  Return of the Jedi

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