New diagnosis - but he hates the enzyme

Epi4Dogs Foundation Inc.’s mission is the advancement of science and education relating to EPI (Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency), yielding useful insights and positive outcomes in better managing EPI in dogs and cats. Our goals are to support and/or collaborate with veterinary EPI research and researchers, and to promote EPI awareness by educating the general public, pet owners, pet organizations, rescue and shelter organizations, veterinary schools and veterinarians.
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kholzer
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Posts: 14
Country: United States
State: Ohio
Pet name: Oliver
My name: Kat

New diagnosis - but he hates the enzyme

Post by kholzer » 26 Apr 2022, 01:58

Hi everyone, my dog Oliver has finally been diagnosed after a year battle w/multiple vets. Today is day two of his enzyme replacement and he HATES the stuff. On top of EPI we ran an allergy test and sure enough Oliver is allergic to interplay everything except potatoes, salmon, and a few other veggies. But fish is the only meat he can have.

Also Oliver has already been on prednisone for multiple months, as well as a few courses of flagyl.

So of course now I’m at a loss as to what todo to try get him to eat his treated food. The enzyme my vet told me to start with is called PancrePlus.

Any advice would be very welcome!

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jilbert57
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Re: New diagnosis - but he hates the enzyme

Post by jilbert57 » 26 Apr 2022, 09:08

Hi Kat!
Welcome to you and Oliver. If you would be so kind to post Olivers test tesults of Tli, B12 and folate, what you are feeding etc it will help.

You can try disguising the enzyme smell by drizzling tuna oil or water on before serving or adding something like parmesan cheese, or so.ething else smelly. Serving on a flat plate helps some dogs. You can also try by putting the enzyme in gel capsules and feeding before the meal but this is tricky as more is needed because it needs to get through the stomach acid. There is also Creon that are enteric coated spheres in a capsule you open and put on food right before consumption. The doseage on it is tricky however.

Was Oliver diagnosed with SID hence the prescriptions of Flagyl?

Jill
My name is Jill and we live on the Hood Canal in Washington State. We currently have 2 Jack russells, TJ is 8 and Sadie is 2.

Mickey and his pancreatitis brought me to Epi4dogs.com site in 2012 to help manage it.
He lived from 6/99 - 8/2014

Mickey, Jack Russell. Chronic Pancreatitis. Dianes enzymes, 1/8t 3x/day with meals.

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Olesia711
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Re: New diagnosis - but he hates the enzyme

Post by Olesia711 » 26 Apr 2022, 10:44

Jill gave you some of our best tried and true suggestions.... sometimes you have to try a bunch of tricks before you can get some dogs to eat food with the enzymes... but it almost always works out.

In the meantime... we also have a page on it: https://epi4dogs.com/camouflaging-the-enzymes/

Try one technique at a time.... and keep us posted as we can help walk you thru how and what to try.

Also... just want to confirm that you ARE moistening the food after you add enzymes and letting it sit for about 20 minutes before feeding.. yes?
Olesia, was owned by Izzy, a 35lb Spanish Water Dog (SWD), Diagnosed at 1.5 years old - TLI results 1.. Izzy passed away on February 13, 2020 at 15 years old. She lived with EPI for 13+1/2 years. It was because of Izzy that Epi4Dogs was started... she was the inspiration. May her legacy of helping others with EPI continue for as long as needed.........

Tuckaboo Pam
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Pet name: Tucker
My name: Pam H.

Re: New diagnosis - but he hates the enzyme

Post by Tuckaboo Pam » 26 Apr 2022, 17:51

Hey Kat---

Here's a food suggestion---

https://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/t ... ed-salmon/

---Pam
Tucker was a shepherd/lab mix--- TLI 1.3, Folate 9.7, Cobalamin 666, Lipase 38. Took Diane's Enzymes 4 teaspoons/day, Wonderlabs B12 one capsule per day, and Tylan 1/16 teaspoon/ morning (to hold SID at bay). Taste of the Wild High Prairie, 1 1/2 cups/day, with a total of 4 cups of Fresh Pet. Stopped eating everything in sight, and went from 60 to 85 pounds! Tucker was my boyfriend, and my husband was OK with that. Tucker succumbed to hemangiosarcoma, but we cherished every day we had with that wonderful, beautiful boy. I will always, always miss my sweet big boy.

Barb
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Re: New diagnosis - but he hates the enzyme

Post by Barb » 26 Apr 2022, 18:36

Hello Kat. Welcome to you and Oliver.

Some dogs don't even notice the enzymes on their food.....our dog was not one of them. Kolby HATED the enzymes. But eventually, he got hungry enough and we used some of the tricks suggested. We discovered the flat plate accidentally because we were feeding him by hand just to get him to eat and he would take the food from our hand. So then we tried feeding him with a spoon and he took it. It dawned on us that he didn't like sticking his head into the bowl of food. The smell was too strong. So we tried a flat plate and it worked. Don't be discouraged....well, try not to be too discouraged. He'll come around eventually. Kolby lived to be 11 on the enzymes he hated.....don't give up.

Barb

michaelwilkshire
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Location: Fort Worth, Texas
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State: Texas
Pet name: Zeus
My name: Michael Wilkshire

Re: New diagnosis - but he hates the enzyme

Post by michaelwilkshire » 28 Apr 2022, 11:14

Our Zeus isn't a big fan of the enzyme either. He's reluctant to eat even if we mix it with water. We've mixed it with canned food but he got bored with that. We've been mixing it with canned pumpkin and he's good with that. About a tsp. and a half of pumpkin is enough to mask the enzyme and then we mix it with his kibble.

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Olesia711
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Re: New diagnosis - but he hates the enzyme

Post by Olesia711 » 28 Apr 2022, 16:57

pumpkin is a great suggestion... thanks!
Olesia, was owned by Izzy, a 35lb Spanish Water Dog (SWD), Diagnosed at 1.5 years old - TLI results 1.. Izzy passed away on February 13, 2020 at 15 years old. She lived with EPI for 13+1/2 years. It was because of Izzy that Epi4Dogs was started... she was the inspiration. May her legacy of helping others with EPI continue for as long as needed.........

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Fuzzysmom
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Country: United States
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Pet name: Fuzzy
My name: Melanie

Re: New diagnosis - but he hates the enzyme

Post by Fuzzysmom » 29 Apr 2022, 13:38

In the beginning Fuzzy did not want to comply with the enzymes. I was able to hide the smell in various things for awhile. Green tripe ball, canned Mackerel or sardines in water. Mashed the fish, some of the water, and enzymes let them sit for 15 min. then added it to food.

Even with all that he still had his moments, especially if he had a SID flare. I was frantic and stressed of course because here he is sickly and skinny and doesn't want to eat. Finally I came up with a plan to outwit him. (A very proud moment ;)

I'd make a meatball with the enzymes, b 12 , slippery elm & probiotic inside and toss it down his throat. Then let him eat the rest of his food. Sometimes he'd get annoyed and wander off after the meatball. So I let him eat the food first then toss in the meatball lol. Fuzzy has a huge mouth :lol: so maybe 2 smaller meat balls for your dog

In your case since fish is all yours can have, I'd try a meat ball made of pate canned fish food.

I don't know if he got tired of the meatballs tossing or if the feeling better over time did the trick but he eats the enzymes reliably in his food now.

Of course he still sniffs them gives me a stink eye before he eats.
Fuzzy is a Boerboel dob 8/29/19 diagnosed by TLI 1/5/22 Ideal weight 175lbs + Still growing so he's fed to lean body condition for growth. After regulation enzyme amt. went from 1 tsp a cup>1 1/2 tsp per meal> NOW 1/2 tsp per meal!

1st meal: 2 cups Inukshuk Marine 25 2 cup raw blend(tripe,organs,beef) 1/2 tsp Pantennex 2 B12,
2nd : 1 cup Inukshuk Marine 25 , 1cup raw 1/2 tsp Pantennex

He is completely off the slippery elm maintenance amt (1/8 tsp)although I keep on hand in case of sibo. 2 Prescript Assist Soil based probiotics every 4 days

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kholzer
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Posts: 14
Country: United States
State: Ohio
Pet name: Oliver
My name: Kat

Re: New diagnosis - but he hates the enzyme

Post by kholzer » 01 May 2022, 07:31

Oh wow thank you all for the tips, I will have to get his lab values from the specialist. My original vet couldn’t figure out the diagnosis so he sent me to a specialist - frustrating because I specifically asked my OG Vet to test for EPI. Anyway, the plate trick seems to work really well we have gained 3 lbs in about a week and a half - YAY!! Except now yesterday he suddenly had the puddle poop gas explosions. He has been on flagyl multiple times so I had some left over so I gave him another dose of that and it seemed to help already. This morning it seemed more firm.

What does everyone do for treats? I found blue buffalo chews that he isn’t allergic to (since he is allergic to basically everything) can I just treat them with a sprinkle of enzyme?

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kholzer
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Posts: 14
Country: United States
State: Ohio
Pet name: Oliver
My name: Kat

Re: New diagnosis - but he hates the enzyme

Post by kholzer » 01 May 2022, 07:34

michaelwilkshire wrote: 28 Apr 2022, 11:14 Our Zeus isn't a big fan of the enzyme either. He's reluctant to eat even if we mix it with water. We've mixed it with canned food but he got bored with that. We've been mixing it with canned pumpkin and he's good with that. About a tsp. and a half of pumpkin is enough to mask the enzyme and then we mix it with his kibble.


Thank you!! I will try this some days he gets pokey about it even with the plate method. The vet told me the enzyme can sit for up to 24 hours. We found that letting it sit for a little longer 2ish hours helps a lot too. It’s not always an option when we get home from work and it’s late (I’m a nurse so I don’t get home until 8pm) but for days I’m off I try to do that since he seems to enjoy his food more those days.

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