Colitis and Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency

[Hunter and Daisy's Doodle Mom]

So, I'm wondering if anybody else has been told similar bad news by their vet.  Hunter was diagnosed with Colitis back in February and now both Daisy and Hunter (litermates) have exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.  We've had problems with their digestive systems since the day we got them home, and no, we didn't get them from a breeder.  First, it was worms...normal; then they had coccidia...common; then giardia...still common.  Once all normal medication has been taken, food changes, fecal testing, blood tests, and becoming a self-proclaimed master poop inspector, the end result is them both having a pancreas that just doesn't produce enough enzymes to break down their food normally.  This is new to me and I'd like to hear from others that have doodles with the same diseases.

[Ann Kendig]

I am sorry to hear that Hunter and Daisy have this problem. What does this mean for your doodles in the future? Will medication help them?

[Hunter and Daisy's Doodle Mom]

At this point, it appears they will be on Pancrezyme for the rest of their life. This is not a common problem in either poodles or golden retrievers. The honest part I have to look at is that both parents must have been carrying a gene that passed it to the puppies. I only can pray that the families that took the other puppies either don't have this problem, or are just as concerned if they do have the constant diarreah and find out the root of the problem and take care of them. This being left untreated and just given pills to stop the diarrhea could end up with a lot more serious situation than it already is. They'll be getting more frequent blood tests than the normal dog to monitor any abnormal cells and fecal exams will be pretty much every month. Keeping them on the strict diet will also help with Hunter's colitis and the medicine to help digest their food properly will help reduce inflammation. It's going to be a very hectic next couple of months because this is where all the tests and retests and more tests to look at everything is just beginning - and specialists will be involved I'm sure. I have faith they'll be okay - at least I know that they're in good hands.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Putting a dog with a genetic disease in the care of a specialist does help tremendously. Although Jack's problems are different, I know that I get a lot of peace of mind from just having him under a specialist's care and having a treatment plan; at least you can stop wondering and questioning, and know you are taking positive action toward helping them.
May you find patience and strength to get through the next few months. You are outstanding doodle parents, and I wish for the best possible outcome for you & your doodles.

[Hunter and Daisy's Doodle Mom]

Thank you! I swear sometimes I could write a book when it comes to Hunter and Daisy. I know I was put here on this earth to take care of dogs. They were put in the path of our lives for a reason and I wouldn't have it any other way. I love them both dearly, even though I've had to examine their bowel movements more than I care to :-) They'll be fine...I know they will :-)

[Ann Kendig]

I'm sorry that not only one of your dogs suffers from this condition but they both do. Your doodles are in good hands with you and your family. They are so lucky to have you looking out for their welfare. One of my doodles suffers from the same condition that Karen's doodle, Jack, has. It is difficult but we all love our dogs and want to make their life as comfortable as we possibly can. Good luck to all of you and please keep us posted with some updates! They are gorgeous dogs!

[Hunter and Daisy's Doodle Mom]

They are going in on Tuesday for full blood work. We need to ensure that no other illnesses set in, such as anemia or diabetes. It's VERY scary when I started to read up on this, EPI, and if left untreated, your dog can basically starve to death even if you feed them 80 times a day because they aren't getting any nutrients. I read through this paperwork and I'm just about crying because I can't help but think if I could have or should have done something different these past 10 months. But I didn't create them, I didn't cause the defect...I can only go forward and treat and hopefully heal, because it CAN be a temporary thing, especially because they aren't even a year old yet. Ugh...I wish dogs could talk :-)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Caron, put away the thoughts that you could have or should have something different. You didn't cause this and you couldn't have prevented it. It's genetic. You are loving them and taking care of them, and they are very lucky doodles to have you. Big hugs to you all, hang in there.

[Hunter and Daisy's Doodle Mom]

I am SO glad I had the vet run a full CBC on Hunter and Daisy last week. They also have enzyme count problems in their kidney's and liver. Nothing serious though, thank goodness!!! We have to adjust their food to a little less meat and up their carb intake and they are now down to only 2 Pancrezyme per meal and now a multivitamin called Catalyn. It's been a little over a week and it's like two totally different dogs. They have normal poo! As crazy as that sounds, I've been in a head spin with this for months and because I asked them to run full blood work, we found out about the other enzyme problems. We would have never known otherwise! Just to have them healthy for a FULL week is just awesome! I hope this was the key and they are on their way to a normal digestive system!!!!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I share your hope! So glad Hunter & Daisy are doing better!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I think the good news is that after all these months of digestive issues you now know exactly what's wrong and can begin treatment. I'm curious about the colitis. My Guinness has IBS, and I'm thinking that they are very similar. Are you controlling the colitis with diet or is he on medication? It's very hopeful news that this could be a temporary condition. You have certainly done a fantastic job of taking care of your Doodles and getting to the bottom of what's going on with them. Please keep us posted on how things are going.

[Hunter and Daisy's Doodle Mom]

Both Hunter and Daisy get their food home made by Chef Mike McDonald, aka, my husband :-) We have them on raw hamburger, rice, carrots, peas, and green beans. We were adding one thing at a time and have stopped at this point. We had corn in there for about a week, but, well, being "Master Poo Inspector" it was just coming right out so what was the point in that! The change in their diet happened immediately after he was diagnosed with the colitis. There are a multitude of recipies out there - some have yogurt, egg, cottage cheese - it all is in what is easily digestable for them so that flare ups are less likely to occur. Because we weren't sure of the big picture, we stopped adding or adjusting, except with the recent change in adding more rice for their carb intake. They are still doing great and it's been over a week now...close to two weeks in fact. Thanks for the supportive comments. It's been just so stressful and seeing a light at the end of the tunnel is very welcoming!

[Hunter and Daisy's Doodle Mom]

Did I ever think, "it's too good to be true"? After nearly a month, the rollercoaster has started it's run downhill again and we have diarrhea again for nearly 4 days. We have a vet appointment scheduled....again. What is SO frustrating is that we did the normal "skip a meal, plenty of water" routine and this time it was suggested to do Pepto instead of Keopectate. After 24 hours of NO food, Daisy was still having problems and by the way, they DO NOT like Pepto. Daisy now has pink stains around her mouth - sort of comical, but given the source on why it's there is not. I am ready to just pull out my hair and then break down in tears because it seems to me if they were human, there would be a solution already in place and successful. How many tests do we have to run? What hasn't been done yet? I'm at a loss - I see Michigan State University in my future and having to leave them there for tests since all I'm getting is shaking heads, shrugged shoulders, and "let's try this" for answers. I'm just frustrated and venting...it seems that's all I can do for the moment.