The detail information of Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency
Basic Information

Disease Ontology ID: DDTO:0000307

Disease Description: With exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), there is gradual wasting away (atrophy) of the acini. Clinical signs do not develop until most of the acini are gone. As dogs lose the ability to digest protein, they progressively lose weight despite a voracious appetite.

Inherit Mode: This is thought to be an autosomal recessive trait in the German shepherd.

Disease Symptom: Affected dogs lose weight despite voracious appetites, and usually pass large amounts of semi-formed feces. They often eat their own stools, or other inappropriate substances. Some dogs with this condition do not show these typical signs, and may experience intermittent watery diarrhea or vomiting.

Disease Cause: -

Disease Diagnose: The clinical signs of weight loss and increased appetite may occur with malabsorption of nutrients due to a variety of causes. Routine diagnostic tests will eliminate some of these as possibilities. Once EPI is suspected, there are specific laboratory tests that will diagnose this disorder.

Treat Method: Although this disorder can not be cured, management is generally fairly straightforward. Powdered pancreatic enzyme extract is mixed in with each meal. Within a few days, your dog's appetite and stools should become more normal, and s/he will begin to gain weight. Your veterinarian will work with you to determine the best regime (what dose of extract, 1 or 2 feedings per day) to keep your dog free of clinical signs. Enzyme supplementation of your dog's food will be necessary for life. Some dogs fail to gain weight despite treatment, and this may be due to chronic bacterial overgrowth. A course of antibiotic therapy may be useful in these dogs.

Breeder Advice: Affected dogs, and in German shepherds, their parents (considered carriers) and siblings (suspect carriers) should not be used for breeding.

Disease Description Source: Link

Associated Diseases
Disease Name Other Name Mode of inheritance Link ID Possible OMIM ID Gene
Pancreatic insufficiency, exocrine Pancreatic acinar atrophy Multifactorial -
Associated Breeds
iDog Breed Number Breed Name Personality Height Weight Breed Source
CB110 German Shepherd Dog Smart, confident, courageous, and steady; a true dog lover's dog 61-66 cm (male), 55.9-61 cm (female) 29.5-40.8 kg (male), 22.7-31.8 kg (female) Germany
Associated Disease Variants from OMIA
Gene Differential Expression
References
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