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Digestive Issues/Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency/IBD


KDeP1984

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Hello. I’m new here and we have a 1 year old cairn named Barney. I’ve never had a cairn before (our last was a yorkie) and was hoping for some advice on our little one because he has been oh so sick the past few months and I just want him to feel better... We got Barns when he was 8 weeks old and from day one he was playful, energetic and happy. We started him on the puppy food the breeder used (bil jak chicken) and he was fine. We switched him to bil jak adult food in October and in mid November, his entire demeanor changed overnight it seemed. He became less playful and lethargic. He won’t touch his toys, tail is always down and he just looks sad. He’s been having digestive issues where his food is just going right through him and coming out really soft and swirly and he’s been so dehydrated lately that he’s been downing bowls of water and he’s so hungry all the time because I don’t think he’s getting enough nutrients from his food. The vet prescribed hills I/d dry food and an anti inflammatory but there was no change. We then tried royal canine ultimino food with a probiotic and a round of deworming and no change...we’ve had a CBC which came back normal and had his stool tested and they found no parasites in that...we thought maybe he had a chicken allergy so tried wellness salmon and potato and his stool did initially harden a bit but then after a few days it became soft and is going right through him. He had more blood work done yesterday to see if he has Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency and we are awaiting the results. The vet says if it’s not that, they think it would either be IBD (in which case they would want to do an ultrasound and a biopsy) or blood cancer. I stumbled across a similar topic about IBD from a few years back and though I would start a new one to see if anyone else had any similar problems recently with their pups. It just breaks my heart to see him suffering like this and we don’t want to put him through unnecessary exploratory  surgery if it’s not going to help him. Thank you!

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Hello and welcome. Although not common EPI is not unknown in Cairns. Several members have posted on the subject; here is an older post that in turn collects links to several prior discussions — I hope it proves helpful.

 

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This is so sad to read and I'm sorry for what you are going through. A remedy that has often been used by folks here, including myself is canned, plain pumpkin, (not the pie filling!) It seems to have properties that help alleviate diarrhea. But of course, if there is a serious underlying health issue, the pumpkin won't be effective. Years ago Carrington was diagnosed with IBD after undergoing ultrasound and biopsy. He was treated with meds and diet improved over time until he was asymptomatic. I have my fingers crossed for the same recovery for precious Barney!

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FEAR THE CAIRN!

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Guest dog person

Please make an appointment with a veterinary internal medicine specialist, asap.   Request your dog's records from your current vet and bring them with you or arrange to have them faxed.

For science based veterinary medicine go here: http://skeptvet.com/Blog/

The site is run by a veterinarian, however, he has not examined your dog so he can not give specific advice as it would be unethical.

PS: I would not give supplements or take dietary advice from the internet for a dog with a serious condition such as yours has.

You could make things worse.   Not all supplements are benign and some can interfere with the absorption and effectiveness of prescription meds.    Please continue to work closely with your veterinarian for the best results.

Good luck

Edited by dog person
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You and Barney have been through a lot and I feel awful for you.  There's nothing more frustrating that a non-diagnosis - until you get a solid diagnosis, you can't do a damn thing.  I hope the results of the blood test come back quickly so you can map out a plan.  Keeping fingers and paws crossed for you here.  Please post an update when you have more news to share.

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Thank you all for your help and concern! The vet had mentioned Viokase if the blood work comes back positive for EPI and we hope to have the results by Monday. Part of me hopes that’s his diagnosis just so that we can treat it and get him feeling better. I’ll let you all know when we get the results!

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Guest dog person

Obviously your dog has a serious condition, it is not normal for a 1 year old dog to be as sick as your dog is.

Whoever gave me the down arrow is an idiot (in my opinion)

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16 minutes ago, dog person said:

Obviously your dog has a serious condition, it is not normal for a 1 year old dog to be as sick as your dog is.

Whoever gave me the down arrow is an idiot (in my opinion)

I agree with you that there is definitely something wrong with him. We’ve been taking him to the vet since the first day we noticed he was off back in November but they’re still trying to have him diagnosed. The vet has advised us to wait until we get his pancreatic blood panel back prior to making an appointment with an internal med specialist. I just hate having to wait with him feeling so crappy and not getting any nutrients from his food.

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Guest dog person
12 minutes ago, KDeP1984 said:

I agree with you that there is definitely something wrong with him. We’ve been taking him to the vet since the first day we noticed he was off back in November but they’re still trying to have him diagnosed. The vet has advised us to wait until we get his pancreatic blood panel back prior to making an appointment with an internal med specialist. I just hate having to wait with him feeling so crappy and not getting any nutrients from his food.

Do some research, make a tentative appointment with a internal medicine specialist, the good ones are usually booked up for at least a month or two.

You can always cancel a week or two prior if your regular vet comes through with a diagnosis and treatment plan that you are comfortable with.

It depends on how extreme the symptoms are.  I prefer to err on the side of safety.

Edited by dog person
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K

I started thinking ...has your pup been tested for Addison’s disease? It s a difficult disease to diagnose not only in dogs and humans also.  I have a friend and it took two years before her doctors figured it might be Addisons...and it was. It a disease that can be managed with medication. Perhaps suggest it to your vet. Here is a link from AKC that you might want to read.https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/addisons-disease-in-dogs-symptoms-treatment-prevention/

Edited by Sam I Am
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Until one has loved an animal, a part of  one's soul remains unawakened.  - Anatole France

Adventures with Sam &Rosie

 

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Thanks everyone for your help! I felt so helpless watching him suffer like that but we got some good news tonight. The vet called and said that Barney’s pancreatic profile results came back and the results were consistent with EPI and a vitamin B deficiency. We have to put him on an enzyme replacement but he should be OK. I am relieved that we finally know what has been wrong with him and hopefully he starts to feel better soon. Thank you all so much for your help! 

DF6E69DB-C68A-4C6B-A19A-E9682060023F.jpeg

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Upwards and onwards.💕

At least now you know what is causing his illness and your vet will now go forward treating him. 

Edited by Sam I Am
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Until one has loved an animal, a part of  one's soul remains unawakened.  - Anatole France

Adventures with Sam &Rosie

 

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Oban on patrol... Full alert... Guarding hearth and home from scary, threatening squirrels and chipmunks!

Edited by sanford
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FEAR THE CAIRN!

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So much better when one knows what's going on and can make a plan. Good luck handsome Barney! Hopefully you will let us know how he gets along. All our cairns benefit from our collective knowledge.

@oban- good to see an alert fella at work!

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8 hours ago, Kathryn said:

Glad to hear you have a plan.  Not knowing is so hard, and makes us feel so helpless.

And Barney looks a lot like my cairn Oban! 

Oban on the lookout.jpg

They look like they could be brothers! He’s such a handsome little guy!!!

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Guest dog person
11 hours ago, KDeP1984 said:

Thanks everyone for your help! I felt so helpless watching him suffer like that but we got some good news tonight. The vet called and said that Barney’s pancreatic profile results came back and the results were consistent with EPI and a vitamin B deficiency. We have to put him on an enzyme replacement but he should be OK. I am relieved that we finally know what has been wrong with him and hopefully he starts to feel better soon. Thank you all so much for your help! 

 

You may find this site helpful and they have a forum.  

 https://epi4dogs.com/

Epi4Dogs Foundation, Inc. is a 501c3 Non-Profit Public Charity organization.

I would make a list of whatever questions you have for your vet.  Good luck.

PS: You may want to notify the breeder (if you know)

"Once a dog is positively identified EPI with a cTLI test (a value of 2.5 or lower), it is recommended to remove the dog from all breeding programs"

Epi4Dogs Foundation, Inc. is a 501c3 Non-Profit Public Charity organization.

Edited by dog person
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2 hours ago, KDeP1984 said:

They look like they could be brothers! He’s such a handsome little guy!!!

I am on vacation so access to my computer files is limited -- or I would show you how much they do look like twins! It is amazing...right down to that look in the eye.  I can tell that Barney is a strongly-opinionated but cuddly and darling dog, just from that look...

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