My dog has EPI. What are effective treatments and medications?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There are really no good at home remedies for this. She just needs to be supplemented with the appropriate pancreatic enzymes that she lacks. Usually this is easy and straightforward to treat. Good luck and have a great day!

Yes, it is possible. They most likely give her a pancreatic enzyme supplement, possibly a special diet and maybe other medications. Enzyme supplements and special prescription foods are very costly, especially for a large breed.

EPI can be a very frustrating condition to manage, weekly B12 injections, a hydrolyzed diet such as royal canin hypoallergenic and lypex supplement all help to control symptoms and maintain weight but any treats or stolen snacs can be expected to create flare ups

Not all dogs with EPI require B12 inj or supplementation but I would recommend it for any dog which is not maintaining their weight despite treatment. I also recommend feeding a highly digestible, hydrolysed diet such as royal canin hypoallergenic in these patients as it requires much less digestion by the pancreas than other diets and can compensate for reduced function

I believe you are asking about Pancreatic Insufficiency. The pancreas does not make the appropriate enzymes so the food is not digested properly. These dogs often very thin as they cannot properly absorb nutrients. Tests can determine if the pancreas is the cause and treatment is an enzyme supplement. If you suspect Kia has this problem, take her into see the veterinarian for an evaluation.

Many times dogs with epi will have grayish stools that appear to have a sheen. That being said, the stool color cannot be used to diagnose disease conditions. If you are worried about epi in Kia, a blood test can give the accurate results. Thank you for using Pet Coach!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. She does look very slim. A test for EPI will be definitely a very good idea as the symptoms are consistent with EPI and this disease usually affects German Shepherd Dogs. You local vets will be able to take a blood sample and send it off for testing towards EPI. Good luck