So I am definitely thinking he doesnt have EPI. I do know, he has some sort of food intolerance/allergy though. He has an overabundance of yeast all over him...in his ears, paws, the hot spots, the pyodermas...So I have decided to attempt a potato free, LID food. I have noticed that all his other kibbles had potato (and we've been battling yeasty ears forever) and the reason for this flare up could be because he was on raw for the past few months, and now is back to kibble. I am trying out Zignature...so hope it helps. As for his stools, he is only producing one, MAYBE two bowel movements a day. This morning is was alot of poop, but not diarrhea (log shaped mush) so I dunno. Hoping the food change helps that too.
SO glad it's not EPI! I too had an epi dog that was near death at the age of 2 and I abandoned western medicine for the holistic approach + raw food. She lived until her 12 birthday! 
Is it possible for you to go back to raw???? A limited diet with ingredients that you put together and then begin to add other ingredients over time would be the way I would go.
Zignature is a plant based food with only a moderate amount of meat/fish protein. Their formulas range from 28% to 31% protein which is mostly attained from the vegetable protein of peas and chickpeas. IMHO, vegetable protein is not the type of protein a dogs’ body requires since they are carnivores. Are any of these ingredients Genetically Modified products making this product more cost effective for the company??? Don’t know. That being said, the pea and chickpea ingredient that they use does have a low glycemic index, which is better for a dog than corn or rice.
A Canadian study on Legumes in pet food was suppose to start at the begging of this year, but I don’t know if did. They stated: “All legumes contain various chemical compounds never before fed in huge amounts to pets.”
Would you consider the saliva testing by Dr. Jean Dodds to pinpoint his sensitivities?
Here are some specifics of the test:
NutriScan
This test measures antibodies to certain foods in dog saliva. High antibody levels indicate that the dog has a food sensitivity and intolerance to that food or foods. Food intolerance or sensitivity is actually quite common whereas
food allergy is rare. In fact, food intolerance is the third most common sensitivity condition in dogs and often can be
easily remedied with a change in diet.Dr. Jean Dodds, NutriScan tests for the twenty most commonly ingested foods by dogs to provide you with specific results as to your dog's food intolerances or sensitivities. Since it is a salivary test, you have the convenience to complete the test at home or at your veterinarian’s office. Best of all, you can have the results in approximately two weeks to help you put your dog on the right diet.
Please remember, NutriScan is novel and patented and
is not testing for food allergies, but rather
tests for food sensitivities and intolerance. These are different body immune responses. Food allergy is a more immediate reaction mediated by production of IgE and IgG antibodies. Food sensitivity and intolerance, by contrast, measures a more delayed body response to offending foods by measuring production of IgA and IgM antibodies primarily in mucosal secretions from the bowel.”
NutriScan is conveniently split into two test panels, so you can order one or both.
I’d order both.
Panel 1: Beef, corn, wheat, soy, cows milk, lamb, venison/deer, chicken, turkey, white fish.
Panel 2: Chicken eggs, barley, millet oatmeal, salmon, rabbit, rice, quiona, potato, peanut/peanut butter.
$130 for one panel (10 antigens), $250 for two panels (20 antigens). Vet Allergy test cost about $500 for 20 antigens. Check this page for test differences:
NutriScan vs. Skin Patch or Skin Prick Testing
Q. How does this test differ from other food “allergy” tests on serum or feces ?
A. Food allergy tests measure antibodies to
IgG and
IgE in serum or feces. These are typically more acute allergic reactions to foods, whereas NutriScan measures
IgA and
IgM antibodies on the bowel’s mucosal surface, and thus more directly correlates to symptoms of bowel (GI tract) disease.
http://nutriscan.org/the-nutriscan-difference/faqs.html
“NutriScan is a patented novel saliva test for canine food sensitivity and intolerance.” http://hemopet.org/
“This test measures antibodies to certain foods in dog saliva. High antibody levels indicate that the dog has a food sensitivity and intolerance to that food or foods.”
“Food intolerance or sensitivity is actually quite common whereas food allergy is rare. In fact, food intolerance is the third most common sensitivity condition in dogs and often can be easily remedied with a change in diet. For years, though, the difficulty lay in figuring out what foods were problematic – until now. Nutri-Scan is novel and patented and is not testing for food allergies, but rather tests for food sensitivities and intolerance. These are different body immune responses. Food allergy is a more immediate reaction mediated by production of IgE and IgG antibodies. Food sensitivity and intolerance, by contrast, measures a more delayed body response to offending foods by measuring production of IgA and IgM antibodies primarily in mucosal secretions from the bowel.” http://www.hemopet.org/nutriscan.html
“In contrast to food allergies, food sensitivity and intolerance is more common and can be a long term reaction.” The NutriScan Difference
“
For the first time in veterinary history, pets can be diagnosed and treated for food sensitivities on an individual basis. We consider the dog’s age, breed, and size in all of our diagnostic technology. Not all dogs are metabolically and genetically alike and our technology
provides for individualized care.”
http://nutriscan.org/images/stories/Press_Release_Nutrigenomics.pdf
Nutri-Scan vs Food Elimination Trials:
NutriScan vs. Food Elimination Trials
Advantages:
http://nutriscan.org/images/stories/NutriScan_ADVANTAGE.pdf
Site showing results from testing:
Does the Nutriscan Kit to Solve Dog Food Allergies Work? - Fidose
I personally asked Dr. Dodds how her test was different from Immuneiq which appears to be cheaper:
Per Dr. Dodds: “To my knowledge, it (Immuneiq) certainly has not been validated clinically or scientifically for food allergens. There is no other scientifically validated method of detecting food sensitivity and intolerance except for our patented Nutriscan test (now patented worldwide, and for dogs, cats & horses in USA; cats & horses pending overseas). “
Hope this helps!
Moms 
