Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency in the German Shepherd

Of all dogs diagnosed to have Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI), the German Shepherd is a common patient as well as the Rough-coated Collie. One estimate shows that about 70% of all dogs diagnosed with Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI) are German Shepherds while 20% diagnosed are Rough-coated Collies.



Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (also called EPI) is a medical condition in which the pancreas of the affected German Shepherd Dog (GSD) stops producing enough digestive enzymes to digest food normally in its small intestine.



EPI in the GSD can result from primary pancreatic disease or several other diseases that interfere with the correct production of enzymes by the pancreas or of activation of the enzymes in the intestine.



What is the pancreas and EPI? And what does this have to do with my own personal German Shepherd?



Briefly: the "exocrine" part of the pancreas is responsible for producing the enzymes we all use to digest our food correctly. Without adequate production of these particular enzymes your GSD cannot digest its food properly either.



If your German Shepherd can't digest it's food, it will not be able to absorb all the food's nutrients properly. Keep in mind that Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency can be potentially life threatening, especially in its acute form. However, it often responds well to ongoing and daily treatments when diagnosed and treated with the proper drugs.



Typically, the exocrine functions of the pancreas can malfunction in one of two ways. First, in acute pancreatitis, the dog's pancreas becomes inflamed, causing vomiting and loss of appetite with resulting dehydration. This does require immediate veterinary attention.