Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) occurs when the pancreas fails to produce sufficient digestive enzymes, causing severe maldigestion and malnutrition despite normal food intake. With appropriate enzyme supplementation, affected dogs can maintain excellent quality of life indefinitely.
Dogs with undiagnosed EPI experience prolonged malnutrition and hunger while eating normal quantities of food — the motivation to eat is normal but absorption is catastrophically impaired. Weight loss, weakness, and constant hunger combine to cause severe welfare deficit over the months between symptom onset and diagnosis. Once diagnosed and treated with enzyme powder, recovery is often dramatic: weight gain, improved coat condition, and elimination of faecal abnormalities within weeks. Lifetime management requires enzyme supplementation with every meal but is practical and affordable. Cobalamin deficiency, if untreated, causes secondary neurological signs including seizures — adding a further welfare layer requiring monitoring.