Epi, pancreatitis or something else?
Posted: 12 Jan 2023, 19:21
I happened to find this forum while googling. I've been struggling with my now just recently turned 13 female Dachshund.
She has been diagnosed with pancreatitis when she was young. Always had her in a low fat diet without any flare ups. Three years ago she was having some back issues so vet had her on Galliprant...an nsaid and ever since then I have been struggling trying to help her. Shortly after going on it for just 2 days I noticed she was having tons of gas, acting very off, all of a sudden became allergic to every protein, etc. Over 3 years I have been to numerous vets and internists and even the vet school in Gainsville FL spending a good 23k and still no answers. I have tried every food, diet, supplements and still havent gotten anywhere.
I had taken her to Blue Pearl who did blood work up, ultrasound and nothing came back. I had her on a prescription low fat diet at the time and she was gulping all of the time with it so I figured food allergy so got her onto something else.
At one point it was thought she had IBD so of course diets trials, meds and supplements were tried. Acupunture, laser treatment, you name it. She was given the steroid Budesinide at one point which made things worse. I had hired 3 nutritionists and all failed.
She was checked for cushings a few times. I actually had another Daschund who I had to let go at 12 due to very similar issues, was told he had cushings and they aren't even related, however he did have nodules in his small intestine. Her ACTH always came back slightly high, but not enough to diagnose. A low dose dex test was all normal and she was actually more on the Addisons side. I had always suggested atypical, but no vet has wanted to actually test her for it.
The only food I could ever get her on with the least symptoms was Honest Kitchen Base Fruit/Veggie and alligator. This seems fine, but then I swear she flares.
Two months ago Pixie got into something outside and next day was having blood mucus stools. Took her to the ER where the vet flat out told me vets don't know anything and they just act like it after I had told her my long history getting nowhere. She said it "could be" pancreatitis and considering her history I had agreed. I was sent home and told to followup with the vet in the morning. The vet I had seen at that time put her on metronidozole and it did stop the blood, but was giving her neuro side effects. She was put on Tylan before thinking she had sibo, but it did nothing.
I told my current vet I really think she has pancreatitis which is causing damage to her small intestine. I was given some prescription enzymes and what I saw was more poop, bulky and almost greyish. In the past she's had mustard yellow or bright orange stools during flares. No vet has ever cared about her stool color. None. I've been told her tli is high so dont give her enzymes because she's already producing too much.
The last few weeks I feel she has been going very downhill. I have seen my current vet several times and things get ignored, no care and no advice. I have seen so many vets around here and all are the same.
Her labs history has shown high TLI, but normal B12/Folate every time I've checked in the past. Her Amalyse/Lipase where always normal and CPL would be normal or abnormal.
She has had high ALT at one point where even the vet school tried to blame her teeth on it.....which is wasnt.
Her labs lately have shown elevated amaylse, but told non specific due to many causes, high lipase that is consistent with pancreatitis, a GI panel from VDI labs showed possible pancreatitis, but no IBD according to their lab. It did say she has some small intestinal inflammation, but now she has low vitamin D, low folate......but high B12.
So here I am confused because she has low folate, but high B12. If she had sibo wouldnt the folate be high? I havent redone the TLI yet, but just had one done 2 months ago along with the 4th ultrasound I have done and that was quite high. If she has EPI wouldnt the B12 be low and the TLI? I know high B12 could be her pancreas or even liver. I had always suspected liver issues, but I'm always told no. At one point I thought kidney failure and that's what brought me to the vet school and 2 other vets saying she had stage 2. I was then told no she doesnt by the vet school head kidney dr there. They to did an ultrasound which showed nothing. Out of all of the ultrasounds I've had done only the first said they saw some scaring from past pancreatitis.
I'm just at loss what to do because here my dog is going downhill and all I do is shell out money for vets to not help. It's really sad here with the treatment I've received.
Her stools as of late have been all over the place. Usually normal with some of the honest kitchen in it, but early 4 am this morning it was like her entire intestinal tract let go and she pooped so much 3 times. They were very bulky, but not quite liquid. No mucus, but smelly. Color was brown yet slightly yellowish. Today she went a little and it was small, formed, but a tad of mucus.
I have noticed her limping after she eats there is some confusing behavior at times and all I'm told is its probably her back because she's a Dachshund. If that were the case then she wouldnt walk perfectly normal at other times.
I've mentioned for 3 years how she always acts like she is starving and they just laugh or ignore it. They figure as long as she's eating no worries.
I've mentioned how her weight when this all had started was 14 lbs. She dropped to 12.5 for quite sometime and recently is almost 11 now. Again, they don't care. I dont think they ever will and I feel like I'm almost to the point I'm going to have to let her go. Sad part is there's times she seemed perfectly fine and looks good, but then she begs to eat, eats and its all downhill.
I have tried probiotics and even those seem to flare her up. I found Grandma Mae's dog food which is limited ingredient and low fat, but it is kibble and she hasn't been on kibble for over 3 years so I'm worried it will just cause more problems or make her really sick if I even attempt to give her even a piece. I have been mentioning on how I think her biome has a lot to do with things and no one understands it even with 1 vet actually getting a dysbiosis score test from Texas A&M.
Oh and she has random muscle weakness, sometimes has these weird jerk back things if she barks and shakes....which has to be pain. The muscle weakness is clearly because of the loss. She barely has any muscle on her....but ribs aren't showing yet. I was referred to a neurologist who said he saw nothing wrong with her. She was checked for an auto immune disease that Dachshunds cant get with muscles and that was normal.
She does urp and gulp a lot. Gas used to be crazy and I finally got that under control and have no idea how (gas x makes her sick so I couldnt use that), but now it only seems to happen after she poops. Her stomach does go crazy after she eats though and wasnt doing that 2 weeks ago.
I thought 2 weeks ago she was actually doing pretty good and wouldnt even think food allergies, but that didnt last.
I've asked about having her in the hospital on IV, but around here I guess they don't do that anymore unless she's constantly vomiting and she has vomited if bad enough.
Only thing I havent done is an actual intestinal biopsy and in the past no one wanted to do it based on labs, ultrasounds, etc. Now, I've have a few mention it, but then you're told what the prep is like and I cant put her through that in the state she's in. I also worry if she'd eve survive being put under at this point. Her labs and history just in 3 years though is huge.
Early today she was playful and seemed fine then tonight back to being messed up. That's what makes this so hard.
Does anyone have any advice for me based on the low folate, but high b12? Couldnt she be at the point of epi now or could it be pancreatitis or maybe even both? Should I try her back on enzymes if she's having active pancreatitis?
She has been diagnosed with pancreatitis when she was young. Always had her in a low fat diet without any flare ups. Three years ago she was having some back issues so vet had her on Galliprant...an nsaid and ever since then I have been struggling trying to help her. Shortly after going on it for just 2 days I noticed she was having tons of gas, acting very off, all of a sudden became allergic to every protein, etc. Over 3 years I have been to numerous vets and internists and even the vet school in Gainsville FL spending a good 23k and still no answers. I have tried every food, diet, supplements and still havent gotten anywhere.
I had taken her to Blue Pearl who did blood work up, ultrasound and nothing came back. I had her on a prescription low fat diet at the time and she was gulping all of the time with it so I figured food allergy so got her onto something else.
At one point it was thought she had IBD so of course diets trials, meds and supplements were tried. Acupunture, laser treatment, you name it. She was given the steroid Budesinide at one point which made things worse. I had hired 3 nutritionists and all failed.
She was checked for cushings a few times. I actually had another Daschund who I had to let go at 12 due to very similar issues, was told he had cushings and they aren't even related, however he did have nodules in his small intestine. Her ACTH always came back slightly high, but not enough to diagnose. A low dose dex test was all normal and she was actually more on the Addisons side. I had always suggested atypical, but no vet has wanted to actually test her for it.
The only food I could ever get her on with the least symptoms was Honest Kitchen Base Fruit/Veggie and alligator. This seems fine, but then I swear she flares.
Two months ago Pixie got into something outside and next day was having blood mucus stools. Took her to the ER where the vet flat out told me vets don't know anything and they just act like it after I had told her my long history getting nowhere. She said it "could be" pancreatitis and considering her history I had agreed. I was sent home and told to followup with the vet in the morning. The vet I had seen at that time put her on metronidozole and it did stop the blood, but was giving her neuro side effects. She was put on Tylan before thinking she had sibo, but it did nothing.
I told my current vet I really think she has pancreatitis which is causing damage to her small intestine. I was given some prescription enzymes and what I saw was more poop, bulky and almost greyish. In the past she's had mustard yellow or bright orange stools during flares. No vet has ever cared about her stool color. None. I've been told her tli is high so dont give her enzymes because she's already producing too much.
The last few weeks I feel she has been going very downhill. I have seen my current vet several times and things get ignored, no care and no advice. I have seen so many vets around here and all are the same.
Her labs history has shown high TLI, but normal B12/Folate every time I've checked in the past. Her Amalyse/Lipase where always normal and CPL would be normal or abnormal.
She has had high ALT at one point where even the vet school tried to blame her teeth on it.....which is wasnt.
Her labs lately have shown elevated amaylse, but told non specific due to many causes, high lipase that is consistent with pancreatitis, a GI panel from VDI labs showed possible pancreatitis, but no IBD according to their lab. It did say she has some small intestinal inflammation, but now she has low vitamin D, low folate......but high B12.
So here I am confused because she has low folate, but high B12. If she had sibo wouldnt the folate be high? I havent redone the TLI yet, but just had one done 2 months ago along with the 4th ultrasound I have done and that was quite high. If she has EPI wouldnt the B12 be low and the TLI? I know high B12 could be her pancreas or even liver. I had always suspected liver issues, but I'm always told no. At one point I thought kidney failure and that's what brought me to the vet school and 2 other vets saying she had stage 2. I was then told no she doesnt by the vet school head kidney dr there. They to did an ultrasound which showed nothing. Out of all of the ultrasounds I've had done only the first said they saw some scaring from past pancreatitis.
I'm just at loss what to do because here my dog is going downhill and all I do is shell out money for vets to not help. It's really sad here with the treatment I've received.
Her stools as of late have been all over the place. Usually normal with some of the honest kitchen in it, but early 4 am this morning it was like her entire intestinal tract let go and she pooped so much 3 times. They were very bulky, but not quite liquid. No mucus, but smelly. Color was brown yet slightly yellowish. Today she went a little and it was small, formed, but a tad of mucus.
I have noticed her limping after she eats there is some confusing behavior at times and all I'm told is its probably her back because she's a Dachshund. If that were the case then she wouldnt walk perfectly normal at other times.
I've mentioned for 3 years how she always acts like she is starving and they just laugh or ignore it. They figure as long as she's eating no worries.
I've mentioned how her weight when this all had started was 14 lbs. She dropped to 12.5 for quite sometime and recently is almost 11 now. Again, they don't care. I dont think they ever will and I feel like I'm almost to the point I'm going to have to let her go. Sad part is there's times she seemed perfectly fine and looks good, but then she begs to eat, eats and its all downhill.
I have tried probiotics and even those seem to flare her up. I found Grandma Mae's dog food which is limited ingredient and low fat, but it is kibble and she hasn't been on kibble for over 3 years so I'm worried it will just cause more problems or make her really sick if I even attempt to give her even a piece. I have been mentioning on how I think her biome has a lot to do with things and no one understands it even with 1 vet actually getting a dysbiosis score test from Texas A&M.
Oh and she has random muscle weakness, sometimes has these weird jerk back things if she barks and shakes....which has to be pain. The muscle weakness is clearly because of the loss. She barely has any muscle on her....but ribs aren't showing yet. I was referred to a neurologist who said he saw nothing wrong with her. She was checked for an auto immune disease that Dachshunds cant get with muscles and that was normal.
She does urp and gulp a lot. Gas used to be crazy and I finally got that under control and have no idea how (gas x makes her sick so I couldnt use that), but now it only seems to happen after she poops. Her stomach does go crazy after she eats though and wasnt doing that 2 weeks ago.
I thought 2 weeks ago she was actually doing pretty good and wouldnt even think food allergies, but that didnt last.
I've asked about having her in the hospital on IV, but around here I guess they don't do that anymore unless she's constantly vomiting and she has vomited if bad enough.
Only thing I havent done is an actual intestinal biopsy and in the past no one wanted to do it based on labs, ultrasounds, etc. Now, I've have a few mention it, but then you're told what the prep is like and I cant put her through that in the state she's in. I also worry if she'd eve survive being put under at this point. Her labs and history just in 3 years though is huge.
Early today she was playful and seemed fine then tonight back to being messed up. That's what makes this so hard.
Does anyone have any advice for me based on the low folate, but high b12? Couldnt she be at the point of epi now or could it be pancreatitis or maybe even both? Should I try her back on enzymes if she's having active pancreatitis?