malabsorption problem in dog

I would feed him what he does well on, and try not to worry about ingredients I disapproved of. And I would definitely have the test for EPI before pursuing treatment for that, as the pancreatic enzymes are very expensive.

 
  Very well said and I agree.

thank you very much for your reply.  I will do and we have an appt. at the vet. You all have been very helpful.

Just to clarify! I did not mean to suggest that she should try to treat her dog for EPI without a diagnosis or advice from her vet (even the test is expensive). Hopefully it will not be EPI and Dusty can find a diet that works for him. []

I hope you didn't think I meant anything, I am so thankful to see what you all have to say and it's one thing we did not think about all this time, despite all his tests, so I am truly thankful for any help and info. anyone has to offer, It educates me better.
 
Unfortunately, he's outside at present eating grass. Not getting sick on it, but he's definitely out of sorts.  he loves dandelions and can digest those! But I really need to find him a food that is quality and will provide him with the nutrients he's missing.

Oh no I didn't think you meant anything! I just wanted to clarify that I was sharing my experience with digestive problems in our cocker and am a LONG way from being an expert. I know how frustrating it is when you know your dog is not feeling well and you can't come up with a solution. Although Pancreatic Insufficiency is a juggling act to treat (and very expensive!) we were so relieved to have a diagnosis. In Dusty's case maybe it is just a matter of finding a food that works. I hope you find something that works soon!

Thanks! me too.

Malabsorption is also a symptom of a condition known as Celiac Disease. Celiac Disease is caused by an intolerance to gluten. Almost 99.9 % of all supermarket/pet supply store foods contain CORN GLUTEN MEAL or RICE GLUTEN or WHEAT GLUTEN.  Gluten is the by-product of the production of corn starch. It is an extremely sticky powdery substance used as a binder in kibble. This stuff is like GLUE. It is so fine that instead of going through the intestines and cleaning them out as most grains do, because the molecules are round and fine they stick to the villi which are the fingers in the intestines that move the food through them.  Over time the gluten builds up and immobilizes the villi and clogs the intestines which results in the inability to absorb nutrients, vitamins, minerals etc. It is a very SERIOUS condition. You may want to also have your vet check the dog for gluten intolerance and possible Celiac Disease.

Is there a test for that, Asthefurflies? What is it called?

Dogtor J's site suggests that the main reason we all have all the issues we have (I went to his site because of Emma's severe allergies and seizures) is because of gluten. Heavy, industrial glues are made from gluten and glutamates. It's pretty gross stuff. Emma is on GARD, and is doing *much* better. I don't even think that a test is needed. It's bad for everybody, isn't it?

I've never given him any food that had the ingredient "gluten" in it. However, I have been reading that their are some grains that are actually grains with gluten, like barley, oatmeal and millet for example. And I also read that potato/potato product is toxic to dogs.
So, if these grains do have gluten, then what to feed????????
Thanks for the info, I will check the info. out, but any replies about these glutens would be graetly appreciated. I'm beginning to get confused. Besides if it's true about potato and tapioca then these grain free kibbles are out of the question.[]

Forgive me for popping in, but I sense that you are open to suggestions from everyone. It sounds like your dog is very compromised, and has multiple issues, but that you are not happy with the vet's suggestions about prescription diets.  However, before you go off into self-diagnosis land and cause more problems than you cure, it might be wise to seek the opinion of a holistic veterinarian who will be sensitive to your desire to treat your dog with high quality nutrition, as well as any other interventions.  Also, do not discount the possibility of chronic kidney disease, if it hasn't already been ruled out by tests.  It can cause similar symptoms sometimes.
Just an FYI - gluten is not always labeled separately.  Grains contain it, so only the grain will appear on some products.

I don't mind you popping in, and yes, I'm open to suggestions. I have been to a holistic veterinarian, who took me for a HUGE ride. Two of them to be exact. They both ended up by giving up and telling me just keep trying a food and see what he holds down.  I spent thousands of dollars and bottom line is, I'm back to square one. The diet he wanted me to feed was cucumber, eggplant and pumpkin. Well, that certainly didn't work and I did that for a long time.  He told me Dusty was allergic to everything.  Well, I know he can take certain foods, finely ground up.  I've done some one by one.  However, he's not getting the balance he needs. I've really had the best luck with a grain free food by Urban Wolf, it's a pre-mix, but he was still very very hungry. I can certainly feed that, but need to satisfy the hunger or else he'll eat everything he can outside and get infected with parasites again.
 There's no other holistic vets in NJ.
I do trust the vet we're going to now, he took care of Dusty when we first got him, and really has been wonderful, it's a long drive from where I live, but he's helped us out tremendously. He just firmly believes that Eukanuba and Hill's have been arouind for over 50 some years and that they've not had a problem so far, and that their diets are designed to help with certain conditions. But then lots of people say rthose foods are just awful.