Feeding a dog with pancreatitis (home-cooked and kibble)
Feeding a dog with pancreatitis (home-cooked and kibble)
Written by Silvia Capelli
When your four-legged friend suffers from pancreatitis, managing their diet becomes a crucial aspect for their recovery and well-being.
Pancreatitis, inflammation of the pancreas, can be a painful, debilitating, and very dangerous condition for your dog, and choosing the right foods plays a key role in the healing process.
In this blog post, we will explore how diet can affect canine pancreatitis and what dietary strategies can help manage this condition.
From the importance of a low-fat diet to the need for easily digestible meals, we'll guide you through everything you need to know to feed your dog safely and effectively during their recovery from pancreatitis.
If you're looking for the best dry foods for dogs with pancreatitis, go to the bottom of the article, and discover the vet-recommended kibble for dogs with pancreatitis.
Why does the dog have pancreatitis?
Pancreatitis in dogs is inflammation of the pancreas, a vital organ that plays an important role in digestion and glucose regulation.
This condition can range from mild to severe and can be acute or chronic, and it can occur in dogs of all ages, though it is more common in middle-aged or older dogs.
The exact causes of pancreatitis in dogs are not always clear, but there are several known risk factors. These include:
High-fat diet
Obesity
Certain medications or toxins
Junk food
Abdominal trauma
Other diseases such as diabetes mellitus or hyperlipidemia
Symptoms of pancreatitis in dogs can vary depending on the severity and may include:
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Loss of appetite
Abdominal pain (the dog may adopt a hunched position, called a prayer position, or be reluctant to move)
Lethargy
Dehydration
Fever (in some cases)
In severe cases, pancreatitis can lead to complications such as pancreatic insufficiency, diabetes, and even shock, and in the long term to premature death.
Genetic predisposition can also affect the onset of this condition, which is particularly frequent in certain dog breeds.
Among those most predisposed are: Miniature Schnauzer, Toy Poodle, Yorkshire Terrier and other terrier breeds, Dachshund, Cocker Spaniel, and Alaskan Malamute.
Should I fast my dog with pancreatitis?
Traditionally, many veterinarians have preferred fasting as the main treatment for acute pancreatitis, based on the idea of reducing stimulation of the pancreas.
However, more recent studies do not provide concrete evidence that fasting leads to better outcomes, and show that abstaining from food can actually lead to an increased risk of new problems.
For example, effects such as loss of digestive tract motility, decreased blood flow to the intestinal tract, and dangerously low levels of blood proteins in dogs with pancreatitis have been documented.
Therefore, it is preferable to feed dogs small meals with only allowed foods. In mild cases, the dog will feed itself, while in severe cases and prolonged inappetence,
the veterinarian might choose to feed the dog with a syringe or a feeding tube.
Consultation with the veterinarian is necessary to evaluate the best approach for each individual case.
What can a dog with pancreatitis eat?
The basic formula for feeding a dog with pancreatitis is quite simple:
it involves administering a highly digestible and moderately proteinaceous diet, low in fats and high in fibre, and keeping the calorie content low.
This type of diet, which includes a moderate intake of fibre (about 10-15% of dry matter) and a moderate content of fats (also between 10-15%, or not exceeding 20% in the case of commercial foods), is ideal for dogs with pancreatic problems.
Carbohydrates are an important component of this diet because they have a lesser impact on the hormones that stimulate the production of pancreatic enzymes, thus promoting better digestion.
The most delicate phase is the one following the episode, which generally also accompanies acute crises of vomiting and severe abdominal pain.
Once the first light meals have been reintegrated, a maintenance dietary routine low in fats and composed of healthy foods can be established.
Home-cooked diet for dogs with pancreatitis
The foods to be favoured are low-fat meats such as low-fat chicken breast. Rice is the most widely used ingredient both in commercial diets and in home-made diets for dogs with pancreatic problems, thanks to its digestibility and low fat content.
Other ingredients include lean meat in general, beef organs (kidneys, heart, liver, only once a week), egg whites, yogurt, barley, and cooked vegetables.
Fatty meats such as lamb and pork should be avoided. The ideal diet should contain less than 20% fats, but as mentioned earlier, it is better if possible to settle on 10-15%
Water must be made available from the start, even in the form of ice cubes, if the dog likes them.
The administration of probiotics can be useful to also keep the gastrointestinal tract healthy and improve digestion.
Best kibble for dogs with pancreatitis
Since maintaining a balanced home-cooked diet can be difficult in the long term (for example, in cases of chronic pancreatitis), or if there is no time to cook, it may be convenient to rely on dry foods for pancreatitis recommended by veterinarians.
Here are the best available on the market, and to find out where to buy them click on the link of the name.
Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets OM Obesity Management - Dietetic Dog Kibble
Royal Canin VD Satiety Small Dog - Dog Food
The products are available in different weight packages and for different sizes of dogs, but they are the ones most recommended by veterinarians for the treatment of pancreatitis.
Since these are special foods, a veterinary consultation is recommended to determine the best dietary plan for each individual case.
How many times a day should a dog with pancreatitis eat?
Instead of two daily meals, offer your dog at least 4 or 5 small meals to avoid overly burdening the stomach.
You can start by administering just a few spoons of food at a time, several times a day, depending on your friend's reaction.
Subsequently, you can return to administering two or three meals as usual.
If you're not used to cooking for your dog and don't know the ideal quantities for its weight, read our guide:
If it's an acute episode, due to, for example, the ingestion of junk food, taking medications, or any occasional event, pancreatitis can resolve without consequences, and the dog can completely recover.
However, many subjects experience more or less frequent relapses, which must be monitored and limited by maintaining a low-fat diet for long periods.
When can I return to the normal diet?
Generally, the veterinarian advises maintaining the low-fat diet until the acute episode is completely resolved.
Dogs with chronic pancreatitis, or those prone to frequent relapses, require a specific diet for life.
Is the ketogenic diet suitable for a dog with pancreatitis?
There is much talk about the ketogenic diet, which contains a very low or no amount of carbohydrates.
The high fat content of many animal proteins makes it not particularly suitable for cases of pancreatitis.
From a study conducted in the United States (see source at the end of the article) on a small sample, 3 out of 9 dogs fed with a ketogenic diet (57% fats, 5.8% carbohydrates and starches, 25% crude protein) developed pancreatitis, while only 2 dogs out of 31 fed with the control diet (16% crude fats, 54% carbohydrates and starches, 25% of crude protein; as dry matter) developed pancreatitis.
It must be taken into account that the study in question is based on a limited number of subjects, and that studies on the subject are still in the initial phase, but this data can be useful for those who feed their dog with the BARF Diet.
What if the dog doesn't get over pancreatitis?
If vomiting and severe pain crises persist even after changing the diet for more than 3 days, consult the veterinarian.
Probiotics for dogs: what they are for and how to administer them
Natural remedies for dogs with gastritis: what they are and how to use them
Author's Note
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