Hope was adopted a
few days after Christmas 2013. Hope is a mostly white, Border collie husky mix
who was born deaf. She gave hope on a visit to a nearby humane society while
dealing with our black lab – Worf’s hospice care, which explains her name. Ten
and a half months later, Hope was extremely sick with severe, gag a maggot
smelling diarrhea. First, she was diagnosed with giardia, a parasite that
humans can get, and in which can be transmitted through mud puddles and even
municipal water. Three rounds of medications and extra food did nothing to stop
the diarrhea and quick weight loss.
Another veterinarian
became involved along with another test that revealed a microscopic parasite
called cryptosporidium, which is worse than giardia. Both of these parasites
are zoonosis – a disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans. More
medications, various food recipes tried, and extra food were given to Hope in vain.
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| Hope while so sick. Photo By Tracey R. Simmons 2015 |
Endless days and
nights of constant diarrhea took its toll. I felt like I was losing the dog who
had given so much hope over the loss of another beloved dog. Hope looked like a
dog being neglected through starvation as her weight continued to slip away.
A third veterinarian was consulted who said
Hope’s immune system might be compromised by something which was not allowing
the medications to work. Hope’s adoption paperwork showed she’d tested positive
for ehrlichia, a disease caused by ticks. The vet also thought there might be a
disease connected to Hope being part Border collie, but this could only be
determine with another test, a test which cost several hundreds of dollars, and
which had to be sent to a lab at Texas A&M University.
On Friday, February
13, 2015, faced with more medical bills, the information I read on the Internet
about ehrlichia, the possible time span Hope had ehrlichia without treatment and
that end result, there seemed little reason to continue fighting a battle which
appeared already lost. Fighting tears and putting on a false front so the
children and adults I worked with wouldn’t know, I dealt with the dread of
putting down a young beautiful dog, who already had strikes against her being
born deaf…
…It has nearly been a
year since that fateful and dread filled day. After finding out that ehrlichia
can show up positive in a dog for two years even after successful treatment, I
opted to have the expensive blood and stool test sent to Texas A&M. In the
mean time, I asked if Hope could be started on the enzymes for the disease Hope
was being tested for just in case. On February 14, Hope’s battle with diarrhea
for more than three months finally ended. She had a solid stool, the best
Valentine’s present I could have gotten.
What was the
diagnosis? EPI which is Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency. It means the pancreas is
not working properly to release enzymes the body needs to digest food and
absorb the nutrients within the food. This caused the severe diarrhea, which
contain undigested food, causing Hope’s body to starve and appear very anorexic
despite being feed extra food. The lack of proper nourishment, along with the
lack of nutrients can cause organs to fail. If left untreated, a dog suffers
greatly and would die a painful death.
EPI is a disease not
all veterinarians know about, and it’s frequently misdiagnosed. It can be very
frustrating to the affected dog’s human, who takes the dog from vet to vet
trying desperately to help the dog. (In rare cases, cats can have EPI too.) It
is a disease, which can show up at anytime in a dog’s life - from puppy-hood to older
adult. German Shepherds use to be the most affected breed, with collies next.
Now it is showing up in mixed breeds.
Hope’s symptoms:
· * Constant
diarrhea
· * Extremely
smelly gas
· * Rumbling
sounds in her abdomen
· * Severe
weigh loss despite extra food being given
· * Endless
hunger
· * Coprophagia
(eating feces)
· * Pica
– eating sticks, licking dust, etc.
· * Dull,
dry coat
Hope could have EPI
because of being part Border collie, but she may have it because the parasite -cryptosporidium may have damaged her pancreas. We will never know the cause,
but after five months, Hope’s weight was back to her adoptive weight.
The blood test sent
to Texas was called TLI. Hope’s blood was drawn after fasting for twelve
hours. Healthy dogs should have numbers from 5.7 to 45.2. Hope’s number was 1.4.
With Hope having EPI,
porcine pancreatic enzymes must be mixed into her food, which is wetted down
and allowed to sit at room temperature for at least twenty minutes. I made the
mistake of not waiting the full twenty minutes, which caused Hope to have
diarrhea in the middle of the night. Lesson learned! She’s also on a grain-free
diet, with low carbohydrates.
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| Pippin & Hope, who is so much healthier. Photo by Tracey R. Simmons 2015 |
The enzymes contain
lipase, which helps digest fats & oils, protease, which digests proteins,
and amylase, which digests carbohydrates. I get mine through EnzymeDiane, at about half the cost of the prescription enzymes, and have had better results. Go
to her website and read, because she is not out there like the drug companies
who want to line their pockets with lots of cash, she just wants to save dogs
who might otherwise be put down. She has helped me and Hope with this life long
financial expense, and I am grateful!
If you have a dog who
has symptoms like Hope’s and aren’t getting any answers, have the dog (or cat)
test for EPI.
For more information
about EPI, a very helpful website is:
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