Please help! Sudden symptom regression

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.
Post Reply
MomToLenni
Member
Posts: 2
Country: United States
State: Texas
Pet name: Lenni
My name: Alice

Please help! Sudden symptom regression

Post by MomToLenni » 06 Mar 2023, 05:20

Hi all! I’ve lurked around this forum for a while now but never posted before.

First, let me say a huge and warm THANK YOU to all the loving and generous minds that run this page. My beautiful dog Lenni (2.5 years old, half border collie half lab, diagnosed with EPI in October 2021) was diagnosed with this condition after he has to undergo emergency anesthesia for porcupine quill removal in September 2021. The anesthesia seemed to stress his system, and he began having the classic EPI symptoms. We live in a rural area, and our vets weren’t much help. With some obsessive googling, I found this page and made the connection as to what was going on. I advocated with our vet, they tested for EPI, and we got our diagnosis in October 2021.

Since then, we’ve had great success with using enzyme Diane 6x strength at a 1tsp/1 cup food ratio. We also give 1/4 tsp wonderlabs slippery elm with each meal, and a wonderlabs b12 pill each morning. We weighed him yesterday, and he’s holding steady at 64lbs. Anywhere near 65 is his norm.
Lenni currently eats 1.5 cups food twice daily. For the longest time we had him on sport dog food herding variety. Once that food went out of stock, I began him on Taste of the Wild High Prairie Grain-Free (at the advice of some people on this sub). He’s been doing well with the switch, which we initially made in December 2022.

Additionally, we didn’t have Lenni neutered until recently due to the EPI. Since his symptoms were first catalyzed after undergoing anesthesia, I’ve been nervous to have him undergo it again. However, we made the choice to have him neutered on 1/27/23, because he began showing some heightened territorial behaviors around food. It seemingly went well.

Onto our current issue. In the past 4-5 days, Lenni has begun having urine accidents inside at night. This has never been an issue before - he was potty trained when we got him. However, before the EPI was diagnosed and managed, he got us up 2-4x a night for bathroom breaks. We now have a newborn at home, so typically my husband or I will get up in the middle of the night, and we always let Lenni out when we do so. Lately, we’ve been coming out of our room to find urine puddles. It took us a bit to connect what was happening because it’s so out of the usual. We’re planning to visit our vet today when they open.

I got up in the middle of the night (as I’m currently writing this), to find very loose, greasy yellow stool all over our floor. This is a first, as Lenni has never had an accident like this inside. We have changed nothing in his food regimen. The only thing I can think is that when our baby drops food on the floor (always things like boiled veggies or turkey meat), we let both our dogs lick the scraps. I plan to stop this immediately.

Any thoughts on what could cause this sudden onset of urinary and fecal incontinence? Any treatment ideas?

So far in our EPI journey, I’ve just instructed the vet what tests or meds we want using info from this forum and they’ve willingly complied. All the vets in our area admittedly don’t have experience treating EPI.

Additionally, when we were first getting Lenni’s symptoms under control we also used the Tylan powder. We used it a tiny maintenance dose (1/16th tsp daily) for many months, and weaned all the way off probably 6-7 months ago.

Cheers and thanks!

User avatar
jilbert57
Staff
Posts: 2090
Country: United States
State: Washington

Re: Please help! Sudden symptom regression

Post by jilbert57 » 06 Mar 2023, 09:55

Hi Alice and kudos for being Lennie's advocate!
You have done a great job.
It sounds like SID/SIBO possibly presenting itself or maybe added stress from a change in routine from baby crying?(my guess)
You could add the Tylan in there twice daily at the new weight dose for 45 days and see if that clears it up.

As for the urination I would have the vet check for UTI.

Please let us know how the vet appt goes.

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.

MomToLenni
Member
Posts: 2
Country: United States
State: Texas
Pet name: Lenni
My name: Alice

Re: Please help! Sudden symptom regression

Post by MomToLenni » 06 Mar 2023, 13:45

Thank you, Jill! We went to the vet this morning. Blood work, fecal test, and urine test all looked good - with the exception of his urine being acidic. Vet agreed with the recommendation to go back on Tylan, so we’re giving that a shot!

User avatar
Olesia711
Founder & Research Director
Posts: 3857
Location: North Carolina
Country: United States
State: North Carolina
Pet name: Izzy
My name: olesia

Re: Please help! Sudden symptom regression

Post by Olesia711 » 06 Mar 2023, 19:07

Hi ALice,

I am just now catching up on some posts and i agree 100% with Jill and your vet's assessment and recommendation.... it sounds like this could possibly be stress due to a new born in the house that is triggering this set back...also getting up in the middle of the night may have set a pattern and if you change the pattern a bit, that too can trigger "accidents".

In any case, i too think going back on the Tylan (at least for the time being) would be a good thing until things settle down. Also... you might find that giving a pinch more enzymes might be warranted.

So... with the acidic urine.... that can be a UTI brewing.... did the vet expound on this? give any medication or suggestions? or did he want to wait and see.. or did he feel that Tylan was enough at this point?

Hope this helps and please keep us psoted.
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.........

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 226 guests