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Table 1 The clinical signs scoring system used two assess efficacy of two enzyme treatments for canine exocrine pancreatic insufficiency

From: A blinded randomised controlled trial to determine the effect of enteric coating on enzyme treatment for canine exocrine pancreatic insufficiency

Criterion

Description

Score

Attitude/activity

Dull, unwilling to exercise

3

Decreased activity

1

Normal activity

0

Increased activity

0

Appetite

Poor

3

Normal

0

Good

1

Excessive

3

Vomiting

None

0

1-2/week

1

3-4/week

2

≥5/week

3

Defecation frequency

1-2/day

0

3-4/day

1

5-6/day

2

≥7/day

3

Fecal consistency

Normal

0

Moist and poorly formed

1

Pulp-like

2

Watery diarrhoea

3

Flatulence

None

0

Occasional

1

Often

3

Borborygmus

None

0

Occasional

1

Often

3

Coprophagia

Present

3

 

Absent

0

  1. Clinical signs of dogs with EPI were assessed at each study visit. All clinical signs listed above were assigned a score from 0 to 3, as in the table. Individual clinical signs scores were then added together to generate a global score, with a minimum of 0 (no signs) and a maximum of 24 (severe signs).