Exogenic Pancreatic Insufficiency

Question
My Dazey is a 41-pound (she should weigh closer to 55) Blue Heeler/Pit Bull cross who has recently been diagnosed with EPI.  My vet told me that the easiest way to treat her for it is to feed her pig pancreas.  There isn't much information available as to how much she needs to be given with each meal and how it should be administered. How many ounces should I give her before each meal?  Should I liquify it or give her frozen bits (I like to call them pigsicles)?  Any help with this would be much appreciated by both Dazey & me.  

Answer
Hi Anna!

You should ask your vet how many ounces of pig pancreas your dog should get daily and how it should be administered.
It probably doesn't matter if your dog gets it liquefied or frozen, whatever way Dazey finds it palatable would probably work just fine, but the amount you give her and if you give it to her before or after a meal might really matter in it's effectiveness as a treatment. I can tell you that it would be better for your dog at this point to be fed multiple small meals (at least 3 times daily) .

If it becomes too much trouble to deal with the pig pancreas (or if you can't find them in your supermarket) you can get replacement pancreatic enzymes from your vet in pill form.

Aside from the "pigsicles", did your vet discuss any dietary Controls?  A low fat, highly digestible, low fiber- low fat diet is sometimes required. Hills Canine i/d is specially formulated to suit the needs of this condition. You can get it through your vet's office.

Has your vet discussed vitamin B-12 treatments for Dazey? Malabsorption of vitamin B12 occurs commonly in conjunction with EPI. B12 is essential for red blood cell production and deficiency leads to anemia and further reduction in bowel function. To keep your dog bright and aid blood cell production you need to give a B12 vitamin supplement. It is often recommended that the B12 is administered by injection from your veterinarian.

Here a couple of web pages that discusses EPI (if you haven't already seen them) you might find it helpful. The articles may give you other diet options or treatments to discuss with your vet. Go to:
http://www.homevet.com/petcare/expi.html
http://www.cah.com/library/pancreatitis.html
http://www.vetcentric.com/reference/encycEntry.cfm?ENTRY=96&COLLECTION=EncycIlln...

You might find the following web site helpful, they list homeopathic supplements for pancreatic diseases:

http://www.naturalhealinghouse.com/product_overview.htm

ALWAYS ask your vet before beginning ANY homeopathic, or "natural" products.

You might find it helpful to discuss your dog's health concerns with others who own dogs suffering from the same condition. You can find out an awful lot from other people who are going through the same thing!
Here is the web address for a discussion board:

http://www.i-dog.com/board/messages/46/61435.html?1084478627

I hope this has been helpful and good luck!Please keep me posted and give that Dazey girl lots of get well kisses!Sending wagging tails your way!
Nicole.D.