Hi Melissa.
You do have some options among veterinary therapeutic/prescription diets for your dog’s medical needs. Hills, Purina, and Royal Canin all offer options for pancreatitis and digestive issues, and they differ from one another.
When you mention Hills prescription diets, encountering all chicken based formulas, did you happen to try this one:
https://www.chewy.com/hills-prescription-diet-id-digestive/dp/54523
THIS lowfat formula for pancreatitis is primarily turkey and pork organ meat + egg, along with highly digestible (easy on the GI system) white rice. I can see that there is a bit of “chicken flavor”. . . but honestly, it’s pretty far down the ingredient list at #14, AFTER even the start of minerals & vitamins.
The protein is about 22-23% dry matter minimum, but remember that it’s the overall amino acids complete profile, high quality ingredients, and high digestibility that’s important vs a crude protein minimum. Those ingredients genuinely do look high quality, and like they could really help your dog, and taste pretty good to him too!
But if that doesn’t work for you, Royal Canin’s can formula does NOT contain chicken and is 25% protein, lower fat at 4% Min to 10% Max than Hill’s. (Purina’s is 32% Min protein dry matter in the canned, but has chicken.) See below, for therapeutic diet examples:
https://www.petmd.com/dog/what-you-need-know-about-dog-food-pancreatitis-0
As far as OTC diets go, when you start adding multiple specific medical condition needs — lowfat pancreatitis suitable, limited ingredient, good for colitis and sensitive GI system, no chicken — along with additional preferences such as high protein for senior life stage, or let’s say you want only a dry food (vs can), it becomes pretty difficult to impossible to find that “unicorn” OTC food. OTC foods are primarily made for healthy, average dogs without particular medical conditions, let alone multiple.
But if you want to expand your options to OTC formulas, try asking your vet to give you the fat level he is recommending for pancreatitis, ask him whether he thinks you need to avoid chicken in formulas (and why or why not) and discuss what issues you believe your dog has with eating chicken, and review a product you pick with him.
For example, the fat minimum and maximum of the Hill’s Lowfat I/D has a pretty big range listed, just under 8% Min. to about 16% Max. Ask about recommended fiber level too. Discuss what your vet thinks you should look for in protein level for your senior and why.
For example, brands make lowfat foods including higher protein ones, and you may find some that don’t contain chicken. Solid Gold, just for one example, makes a “Fit & Fabulous” very lowfat formula (6%), with ~29% minimum protein on a dry matter basis. Fiber is 9% max. The formula may not be as digestible as the Hills & your vet’s recommendations, or have the right nutrient profile features. Then again, your vet may think it’s worth trying this one or another.
