Hi.
Has anyone ever come across this deficiency as about 15 minutes ago was the first time i ever heard about it.
After getting off the phone to my freind, who has been taking her dog to the vets because she thought he had worms, has today been told that he is suffering from this deficiency? She is also worrying me as she has been given advice by another freind who is not a vet about non drug treatments as it will be cheaper?
jenny.

Hi Jenny,

It's quite a well known disorder, and can be common in GSD's although I've never had that problem with mine. I don't know a lot about it to be honest....I did have one of my dogs checked for it as he was very thin but thankfully that wasn't the problem.

I really think the best thing is to go with the vets advice to start off with....or get a second opinion from another vet.
This might be a silly question, but have blood tests been taken? As I said, I don't know much about it, but I'm more or less certain that's the only way it can be diagnosed.

Maybe you or your friend could do some research online? Typing in Pancreatic Enzyme deficiency on a search engine will bring up lots of info.

I'm sorry I can't help more, but I'm sure there'll be loads of people along soon that can.

Take care

Lisa

ps, I think treatment is usually an enzyme powder....which is put into food every day...although I may be wrong.

one of my sibes has this problem, very midly though. normal treatment is a change of diet, (vets like to prescripe hills i/d or something similar) and enzymes added to the food daily. i found that none of these prescription diets helped my boy and changed him to a raw natural diet and since doing this i have found he no longer needs the enzymes as he is quite capable of digesting and utilising his raw food. he has put on weight and seems much brighter and happier. if you want any more info feel free to e mail me,
kelly

The dog has had clinical diagnosis of it so i am not sure myself,how they would get, this but if it's blood tests then "i think" they have been done.
He has been put on a course of pancretin, but the vet, has warned that if it does not clear itself, then it may become necessary, to keep her dog continually on tablets.
She has been told that this is pricey and that if she was to visit an, abattoir who would sell her "pancreas glands", then the tablets wouldn't be needed?.
Are you aware if this is true.
Thank You.
Jenny.

She could try feeding the dog some 'sweetbreads' occasionally - those are pancreas glands not testicles as many people think - but whether it would work, I don't know.
:)

EPI is diagnosed through a couple of blood test. are the pills you are refering to the pancretin?, mine used to have a powder supplement. the dog can need to be on it long term, it depends how badly affected the dogs is. if he is producing no enzymes of his own then he will be unable to digest his food and will need enzymes permantly to enable him to utilise his food. my dog has only a mild insufficiency and by changing is diet he is able to manage without any enzmyes. i have been told that feeding pancreas instead of giving the enzymes can work and can be cheaper, but it may not provide enough enzymes for a dog that is badly affected.
kelly

My dog was diagnosed in May with EPI and now last week I just found out that he also has Inflamitory Bowel Disease and a baterial overgrowth.  He is only 2 years old and will be on meds the rest of his life.  I have heard many people say their dogs are on the raw food diet and they don't need enymes anymore.  I would love to try it, but he doesn't have a lot of weight to lose, so I'm hesitant.  If anyone has tried this I'd love to know what you're feeding.  There is a yahoo group for EPI - K9-EPIGLOBAL.  It has a lot of great information on it.  From what I have gathered, not many vets know a lot about this, but there is a lot of info available on the net.