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  • Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) is a syndrome caused by insufficient synthesis and secretion of digestive enzymes by the exocrine portion of the pancreas
  • Leading to insufficient activity of digestive enzymes in the lumen of the small intestine
  • Pancreas has considerable functional reserve, large proportion needs to be non-functional to show signs of EPI
  • Most common in dog - usually associated with pancreatic atrophy or chronic pancreatitis
  • Occurs occasionally in other species, esp. calves with pancreatic hypoplasia and in cats
  • Clinical signs
    • Steatorrhoea
    • Diarrhoea
    • Weight loss
    • Increased appetite
  • In contrast, horses with very little pancreatic tissue develop hypoinsulinism but rarely EPI