Wondering what to feed a dog with pancreatitis? You aren’t alone. It can be daunting to figure out how to pick the best food for dogs with pancreatitis, which is why integrative veterinarian Dr. Julie Buzby wanted to provide these clear and useful guidelines.
As a dog parent, there are few things more stressful than having a sick dog. Especially when your dog goes from being completely fine to having horrific vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain due to pancreatitis. It can be difficult to process and remember all the information your vet is giving you about caring for your dog who is…well…sick as a dog.
Some parts of the care instructions for pancreatitis are pretty straightforward. If you forget how often to give your dog his or her medications, all you have to do is look at the label on the pill bottle. However, other aspects of your dog’s care, such as what to feed a dog with pancreatitis, are less cut and dry. This means you may end up deciding to do some research on your own.
Since the options can feel a bit overwhelming, I want to give you some clear-cut ways to evaluate dog food. That way, you (with the help of your vet) can pick the best dog food for your dog with pancreatitis. But in order to do this, you first need to have a good understanding of what the pancreas does. And you will want to be familiar with the disease condition you are dealing with too.
What does the pancreas do?
Nestled just below the stomach and near the start of the small intestine, the pancreas plays an important role in the digestive system. One of its jobs is to release digestive enzymes into the upper portion of the small intestine (i.e. the duodenum). Normally, the pancreas stores those enzymes in their inactive form (i.e. zymogens). Enzyme inhibitors within the pancreas help ensure that the zymogens remain inactive as long as they are within the pancreas.
Once the pancreas releases the enzymes and they contact the mucosal cells lining the duodenum, they become activated. This allows the enzymes to begin breaking down the carbohydrates, fats, and proteins within food.
What is pancreatitis?
However, in cases of pancreatitis (i.e. inflammation of the pancreas), the enzyme inhibitors become blocked. As a result, zymogens are activated while they are still inside the pancreas. This cascade of events compromises the pancreatic membranes and blood vessels, leading to bleeding and leakage of activated enzymes into the abdomen.
In short, pancreatitis causes the pancreas to start digesting itself—and sometimes other neighboring internal organs. This sort of sounds like a gruesome Halloween movie, but it really does happen like that.
What causes pancreatitis?
Pancreatitis doesn’t seem to be linked to one single cause. Rather, there are a number of factors that can increase the risk of a dog developing pancreatitis. They include:
- Having endocrine disorders such as diabetes mellitus, Cushing’s disease in dogs, and hypothyroidism in dogs
- Being overweight or obese—If you are asking yourself, “Is my dog overweight?”, why not find your dog’s body condition score(BCS)?
- Having high triglycerides in the blood
- Having a history of gastrointestinal disease
- Eating new foods, table scraps, fatty foods, or high fat diets
- Being exposed to certain toxins and parasites
- Taking certain medications (e.g., azathioprine, bromide, diuretics, and phenobarbital)
What are the types of pancreatitis?
The resulting pancreatic inflammation may be subdivided into two types—acute and chronic. Acute pancreatitis occurs when there is a rapid onset of clinical signs. On the other hand, pancreatitis is considered chronic when acute pancreatitis doesn’t fully go away and/or reoccurs sometime down the road.
Clinical signs tend to be more severe in acute cases and milder in chronic cases. But it is often not possible to distinguish acute from chronic when a dog first presents with symptoms.
What are the symptoms of pancreatitis?
The most common symptoms of pancreatitis in dogs are vomiting and abdominal pain. Vomiting occurs in 90% of cases while abdominal pain is present in 58% of cases. Other gastrointestinal signs like diarrhea are also possible. Dogs with pancreatitis may be dehydrated, act like a lethargic dog, and won’t want to eat their food. Pancreatitis can be life-threatening, so if your dog is showing these symptoms, schedule an emergency vet visit ASAP.
How is pancreatitis diagnosed?
The veterinarian will examine your dog and start with some bloodwork. Dogs with pancreatitis may have elevated white blood cells and/or elevated liver and kidney values. To confirm a diagnosis of pancreatitis, the vet may recommend running a canine pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity test or cPLI. Sometimes the vet may also suggest an abdominal ultrasound or other diagnostic tests.
What is the treatment for pancreatitis?
Unfortunately, there is no specific cure for dogs with pancreatitis. Instead, the vet will use supportive care to relieve symptoms and help the dog feel better. This may include:
- Pain medications to decrease abdominal pain
- Anti-nausea medications to decrease vomiting and nausea
- Blood transfusions for dogs with internal bleeding due to organ damage
- Fluid therapy (e.g., subcutaneous or intravenous fluids) to help prevent hypovolemic shock, a life-threatening type of intense fluid loss
- Any necessary treatment for concurrent illnesses such as diabetes mellitus
- Diet change to support the digestive system and prevent further episodes of pancreatitis
What can I feed my dog with pancreatitis?
This last bullet point above, diet change, has been the subject of debate for years among veterinarians. And understandably it can cause stress and frustration for dog parents who want to do the right thing for their dog. Therefore, I would like to focus on how best to feed dogs recovering from pancreatitis for the rest of the article.
How often should you feed a dog with pancreatitis?
Originally, most veterinarians recommend fasting pancreatitis dogs for a day or two. The idea behind this was to “rest the pancreas” since eating stimulates the pancreas to release digestive enzymes. But recent research shows that withholding food can actually lead to an increased risk of new problems. For example, researchers have documented loss of digestive tract motility, decreased blood flow to the intestinal tract, and dangerously low protein in the blood in fasted pancreatitis dogs.
It makes sense then that many vets will take the middle ground and elect to feed small meals at first. Giving a dog small amounts of food can help keep the intestinal tract happy. And it can be less problematic if the dog does vomit.
Sometimes a dog will be interested in eating on his or her own. But there may be other times where the vet will elect to syringe feed your dog with pancreatitis. Or he or she may feel it is best to place a feeding tube. If your dog with pancreatitis won’t eat, the vet may also consider trying appetite stimulants for dogs or switching foods.
What is the best food to feed a dog with pancreatitis?
Now that we have established that you should feed a dog with pancreatitis, and that small meals seem to be the way to go, the next question is what exactly those meals should consist of. A simple internet search will yield hundreds of different websites and articles. Each one will tell you what they think you should be feeding your dog with pancreatitis.
Based on that, it probably isn’t a surprise that there is no perfect “one size fits all” diet for pancreatitis patients. However, veterinary experts do agree that it is best to use diets that are low in fat and high in digestibility.
Dog food label reading 101
In order to recognize a low fat, high digestibility diet, you have to become good at reading dog food labels. All commercial dog foods (i.e. the ones you purchase from the pet store or through online sources) should have a guaranteed analysis on the back of the bag or can. It’s sort of like the nutritional contents label on food for humans, but the criteria are a bit different.
When looking at the guaranteed analysis, you will find words like “crude fat” with a percentage listed next to it. This percentage represents the amount of the particular element in that diet. It will either be listed on an “as fed” basis (i.e. based on the weight of the actual wet or dry food) or a “dry matter basis” (i.e. based on the weight if all moisture was removed from the food).
If you are comparing the fat content of foods, you want to look at them on a dry matter basis. This is because, on an “as fed” basis, canned food is often 75-78% moisture. But a dry food often only contains 10-12% moisture. This makes it impossible to look at the “as fed” percentage of fat in a canned food and compare it to the “as fed” percentage of fat in a dry food. The dry food, being much more concentrated, will have a higher fat percentage on an “as fed” basis even if both foods are actually the same on a dry matter basis.
For simplicity, I have converted the fat content to a dry matter basis for the foods we will discuss here. But if you want to learn how to make that conversion yourself, check out the FDA pet food label page. It is also full of great information about reading pet food labels in general.
Recommended fat content for pancreatitis dogs
Now that we have waded through the technicalities of reading labels, let’s talk about the ideal fat content for dogs with pancreatitis. Most veterinarians will recommend diets that have low to moderate fat contents. “Low” fat content typically means having a crude fat content of 8% or less. And a “moderate” fat content means the diet may have up to 15% fat on a dry matter basis.
Low fat veterinary prescription diets
Veterinarians often recommend feeding a diet made by a company that uses the latest research in pet nutrition and employs a number of board certified veterinary nutritionists. These veterinary specialists received extra years of training outside of veterinary school, which makes them uniquely qualified to create good quality diets.
Companies like Royal Canin, Hill’s Science Diet, Purina, Iams, and Eukanuba all fit that bill. They have boarded veterinary nutritionists on their staff, make sound recommendations for their formulas, and implement excellent quality control measures. The first three companies carry a line of prescription diets that are excellent for dogs with pancreatitis. They include:
- Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets EN Gastroenteric Low Fat Canine Formula (6.8% crude fat on a dry matter basis)
- Hill’s Prescription Diet Digestive Care i/d Low Fat Dry Dog Food (7.5% crude fat on a dry matter basis)
- Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal Low Fat Dry Dog Food (7.1% crude fat on a dry matter basis)
These three diets have the lowest amounts of fat across all prescription diets available.
However, in some cases, your vet may recommend a diet with a more moderate fat content instead. Purina Pro Plan’s HA diet and Royal Canin’s Selected Protein diets can fit this description and may be a good choice for dogs with food allergies. There may also be situations, such as when a dog has kidney disease in dogs and pancreatitis, where the vet might recommend feeding your dog a different diet than what I have listed.
Moderate fat over-the-counter diets for dogs
I know that sometimes prescription diets can be cost-prohibitive for dog parents. Or you may find yourself in a situation where a diet has gone on backorder. The good news is that some over-the-counter diets may be ok for dogs with mild pancreatitis. Examples of such diets are:
- Purina Pro Plan Adult Weight Management Large Breed Chicken and Rice
- Hill’s Science Diet Adult Perfect Weight small & mini dog food
- Royal Canin Small Indoor Adult dry dog food
However, it is best to consult with your vet before using these diets in place of a veterinary prescription diet. While they work in some situations, they are not the right choice for all dogs. Sometimes your vet may recommend either sticking with one of the low fat prescription diets or cooking a low fat diet for your dog instead.
Homecooked low fat diets
Some dog parents may also elect to use a low fat homecooked diet rather than commercial dog food. This may be because their dog has allergies to ingredients in the commercial diets, because a commercial diet isn’t available to fit their dog’s needs, or simply because they feel it is the best choice for their dog.
Most people know that I am a big proponent of homecooked diets. But I do always want to warn dog parents that it isn’t as simple as feeding some skinless chicken with sweet potatoes. Feeding nothing but two or three ingredients can seriously deprive dogs of important nutrients.
That’s why homecooked meals should come from recipes that are created by boarded veterinary nutritionists. These nutrition specialist can tell you the exact blend and amount of ingredients needed to create a complete and balanced diet that is suited to your dog’s condition. Thankfully, there are several ways you can get good quality veterinary nutrition advice.
By going to ACVN.org, you can find a list of veterinary nutritionists in your area. Also, websites like BalanceIT.com can provide you with balanced recipes using specific ingredients. And there is lots of information available at the OSU Nutrition Support Service website.
Pre-made homecooked low fat diets
As you have probably gathered, it can take a lot of time and experience to do homecooked meals properly. So you might be relieved to learn that you don’t always have to cook the meal yourself in order to feed your dog a homecooked meal.
It is also possible to purchase pre-made low fat homecooked diets from companies like Nom Nom and Just Food for Dogs. These companies employ boarded veterinary nutritionists so you can feel confident in their diet formulations. However, before you make a purchase, it is still best to talk to your vet or one of the company’s veterinary consultants. That way you can ensure they are able to deliver a meal with the appropriate fat content.
How long should my dog stay on this diet?
Now that you know how to pick a good low fat dog food, the last piece of the puzzle is to figure out how long you should plan to feed your dog that food. The answer to this varies from case to case. A dog who has recovered from acute pancreatitis may be able to safely transition back to his or her original food after a week or two. However, you should ensure that the original diet has a moderate fat content or switch to one that does.
Alternatively, sometimes the vet may recommend keeping your dog on the low fat, highly digestible diet long term. This may especially be the case if your dog has one or more of the pancreatitis risk factors. Also, dogs with chronic pancreatitis should stick with their new food and avoid eating other diets. This strategy can help decrease the risk of a relapse.
What should I not feed a dog with pancreatitis?
We have spent all this time talking about what to feed your dog with pancreatitis. So it only seems right that I would also remind you of what not to feed a dog with pancreatitis.
Since table scraps and fatty foods are known to trigger pancreatitis, you should avoid giving these to your dog, especially if he or she already has pancreatitis. Foods like bacon and ham can be particularly problematic, as can grease and oils. Also, while you may have heard that coconut oil can help a dog’s skin, keep in mind that this is still an oil. This means you should usually avoid giving it to dogs with a history of pancreatitis.
Feel confident that you can feed your dog with pancreatitis
I know that it can feel overwhelming when faced with a sick dog and lots of choices for how best to feed him or her. However, remember that you have the tools and resources to figure it out. You can always ask your veterinarian for help and advice. Or you can call up the manufacturer of a dog food you may be considering and ask them to give you the average fat content of that particular food on a dry matter basis.
Also, remember that you just have to start somewhere. If your dog doesn’t like the food you pick or isn’t doing well on it, you can always switch to another. Keep in contact with your vet, keep the guidelines I shared with you in mind, and you should be good to go! Every meal and every day will bring your dog one paw closer to recovery.
What food did you feed your dog with pancreatitis?
Please comment below.
hi my name is ronds my mums little dog bindy she been dignosed with pancreatitis. vet put her on drip for a day .she been put ont diet she has brown rice.pumpkin, boiled chicken, and she has 2 homemade hydrated chicken jerky no salt just plain chicken .she eating and drinking again .and we made her homemadebiscuits with carrot, banana ,rolled ots,wholemeal floour ,apple juice and water all mixed together .and she also has optimum chicken and rice ,veg dry biscuits is this all good for her .best regards ronda
Hi Ronda,
I am sorry Bindy is dealing with the effects of pancreatitis. All of those foods sound very healthy and are low in fat as recommended for this condition. It would be a good idea to discuss Bindy’s diet with your vet. They can guide you through the process of how to transition her back to a normal diet when and if this is the appropriate thing to do. Or if you wish to continue a home cooked diet, they can make sure it is nutritionally complete, not lacking essential vitamins and nutrients. Wishing you and Bindy the best. Keep up the good work!
This was a helpful article, but would love to have read a recommended dog food for dogs with pancreatitis who also have chicken allergy. It is very hard to find a low fat diet food for sensitive stomachs without chicken
Hi Melanie,
I understand how difficult it can be to have a dog with special nutritional needs AND a food allergy. Unfortunately, there are too many dog food options to list them all in the article. Your best bet is to reach out to your veterinarian for advice. Each of the companies that produce veterinary prescription diets has a resource list of the individual products they make and what they contain. Your vet should be able to contact their local representative and get feedback from the veterinarian on staff about what food is best for pancreatitis while avoiding chicken as an ingredient. I hope this helps a bit and will guide you to the right food for your pup.
Hey Melanie not sure if you have heard of the Brand Solid Gold but they have a chicken free food – Fit and Fabulous Adult Low Fat and Low Calorie with Fresh Caught Alaskan Pollock Dry Dog Food. You might want to talk to your vet to see if this is a good choice.
Good Luck
Our cocker Freckles just turned 15 on the 4th of July. She has been on Hills Digestive Care (canned) due to nasty pancreatitis a couple years back. We also give her boiled chicken with each meal to help keep her interested. For about the last month we have noticed some hair loss (and decreased appetite) which we thought was maybe thyroid issues but testing revealed no problem….so we’re wondering, is it possible that she has developed a food allergy (to all this chicken)? Wondering if it’s time to taper off and dis-continue the Hills? I don’t know that we’re going to get an honest answer from the vet as a case of this a week probably helps to keep their lights on as it’s really expensive. Your input would really be appreciated.
Hi Jay,
I understand why you are concerned about this recent hair loss and decreased appetite in your senior girl. In my experience, dogs with a food allergy are always very itchy and experience hair loss. So, if your pup is only showing hair loss with no itching, then I would be looking other places for a cause rather than a food allergy. With that being said, it is hard to make specific conclusions without examining your dog myself. I highly recommend you discuss your diet concerns with your vet. It may be ok to taper off the Hill’s, but your vet would know best since they are familiar with your dog’s specific case details. I assure you that your weekly food purchase is not doing much for the light bill and your vet is much more concerned about your dog’s well-being than selling food. 🙂 If anything, they would probably save some money by not having to special order this food and make sure it is shipped in to them on a regular basis. I hope you can partner with your vet to do some more investigation and get some answers. Praying for a positive outcome and a clear path forward.
Hi Julie.
Thanks for the reply and kind thoughts.
What a nice website and very kind of you to put forth your time, effort, and expertise to reply to all these inquiries. Bless you.
We’ll keep working with Freckles (and our vet) hopefully to get her back on track.
Thanks again,
Jay
Hi.
Our Cocker passed a few days ago due to CHF, pancreatitis and an enlarged liver. My question is, why would food (specifically green beans) given to her approx. 10-14 days prior still were in her stomach (which came up in vomit) undigested? We asked our primary vet and the emergency vet and nobody is answering. By no means have they done anything wrong, just seems odd. Can you answer for us?
Thank you.
Hi Jay,
First let me say that I am so sorry for the loss of your Cocker Spaniel. I can only imagine how much she is missed. ♥ I will be honest with you that I am not sure why the green beans were still in her stomach after so many days. There are many possibilities. Due to her debilitate state, it is possible that her GI tract had some decreased motility and could not pass the green beans normally. Other things that can hinder the forward motility of the gut are a stricture in the intestines or outflow of the stomach, a blockage, loss of neurological input to part of the intestines, or cancer such as intestinal lymphoma. This is not an exhaustive list but just the first things that came to mind. I am not sure you will ever know the exact cause with your girl, but I hope that helps to give you some peace.
Thank you for your thoughtful reply Doc.
You provide an amazing service here by replying to all of these questions.
God bless you.
Thanks again,
Jay
My d0g has pancreatitis. is Blue Buffalo Healthy weight wet dog food a low fat dog food?
Hi Bonny,
I am not familiar with the fat content of this specific food. Most over the counter diets are considered too high in fat for patients experiencing a current pancreatitis flare. This diet may be ok for maintenance once your dog has recovered. I would highly suggest you discuss this food choice with your vet and get their expert opinion.
I have a 12 year old Rott/Lab Mix. She has been dealing with pancreatitis for about 2 years. She is on Hills ID dry and wet food along with Purina EN dry and wet food. She has always been a picky eater and likes a change in food every once in a while.
My main problem I am having now is with her Hip Displaysia on both hips along with arthritis in front legs. Mobility is very little. We have been giving her Rimadyl for the past 9 years or so. She lost significant mobility the past 3 months. We added Gabapentin and Amantadine in May. It helped for a while. Then in end of June. she started loosing her appetite . Vet took her off Amandtadine because of Liver enzyme rise. Her mobility is now almost gone. The vet that makes house visits put her back on Amantadine a week ago. We were debating putting her down this past Monday July 17th. The Vet thought that the Amantadine might help keep her comfortable until Monday the 17th. Upon the Vet visit on Monday the 17th the vet felt like she could recover enough for a little bit. But her appetite is still low. Basically eating smaller amounts of boiled skinless chicken breast along with maybe a couple of bites of dry food. about twice a day. But she has gotten too smart on hiding her pills. She can sniff and cull them out of everything I have tried. Even cubes of boiled chicken or turkey breast.
So now I can not get her meds in. I was wondering if I could use %93 ground beef broiled in small patties or even balls to try to get her meds in. Broiled in an oven with grill grate would allow some other fats to drip out as well. There are some low fat hotdogs as well with %97 fat free. I could use the same method.
Thank you for your time.
Lee
Hi Lee,
I am sorry your senior girl is having so many issues and is giving you trouble with taking pills. Here is a link to an article that addresses this exact problem: Your Dog Won’t Take Pills? 5 Easy Solutions for Uncooperative Pooches
I am hopeful you will find some new information or things to try that can make things a bit easier. Praying your sweet girl can hang on for a while longer. Wishing you both the best. ♥
My 5 year old lab had ongoing diarrhea and was diagnosed with slight pancreatitis. He was eating Victor High Performance which I think was about 20% fat. He also licked out our ice cream bowls occasionally and got a few table scraps, but not a lot. The vet prescribed Hills I/D Low Fat, but I was really having trouble finding the large bags in stock at vets, pet stores, and online. It is also very expensive for a dog that has had no history of gastrointestinal issues,an had a bout with slight pancreatitis. So I set out to find a low fat food that I could buy. I settled on NutriSource Weight Management (not Grain Free). It has 9% fat. He is doing well on this food as not having diarrhea and has lost some weight. However, he is always starving. He never begged for food before and now he is so hungry. I started buying some low fat canned food and mixing a few tablespoons in with his kibble, which helped a little but he is a very athletic active dog. He gets hours of exercise a day, and I am feeding a. little more than what is suggested on the bag. He did weigh about 90 pounds before the pancreatitis, but the vet always commented that he was all muscle, and never said he was overweight. My question is, should Earl continue on the low fat food for the rest of his life, or can I start using a moderate fat food like the large breed Purina Weight Management at 13% fat so he is more satisfied after eating? Thank you .
Hi Marla,
I am sorry you are having to navigate this tricky path with your Lab. I am always hesitant to give advice on how to change a dog’s diet especially when I am not personally involved with their medical care. I think it would be best to discuss these concerns with your vet and get their expert recommendations. You could talk to them about the possibility of mixing in some of the Purina Weight Management food with the current low-fat diet instead of completely switching. Or your vet may advise you to switch to the Purina completely and just give it a trial run with the understanding it has the potential to cause a pancreatitis flare. I wish I could give you a definitive answer and tell you what is best. I hope you can find the answers you need to help your sweet boy feel full and happy. Wishing you the best of luck!
My 5.1/2 pound Yorkie has acute pancreatitis. She spent two days in the hospital on fluids and IV meds. She ate some canned chicken at the hospital Saturday night. She came home Sunday night and didn’t eat again, boiled chicken, until Monday evening. She did eat a few bites two or three times. I took her to the vet yesterday for follow up and they said her vitals were good and temp was good. They did give her some fluids at the shoulder to make sure she stayed hydrated. She is not wanting to eat again. I have tried everything I can imagine, chicken, eggs, different canned GI food. She is on medication that is supposed to stimulate her appetite. I really don’t know what to do.
Hi Anthony,
I am sorry you had such a hard time finding foods your pup would eat. It sounds like you were doing everything I would normally recommend. The only other idea I had was maybe she was nauseous and needed something to settle her stomach? How are things today? Hoping all is well and your sweet girl has made a full recovery. Feel free to leave an update if you have a chance.
Hello! We keep our boy on a low fat kibble (royal gastrointestinal low fat) and treats (full moon human grade chicken jerky) and no table scraps at all. He still has very awful flare ups of his pancreatitis a couple of times a year. We give him a probiotic pill in the morning with about half a piece of cheese. Is it far fetched to think the cheese is the cause of his flare ups? We cannot think of anything else. Thank you for your thoughts!
Hi Nicole,
I am sorry your pup struggles with ongoing pancreatitis flare ups. Truly ANYTHING can cause a flare and I don’t think it is far-fetched to be suspicious of the cheese. But just know that even if you eliminate everything from your dog’s diet other than his prescription food, that will not guarantee there won’t be another issue in the future. Praying for smooth sailing for you and your sweet boy.
We give our dogs any pill they take in
A bite of banana.- no fat at all and good
Source of potassium.
They love banana!
They eat Science diet light!
They love it
And great blood work
Never had any dog get pancreatititis!
We’ve had 7 pups over almost 30 years.
Hi Susan,
Thank you for sharing your experience and advice. What a blessing you have never had to endure helping a pet through a pancreatitis flare.
I also have had dogs all my life with never a problem but now I have a small dog with pancreatitis. It happens.
How long does it take for a senior dog to recover from pancreatitis? My sweet pup has been sick for about a week and we are going back and forth to the vet trying anti nausea medicine, appetite stimulant, fluids, etc. The next step is an ultrasound. Some days she eats a few pieces of kibble and chicken and today she showed no interest in food again.
Hi Jenny,
I am sorry your pup is dealing with this awful disease. Unfortunately, there is no set time for this process to play out. It is very different for each dog. Some dogs have mild pancreatitis issues that are ongoing for the rest of their lives while other recover very quickly. How are things today? Was your pup able to keep fighting and turn things around? Hoping all is well and wishing you both the best for many happy years ahead.
Hi there! Our 9 year old boxer/lab mix has had pancreatitis twice in the past year. She isn’t acting sick right now, but had lost a significant amount of weight since last year. We can’t get her to gain weight, and we are so worried. The Vet says we should be liberal and take her to a hospital, but unfortunately we cannot afford that kind of bill right now, so our goal is to keep her comfortable. She’s acting like her normal self, which is a good sign to us. We are feeding her a home made diet of mixed veggies (corn, peas, carrots, green beans), chicken breast, and brown rice. Is this okay? I’m torn, because she is still skin and bones after a month. Perhaps just more meals is the key? I’m at a loss and worried. I have been trying to search for weight gainers for dogs, but there is no such product that also offers low fat. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
* I should note that the Vet says we should take her to the hospital for nutrient care, so they can get her weight back up fast. The other option she gave us was to be more “conservative” and keep her home with home made, low fat diet. That’s what we are doing.
Hi Ashley,
I understand why you are concerned about your senior girl’s weight loss. She is lucky to have you advocating for her health and well-being. You can always reach out to a veterinary nutritionist for advice on ways to tweak your dog’s diet to achieve her weight goals but keep things low fat. Also, you could talk to your vet about possibly adding a probiotic. Without examining your pup, myself, I can’t make specific conclusions, but I am a bit suspicious that something else could be contributing to this situation. Has your dog had blood work recently? I would want to rule out other metabolic issues and common cancers before chalking it all up to weight loss from a past pancreatitis flare. Hoping you can get some answers and your sweet girl can get back on track. Best wishes and good luck!
I thought rice is too inflammatory for dogs with this condition. Is brown okay. My golden refuses to eat almost anything. He has a good day once in a while. Sometimes he eats my home cooked recipe which is low fat and other similar low fat from a can. He now absolutely refuses any kibble. We have tried all brands. Waiting to get into an internist. He is withering away. Is there any other nausea meds other than Cernia. That is expensive but only helps for the for days s and then back him not wanting to eat
Hi Renee,
I am sorry your boy is struggling, and his health is declining. Brown rice is fine and honestly, I wouldn’t shy away from white rice if there was nothing else my dog would eat. There are other nausea meds that can be used, such as ondansetron, but I am not sure you would see any better results. Ultimately, I think your best course of action is to see what the specialist has to say. Have you been able to get an appointment for your pup? Praying things have improved and there is a clear plan of action for how to proceed. Wishing you both the best of luck. Feel free to leave an update if you have a chance.
I give my boy b12 set a digestive website. He is now putting on weight and enjoying dried strips of chicken for his treats with a little bit of banana and low-fat diet. He’s recovering well
Hi Ashley
My now 4 years old was diagnosed with chronic pancreatic. He was loosing so much weight that you could kind of see his ribs at one point he was 9 pounds, until the vet decided to do some blood work and that’s how we found out about his chronic pancreatic . He is now on PancreVed powder for life. He is doing much better and he now weight 20 pounds. Please check with your vet. I thought I was going to loose him as he ate but was not gaining weight. Hope your dogs gets better.