Shiny Paw Supports EPI Reseach!
EPI, Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency
We at epi4dogs are thankful to Shiny Paw® for their very generous support of EPI Research and also for allowing us to bring EPI awareness to people like you who care about the well being of their canine companions.
Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI) is the inability of the pancreas to secrete the necessary digestive enzymes; amylase to digest starches, lipases to digest fats, and trypsin and proteases to digest protein. When these enzymes are not available to help digest nutrients, the nutrients cannot be used by the body and the body begins to starve. To manage this, an EPI dog must have pancreatic replacement enzymes with every meal. There are also secondary conditions that may accompany EPI such as SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) and/or B12 deficiency (low cobalamin and high folate).
Unfortunately EPI symptoms are not exhibited until 85%-90% of the pancreas has atrophied. Symptoms may be some or all of the following:
· Gradual wasting away despite a voracious appetite
· Eliminating more frequently with voluminous yellowish cow-plops (sometimes grayish)
· Eating their own stools, or other inappropriate substances
· Increased rumbling sounds from the abdomen
· Increased passing amounts of flatulence
· Some experience intermittent watery diarrhea or vomiting
If you recognize these symptoms in a dog, please suggest or request that a canine TLI test be done.
EPI symptoms are often mis-diagnosed, causing much heartache to the family, and unnecessary pain and/or death for the dog. To learn more about EPI and how to manage this condition, please visit: http://www.epi4dogs.com/ and/or join the EPI FORUM at http://www.epi4dogs.com/apps/forums/
Dr. Leigh Anne Clark and Dr. Keith Murphy at Clemson University, South Carolina are currently conducting an EPI Genetics Research study with SNP technology in hopes of identifying the EPI gene(s). Once identified, we will be able to better control the rapid spread of this insidious disease. To learn more about EPI research, please go to: http://www.epi4dogs.com/research.htm
Again, we would like to extend a huge thank you to Shiny Paw® for their very generous support of EPI Research and help bringing awareness to EPI.
Olesia C. Kennedy
www. epi4dogs.com