My German Shepherd is losing weight. Can normal blood tests rule out EPI?

Question

My dog is losing weight and the vet ran a blood cbc and chem which was normal. She says it's not EPI but my dog is a german shepherd. Would the chem be normal if she had EPI, or does a normal chem rule out EPI? Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Female | spayed | 9 years and 10 months old | 50 lbs

Jyothi Alagappan · Accepted Answer

Hi and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am sorry to hear that Uma is losing weight! Typically, EPI affects younger dogs, and you are correct, they typically affect German Shepherds. A lot of the time, the cbc and chemistry panels are normal. Occasionally, you can see elevated liver enzymes like ALT on the chemistry. However, to properly diganose EPI, you need to send out a special test to a specific lab. This blood test is called canine serum trypsin-like immunoreactivity. This is a direct look at the pancreas' functionality. Given Uma's age, she less likely has EPI since she is almost 10 years old. Therefore, there may be another reason she is losing weight. If her bloodwork is all normal, then I would recommend abdominal radiographs or an abdominal ultrasound. Good luck and I hope she gets better soon!

My German Shepherd is losing weight. Can normal blood tests rule out EPI?

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