What deficiency causes severe weight loss in German Shepherds with EPI?
Answer
Failure to produce necessary digestive enzymes
Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI) is a degenerative condition where the pancreas fails in its essential function of producing the necessary digestive enzymes required to break down food. Because these enzymes are absent, the dog's body is unable to absorb vital nutrients from its meals. This results in a paradoxical symptom profile: the dog eats voraciously yet experiences severe weight loss and malnutrition, often presenting this way before the age of two in German Shepherds.
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