Over here in the UK it seems standard practice to use Enzyme Replacement Therapy whether it be in pill, powder, crystal or liquid form.
All these medications however are very expensive and way out of the reach of some owners but there may be a way round it.

Some owners are having good results feeding Raw Pigs Pancreas to their dogs instead of normal replacement therapy.  This is the cheaper option but it can be difficult to get hold off.

Contact your local slaughterhouse and ask if they slaughter pigs, is so ask if it would be possible to buy fresh pigs pancreas.
If this can be done, buy a pancreas, take it home, cut into pieces then bag roughly 8 oz per bag for freezing.
For the average GSD with Epi chop up one tablespoon of Pigs Pancreas and put it on top of the feed.
A smaller dog may get away with a teaspoon.

Some owners have reported that it may only work with a fresh raw diet, whereas as some say it works fine with dried food so I guess it's a case of trial and error.
Every dog is different.

Some owners have also stated that the Pigs Pancreas should not be used in conjunction with Enzyme Replacement Therapy but I'd suggest trying a small amount along with the pancreas and see how it goes.
If your dog seems okay after a few days you can then start reducing the replacement therapy intake and take it from there.

I've been told that when defrosting the pigs pancreas you must do so at room temperature
NOT
by microwave as this will kill off the vital enzymes your trying to replace rendering them useless.
Liquidising the pancreas into a gravy type consistency, mixed into the feed seems to go down well with most dogs.

I hear you ask
"why pigs pancreas?"

The Enzyme Replacement Therapy you buy from your vet is actually freeze dried pigs pancreas that is then ground up into a fine powder which is then made in to the pills, powders etc that we feed to our dogs.
Using fresh Pigs Pancreas means your feeding your dog the said same enzymes without all the processing expense involved.

If you haven't got access to a slaughterhouse nearby you could ask your local butcher if they'll get it in for you or your local pet shop providing they can buy it fresh so you can freeze it at home.

If you don't fancy the Pigs Pancreas option you could try going online and typing in Pancrex or Pancreatin into your search engine.  This should take you into the web sites of the various drugs companies who manufacture Enzyme Replacement Therapies.
These companies are quite willing to sell to the general public a greatly reduced prices therefore cutting out the middle man (your vet)
You could also approach your local chemist and ask them to order you in some Enzyme Replacement pills/powders as it is the same treatment for humans as it is for dogs.
I've found that chemists will sell you the medication at a slightly lower cost.

All the above are only ideas as I can't vouch for them, I've always used Enzyme Replacement Therapy, but if you can't afford the conventional medication then the above may be worth a try after, what have you got to loose ?
However, do discuss all options with your vet before embarking on another regime.
 

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