Swiss Lick Swissies

Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency

Thursday, April 30th, 2009 | Random Stuff

I’d like to talk about an issue that Murphy the Swissy has had over the past several months.

Murphy is a puppy around 8 months old. His human mentioned that he hadn’t been feeling well or acting like himself. His BM was sometimes the consistency of toothpaste, and other times was diarrhea. He has had vomiting episodes as well.

The initial thought was that Murphy had Giardia or possibly issues with his food. The vet ran tests, but he tested negative for Giardia. (Which is good news…) He was put on a bland diet of boiled chicken and rice until the vet could figure out what was up with him–whether it was a general food allergy or sensitivity, or something else completely different. During the process, poor Murphy lost 12 pounds.

After blood work, the vet came back with a diagnosis. Murphy has Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency, or EPI. He needs to be on a prescription enzyme formula and a low residue diet. Permanently. The vet recommended specific foods, but Murphy’s human has opted to go a different route, and has been working with a Canine Nutritionist. More details on that later.

If you’re like me, you’re now wondering what the heck EPI is. In basic terms, it means the dog (or human) has problems digesting and absorbing nutrients. It can also be referred to as maldigestion syndrome.

The pancreas is known for being the organ that produces insulin, so we are frequently familiar with it in relation to diabetes. But it’s also also responsible for producing enzymes that allow dogs to digest their food.

The digestive enzymes produced by the pancreas are what breaks down food in the intestine into smaller particles. The major digestive enzymes are protein molecules (I know, getting all science-y and technical), and are produced and stored in the pancreas. They include amylase, lipase, trypsin and chymotrypsin. Amylase breaks down starches, and lipase breaks down fats and triglycerides. Trypsin and Chymotrypsin break down protein.

When your dog eats, it stimulates the release of these enzymes.

EPI exists when there is a decrease or absence of these enzymes in your dog. Which means the food they are eating cannot be broken down into small enough pieces to allow absorption through the intestinal wall. The food instead stays in the GI tract and is passed out in the poop. (Again, highly technical term.) Without treatment, a dog could literally starve to death even if it constantly eats.

I’ve read that the signs of EPI are obvious, but that assumes that you are aware of the disease in the first place. I would never even thought of Murphy having EPI before, having never really heard of it. But now that I have, I will always have it in the back of my head.

The disorder can show up gradually, or develop rapidly. I know, that doesn’t necessarily help. But rapid weight loss and poor coat quality are signs. Also, diarrhea with light yellow or clay-colored stools, with almost a mashed potato (or toothpaste, as Murphy’s mom saw) consistency. You could possibly see large quantities of undigested fat, and your dog may seem like it’s starving.

EPI is diagnosed with both blood and stool tests. The vet will look for the levels of enzymes in each.

Once diagnosed, treatment is readily available. Just keep in mind–the treatment is for life, and may be expensive. It involves a specific (prescription, I believe) digestive enzyme that the dog must take daily. It is typical for a low residue diet also be prescribed for the dog.

I will be following this entry up in the not-too-distant future with information from the Dog Food Guru, Dana Montero. She will be working with Murphy’s family to formulate a diet that will work for him and allows him to be a happy, healthy, Swissy puppy. Keep watching!

Tags: Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, Swissy

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