Firstly, I am not a vet, I have nothing to do with the medical world but I have had dealings with Epi dogs and I am now the proud mum to one and when I say "proud" I mean proud as Freya is a happy, healthy pup with a condition.  I don't call it an illness as she's anything but ill.
I too was in shock, thought my world had ended and there was no hope for us but I was wrong as I have one of the fittest, healthiest pups around who to look at is anything but Epi !
Freya was a really bad case to begin with, very hard to stabilize but that's all in the past now, hence this article.

What Is Epi ?

Epi is an Auto Immune Disease.
Put simply the Pancreas produces what are known as Enzymes, which break down the food in order to get all the goodness and nutrients out of it.
When the Pancreas either stops or reduces the production of these Enzymes this is known as Epi.  This means that the dog isn't getting enough of these Enzymes to break down the food resulting in the dog loosing weight, frequently passing loose, rancid stools and can appear nervous or highly strung in temperament.
At this point you'd be forgiven for thinking "he'll starve to death", wrong as with the right diet and medication there is no reason to think this, as this condition can be controlled.
It is true that a small minority of dogs don't respond as well as they could, some even have further complications but it has to be remembered that these dogs are in the minority so there is no reason to think that your dog is one of them besides, most of the complications can also be controlled.

What Causes It?

Up until recently it was thought to be solely hereditary but studies are now revealing that it could be down to diet and other outside influences such as pesticides etc as this condition is no longer the sole domain of the GSD, it has been seen to affect various other breeds so your not alone !
On going studies are being carried out as we speak so the results should make interesting reading.
There is a strong line of thought that stress or a shock to the system can trigger it off, things like a major trauma such as an accident, surgery or the stress of a season in a young dog as hormones are thought to be a contributory factor.

Whose To Blame?

Well certainly not you as there's very little you could have done to prevent it especially if it's in the dogs lineage.
The main thoughts are hereditary factors so it could be that your dog's parents or grand-parents may have been carriers but it hasn't shown up until now.
The main thing is, you never breed from an affected dog as this could be extremely dangerous to your bitch and you will be adding to the problem through the pups.
You should also inform the breeder in the hope that they will stop using these particular dogs for breeding.
It may also be a good idea to contact the relevant breed society relating to your dog, in this case German Shepherd Help line so they can register both your dog's and parents details.

Symptoms

Epi can strike at any time but the dog is usually very young when symptoms occur, indeed puppies can be born with this condition but not show any signs until they reach the juvenile stage.
Epi is also beginning to show up in the middle aged dog.
Symptoms include loss of weight/failure to gain weight, constant hunger, loose rancid stools, frequent visits to the toilet, watery diarrhoea, excessive flatulence (wind), noisy tummy and in some cases vomiting.
They can develop a nervous, highly strung character as well as being hyper active as these dogs have never ending energy and don't know when to stop !

As you can see, most of these symptoms can also be put down to normal doggie ailments so if in doubt, please contact your vet for further investigations i.e. a clinical examination which may include blood and faeces tests in order to establish if there is indeed anything to worry about.

Treatment

Along with the relevant medication, a good quality low fat, low protein, low fibre easily digestible diet is a must i.e. chicken & rice, lamb & rice kibble.  It is essential that you stick to the diet rigidly especially in the early days until your dog is stabilized.
If your dog is used to treats, why not give him bits of his dried food or small bits of carrot as he'll be none the wiser.

It is important to try and cut down on the amount of air he swallows whilst eating his food in order to combat the flatulence (wind).
If your dog is greedy and rushes his food why not put clean, scrubbed stones in his dish so he has to move them about in order to eat his meal, thus slowing him down and minimizing gulping.

Raising his food and water dish may also help.
What we do is feed Freya most of her dried food in an activity ball, that way she has to manipulate the ball in order to tease the food out.  We also put roughly a third of her food in a dish with water, sprinkle her medication on it and let it soak.
Doing this cuts down on the flatulence to a great extent.

You may find that your vet may want you to give twice the amounts of food in order to get the weight on the dog depending how under-weight he is.  The best way to do this is to feed him 4 feeds a day in order to avoid overloading his stomach.
The dog, indeed any dog must not be exercised for at least two hours after any feed.

Through time, once the dog is stabilized, you'll be able to slip in the odd treat here and there so long as it's low in fat/protein and fibre.  Should the dog take a downward turn you just up the medication for a couple of days and remember not to feed him that particular treat again.

Exercise

Your vet may advice you to cut back on the exercise to begin with in order to keep the calories in and get the weight on but it doesn't mean you can't have fun with your dog.
When out play mind games, hide a favourite toy in the grass and get him to search for it or do some training as both these activities stimulate the mind leaving your dog exhausted and ready for a good sleep when he gets in.  You can also play these games indoors.
You can still let your dog run about and play but just limit the amount as these dogs could run all day, and night.

Prognosis

Well your vets the best person to answer this but with the right diet, medication and exercise there is no reason why your dog can't live a long, healthy, incident free life span.
Epi is not the end of the world, even with complications that doesn't mean your dog is doomed because he's not, he's just a dog with a medical condition although I have to stress yet again that some dogs do not respond to treatment as well as they should.
Looking after such a dog is very easy once you get into a routine, it's second nature believe me and within weeks your dog could be like any other dog in the street, toilet and all so it's not the end of the world although the treatment is life long.

Observations

Through time you'll just "know" when your dogs feeling a bit off colour, it doesn't mean there's anything to worry about, just limit his exercise and give him a little peace and quiet, just like you'd want if you were having an off day.

Epi dogs are no different to "normal" dogs as they can still pick up stomach bugs etc, in some cases they may be more susceptible so do be prepared for the odd relapse as it would be fool-hardy to think they'll always be perfect.
Should this happen please do consult your vet in order to get the infection treated as the Epi dog can drastically loose weight virtually overnight !

Caution

The main thing to remember is do keep communicating with your vet as it is all too easy for the relationship to break down (I should know as ours was tested to the limit).  Always remember that your vet is on your side and there's a good chance that they too feel very despondent when things aren't going to plan, there's an even bigger chance that once they get home they'll be reading up on all the latest information available regarding the treatment of these dogs so please do be patient and be guided by your vet.

The "ill Dog" Syndrome

Another thing to remember is don't fall into this trap
(especially with a young dog) of either cutting back or stopping your training, the ill dog syndrome, as you'll have a whole load of catching up to do when your dog is stabilized as well as him being a totally unruly dog (I should know as that's exactly what I did).

Please do enjoy your dog as the quicker you start to enjoy him again, the quicker everything will fall into place.

We hope your dog is fit and well and you too are experiencing the joys of sharing your lives with these wonderful dogs albeit, a dog with a condition.

~~Liz A Woods~~