[Pabloo Escabaros]

When selecting a high-protein diet for your dog, it’s not only the protein content that matters — the fat-to-protein ratio plays a big role too. Some flavors or formulas may receive lower ratings due to a higher fat percentage, which can be a concern dog food for dogs prone to conditions like pancreatitis. That’s why it’s important to go beyond just the star ratings and look at the full nutritional profile. With the right high-protein recipe that’s well-balanced and tailored to your dog’s specific needs, you’re giving them the best chance to thrive, stay active, and enjoy a long, healthy life.

[A. Hoff]

Hello,

I have two siblings, altered female & male just turned 11. About a year or so ago I started realizing ‘wow they’re senior dogs I can’t believe that statistics say I likely have only a few years left’ and so I started trying to modify their diet to make it more healthful as I really would love for them to be around for way longer than average. We know their mom was a border collie. We believe their dad was likely a Lab mixed with something else my guess is Burmese Mtn. Dog but nobody knows. The female is 50 lbs & male is 60 lbs. The vet says they are basically at a good weight, he said just slightly chubby but nothing to be concerned about.. 6/10 where 5 is perfect.

For the longest time until they were about 9-10 years old my dog’s were fed the following divided among 2 meals (approx 7 am & 5 pm, I listed approx total daily intake)

1/2 cup kibble, Taste of Wild Pacific Stream (have used other brands/flavors like 4health/BlueBuff but have kept them on TOTW for proably at least 4-5 years and this one flavor for a while as they do well it seems) ~ 200 cal/day
1 can Blue Buffalo wet food (was using 4Health when they were real young but something happened and quality seemed to go down, there would be excessive fat and I switched)- alternate flavors mainly beef & chicken, salmon & chicken, turkey & chicken, and the ‘red meat dinner’ varieties but I’ve tried others like trout, etc. ~ 500 cal/day
1/2 – 1 egg ~ 35-70 cal/day
1/2 can unsalted green beans ~ 30 cal/day

Treats – would be a rotation of those “Milo’s chicken meatballs”, “Milo’s steak griller strips”, “Blue Buffalo baked biscuits (made w/ apple, bacon, etc. varieties), very rarely I would give them something lower quality like milkbones or pupperoni, etc. ~ 100 cal/day

Supplements – Cosequin/Dasuquin 1 tab per day since they were pups (had an older dog when they were pups they just all got one), PetHonesty 10-in-1 multivitamin & probiotic – 2 per day (they started getting this when they were about 3 or 4 because they would have somewhat frequent loose stools or incomplete digestion. It was weird they would take 2 poops on their morning walk, 1 would be perfect, the 2nd would come out 70% perfect and the last 30% would look like a slimy slug), I use “Missing Link” lightly for some extra fats and fiber. I started using this with a previous dog who would get itchy skin, it was recommended by the vet and seemed to do wonders for his coat so I have always sprinkled about 1/4 tsp on a meal at least 1x day.

Total ~900-1000 cal/day

What I started doing different..

I started feeding them 3x day. Same calories, I multiplied their meals by 2/3 and give them that around 7 am, 12:30 pm & 6 pm. I read it might be better for seniors and thought the 14-15 hours between their dinner and breakfast was maybe too long for them to fast.

I started adding more fruits and veggies – I take some carrots & fresh spinach and put them in a food processor and mince it up finely and give them about 1 tbsp per meal.

I started giving them bone broth, I get it boiling and then bathe the kibble and veggies in it and once it has cooled and the kibble has absorbed it and softened I mix the rest in. I also will add a few blueberries and mash them up whenever I have them, or sometimes a strawberry and put it in there.

I reduced the amount of wet food they get from 1 can/day – 1/2 can per day and substituted some real fat/protein that I make for myself (unseasoned). Mostly I use chicken leg quarters, ground beef, eggs, and salmon. I look up all the nutrition information and weight it all out so the calories should be the same as well as the protein:fat ratio should be very similar to the wet food.

I stopped giving them Milo’s & Blue Buffalo and other types of store bought treats almost entirely. I buy sweet potatoes and cut them up into little bite sized pieces (weighing about 0.25 oz each) and air fry them until they are cooked and soft. I also give them pieces of apples, bananas, pineapple, strawberries, or egg for some variety. Sweet potatoes are about 50-60% of what they get treated with and everything else I just named rounds out the rest largely apple or banana.

Supplements is all the same.

I’m just wondering if you think all the changes I made are positive changes or is there anything to be concerned with? Any recommendations for further improvement? They are very healthy for 11, only Rx they are on is my girl is on proin for incontinence for about 1.5 year and it controls it well.. I would say I feel I have noticed some improvement in their coat and energy and overall health but I don’t know if it’s just in my head.

I told the vet about the changes and they seemed to think it sounded good/fine but I don’t know they really listened to me or thought about it, surely it’s better than feeding them straight ol roy kibble like half the dogs they see..

Some things I read that maybe made me think to come and ask:

– Vitamin A in excess levels can be a problem for dogs? Could my dogs be getting too much from the spinach, carrots, & 10-in-1 vitatmin/probiotic?

– I read some warnings about giving them fatty meats and causing pancreatitis.. I assume everything is good with giving them a little chicken w/ skin or ground beef because the protein:fat ratio is roughly the same as dog food and it’s only about 70-80 cal/meal, 3x per day replacing the 1/2 can of wet food I removed with roughly the same ratios.. am I overthinking it?

[Jessica M]

Get her off those foods..Iams Rachel Ray are both horrible especially for a dog with pancreatitis. Try Dr. Harvey’s Raw Vibrance. I suggest looking up The forever dog and do some more research what foods are good and what foods are junk food. Not trying to bash you, I hope you don’t take it that way. I am just trying help.

[Paula B]

Hello

My dog has pancreatitis and IBD. Like you, I was trying to keep my dog on homemade food but it wasn’t agreeing with her. My vet said the best diet food in this situation is Low Fat Gastrointestinal Dog food by Royal Canin which is good for pancreatitis. She always seemed hungry after eating this, so I did a little more research and found an insect based food called Concept for Life on Zooplus which is good for ibd, which I also tried her on. She wasn’t hungry, but did start putting weight on.

I took both bags to the vet for her to check the ingredients and she said the ideal solution was to mix the two together, making sure I worked out the correct daily portion size. She said to split the daily food allowance into 3 portions and mix with a little hot water.

She said if I struggle to get her to just eat the biscuits, I could also get either the Royal Canin low fat gastrointestinal wet food or Concept for life hypoallergenic which is for ibd and is kangaroo flavour (obviously reduce the biscuits if giving wet food as well)..

Since changing to this food, my dog’s stools are firm and her stomach isn’t gurgling as much. She seems more content with her portion size and isn’t as hungry. It’s costly buying them together, but it lasts for several months.

It may not be everyone’s ideal food, but it certainly works for my dog. All of these can be bought off zooplus.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/pet_food/royal_canin_food/royal_canin_gastro_intestinal&ved=2ahUKEwiOwO2L-JeEAxXm9bsIHXTVBwkQFnoECCoQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1b-vIV3AEKiedjOtXs4uWf

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[Jc C]

Hello
I know this is an old post but my chorkie now 5 years old… Had the symptoms of every morning needing to put to frantically eat grass, lip licking air at night, etc.

2 months before she has pancreatitis over 1 week…

What works is
1- chicken legs human grade from grocery store boiled
2- I get the pure chicken raw dog food formula
3- 4 leaf rover Gut Guard and Protect which are soil based probiotics and heals the gut lining
4- a tiny bit of white rice to bind
5-a tiny bit of puree pumpkin

So I mix the chicken leg with the pure chicken raw formula which has some ground bone and organ… And cook them with the tiny bit of rice.

No more problems.

The pure chicken formula was too high in fat but chicken leg only was lacking some nutrients

Hope this helps.

The acid reflux was caused by when I fed her flax seed, brown rice and vegetables which are hard for dogs to digest.

[Julie D]

My human patients with recurring pancreatitis are sometimes prescribed pancreatic enzymes (I have specifically seen Pancreaze used). Super type triglyceride control (which is essential to preventing pancreatitis- other things are as well) is also achieved by some human patients by using meds and diet. There’s actually a correlation between
stones and pancreatitis. You should pick your own doctor’s brain about this subject and what would be recommended if he/ she had a human with these problems. I’d also see if you can get in contact with a human dietian to see what they’d suggest. My dog has had recurring vomiting and calcium oxalate stones so I’m trying to figure out what diet is best for her. Your doctor may be able to access “UpToDate” and print the current recommendations. I look to human medicine a lot for Chloe because I’m a human icu nurse. I read these forums to get ideas or resource ideas. Vets seem to be overwhelmed with animals so doing the work of giving them research isn’t bad especially if it’s from a reputable site. Mayo clinic has great resources for certain things. I’d ask a doctor and a dietian for help and the worse they can do is turn you down. But when I talk about Chloe, my doctor friends start asking questions because they like to help sick people (and animals). I got advice about chickens from my doctor. Best of luck!! This is the site that talks about pancreatitis and stones- ps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8783332/

[Chandra H]

Hi! I have a 2.5 year old lab who has struggled with food issues her whole life. We have tried a lot of food and thought we were finally on some solid footing with Open farm kibble and stews. However, she recently started having bloody diarrhea, vomiting, and pain. Her doctor has ruled out obstructions, pancreatitis, parasites, etc. Everything comes back negative.

I will put her on a bland diet of white rice and turkey and she will do ok for that week but as soon as I introduce any dog food, the bloody diarrhea comes back. The vet had me try Purina Pro sensitive turkey and oatmeal (she has been on Purina Pro before) but the same issue keeps repeating itself. We are now on a bland diet again.

At this point we are thinking she has IBS. She has never had a solid poo in her life, but they used to at least not be water and bloody. She tends to be fine for a week, and then has an episode where she is miserable. I have noticed she seems to do better on canned/wet food than the dry kibble. I have put her on a probiotic daily as well but I am at a loss of what food to try. Has anyone had anything similar with their dog? Do you have a high fiber, canned food that has worked? I am really sad for my doggo. She’s miserable and I just want her to feel better. I have debated trying Ollie dog or another fresh food option but not sure if that would help? Or if I should stick with trying all canned food or do a small amount of kibble? I am too scared to cook my own dog food. I feel like I would miss an important vitamin or something. Right now my vet feels like we should just give her an anti diarrhea med and keep her on the Purina Pro but it just doesn’t feel like it is working at all. Thanks for any advice you have.

[aimee]

Hi M &C,

Thank you for the kind words. The more I learn the more I realize how little I know. If the lab characterized the samples as N then I think you should be fine there.

I could be wrong on this but as I understand it Lipase in the panel refers to circulating lipase levels whose source is usually primarily the pancreas. When the pancreas is inflamed, ((pancreatitis) lipase levels will likely be increased. Lipase from the pancreas breaks down dietary fat in the intestine, allowing it to be absorbed. When there is enough fat consumed, the fat can be seen in the blood after eating.

Tissue lipase is bound to the tissue and its purpose is to facilitate the transfer of circulating fats out of the blood so they can be used at the tissue level. Some dogs have low tissue levels of lipase so when they eat fat it gets digested and into the blood, but can’t easily get out of the blood, putting them at risk for high triglycerides. There are other causes of elevated triglycerides, but as I understand it low tissue lipase is one cause.

[aimee]

Hi M& C,

I think you’ve got it! The best way to compare foods is on a caloric basis. This takes into account water, fiber, ash and energy density. You’ll note on this site there is a table for each diet and that the macronutrients are given in an as fed. dry matter, and caloric basis.

AAFCO requires that for any diet over 4000 kcals/kg DM a conversion factor be applied. If the diet you are feeding is 5000 kcals/kg that conversion factor is simply 5000/4000 X the number in the table. So many times, I’ve found that companies overlook this. Recently, I got a nutrient analysis table for a diet labeled for ALS. The Ca content was listed as 1.3% DM and AAFCO’s min is 1.2%, so that looks good right? Well, they also reported the kcals as 5400/kg for that diet. Calculating through 5400/4000 X 1.2 = 1.6. The diet needs to have 1.6 % Ca to meet AAFCO min and they are reporting 1.3%. Got ‘ghosted” after inquiring about the apparent discrepancy.

AAFCO writes a model food law which most states adopt in some form, but they do not do any type of regulation. There is no oversite by AAFCO. Oversite is done by your state feed control official and the FDA. IMO for all practical purposes, oversite is nonexistent in most areas. It seems to me that areas that effect humans, like pathogens in food, are monitored via spot check cultures of foods. Some foods may be tested to see if they meet their GA.’s, but overall, no one is checking to verify information on a label is correct.

In regards to high bone content in foods, it could just be a reflection of what sourcing the company has access to and an acceptance of high fat and mineral content in the products available to them.

I didn’t see calorie content listed for the diet to see what mineral content is on a caloric basis. But I found their marketing very oft putting and reckless. They write “Turkey meat is one of the leanest proteins available making it a great option for pets that are sensitive to fat content, such as those with pancreatitis.” which can be true esp turkey breast. BUT their turkey diet is a whopping 35% as fed fat diet! Using their information and doing some rough calculation that would mean ~63% of the calories are coming from fat! This appears to be a very high fat diet being marketed as being appropriate for dogs with fat intolerance. For me that makes me see red and would earn them a spot on my not recommended list.

Just as an aside.. did you mention your dog is having seizures? I’m asking because you mentioned a 5000kcal/kg diet and to reach that high of caloric density fat has to be significant component of the diet. I might get my details wrong on this because it is awhile since I read the literature. But as I recall some dogs have low levels of tissue lipase. This results in prolonged clearance of fat from their blood and the outcome is high triglycerides. High triglyceride can trigger seizures.

A friend’s dog was having horrible cluster seizures several times a month, was seeing a vet neurologist and on 3 different drugs. Her reg. vet noticed that on each blood panel gotten back from the neurologist, the triglycerides were high, and the sample was always reported as “lipemic,” meaning visible fat in the blood. The reg vet called the neurologist and the neurologist said paraphrased “yeah they are high, but not high enough to cause seizures.” The reg vet told her there is no downside to trying a lower fat diet. So, the diet was changed, triglycerides returned to normal, and the dog went from having multiple cluster seizures a month to never again having another seizure. Apparently, the dog didn’t read the medical book.

[Patricia A]

Is she throwing up bile? Maybe several small meals throughout the day? What led the vet to believe acid reflux? Why low fat food without pancreatitis symptoms or X-rays showing the condition?

[tony L]

If you have a stone in your gallbladder, it can cause abdominal pain. The pain may be mild to severe and may radiate down your right side. You may also experience nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. I would like you to visit link now.If you have pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), you may experience abdominal pain that is worse at night. You may also notice that your urine becomes darker in color and has a strong odor.

[Patricia A]

What are symptoms that he is displaying? If it is digestive, such as diarrhea, then possibility of too much fat in diet. If skin issue then first look into irritants such as flea bites or even something as overlooked as bedding washed with scented detergent?
I never found any validation that allergy tests work . Hope link works below.

Research Update: Testing for Food Allergies

So hard to actually do elimination diet. There are so many ingredients in dog food that might cause sensitivity other then just the protein. If you take a look at the ingredient list on the average kibble you’ll see what I mean.
Possibly try a one protein food without added supplements. Freeze dried such as Vital Essentials just the protein/flavor with no extras’ I believe. Very expensive to feed however. I believe it also comes in frozen which is more cost saving. I use Primal, small batch, Bixbi Rawbbles, and at times Stella Chewys.
Just go VERY, VERY, VERY slowly with switch. Also if you look at reviews on DA you’ll see the 5* rated foods in these brands. I ONLY use the proteins DA rates in the brand with 5*’s. The ones that rate lower are too much fat to protein. This can cause loose stools and stomach upset all the way to pancreatitis in some dogs.
I use a SMALL amount of kibble as base to stretch the freeze dried. This being Stella Chewys raw coated grain free.. If you look at their f/b page there are many who had trouble with diet and most do well on this kibble.
Hope this helps. Again any change in diet much go so slowly.

[Daniel M]

I never realized that so many dogs get pancreatitis until my yorkie got it too. I remember very well the day he refused to eat at all and I noticed that his stomach was very bloated. Of course the same day we went to the vet. He examined him, did an ultrasound and immediately diagnosed him with pancreatitis. I still don’t know what the cause of the disease was, we always tried to stick to a proper diet and didn’t give him any fatty foods. My vet says that most likely we just didn’t notice how he ate something, and of course his age – he’s 12 years old – influenced it. He is now healthy and feeling fine, we are on a strict diet, we only give him a brisket of boiled chicken. Good health to your pets!

[Patricia A]

So glad to hear your Yorkie is recovered from pancreatitis. My understanding the cause is high fat in diet. Just wondering why the vet put him on the prescription digestive enzyme if he does NOT have EPI. I believe the side effects are what he is experiencing now being drinking and peeing. However, please bring to vet and see if this is the cause with explanation of why it’s necessary to be on this med without having EPI. Also this could be a more serious reason for her symptoms such as renal .
Please keep updated.

[Jennifer W]

I have a 14 month old intact female Giant Schnauzer from a very ethical responsible breeder (spent 2 yrs on wait list for a pup). You may or may not know that Schnauzers can have a defect in their gut (the exact cause is unknown) that makes it very hard to digest fat and puts them at increased risk for pancreatitis or worse, a condition called Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis (HGE) which can often be fatal and when not fatal becomes a chronic life long health battle. Since my girl has had 3 bouts of bright red bloody stools that got her sent to after hours ER vet, I have put the fear of God in me about what she gets her mouth on. The breeder feeds Purina Pro Plan (which is one of your top 10 picks) and gave me a pretty thorough “feeding plan” to adulthood. Ordinarily the breeder would have her on 5-6 cups per day of the Large Breed Under 2 Years and that’s what she’s been on up til recently. I’ve switched her off the chicken/rice one to the Salmon/rice (still Pro Plan under 2) (it has a German Shepherd on the bag).

Anyway, I did this because she just never has firm poops – and I mean never. It isn’t diarrhea, but it’s mushy enough that it’s difficult to pick it up with a poop bag. It just kinda mushes everywhere. At least once every other month or so she’ll have a bout that requires several meals of white rice and pumpkin along with 2 doses of Imodium to quiet her gut down. She’s not a huge fan of food so I just leave her bowl full and she eats when she feels like it. Her poops smell far more than my Corgi’s poops (she’s on Nulo Weight Mgt), but I wouldn’t say they smell particularly foul. She’s perfectly healthy otherwise and her weight is good – very pronounced waist, but you can’t see or feel ribs when petting her sides. But, becuz of my fear of HGE and the chronic soft stools I’m wondering if I should consider something different. I fed my GSDs a raw-ish diet of small about of high quality kibble (for bulk), mackerel filets, Icelandic sardine oil, Sojos Mix a Meal, and a GSD specific vit/min supplement. My Corgi also gets the sardine oil and 2-3 mackerel filets per week. My last GSD was 19 generations OFA Good or Excellent so I know that diet works, but I’m worried about what all that fish oil might do. I’m just at a loss for what’s the best approach. I’ve even thought about taking her to a gastroenterologist at A&M, but my local vet said they don’t what causes this in Schnauzers so there’s not much they do but treat it symptomatically and watch what she ingests. Cheerios and cheese are the only training treats we use also. She prefers Munster over cheddar or Swiss. ;o) Any thoughts?

[paola M]

My dog Peter had surgery for bladder stone on 2.14.2022. Following the surgery he was put on Royal Canin Urinary SO. On Friday 5.13 he was diagnosed with Pancreatitis. How can I find out if Royal Canin Urinary SO caused or contributed to his Pancreatitis? Calling Royal Canin seems ridiculous but I will certainly give it a try. My concern now is what diet shall he follow? I am willing to cook for him and give him what he needs to ensure he has long and healthy life. Peter is 8 years old and he is a Yorkie. We live in Maryland. If any reader to this board has any advice please send me your recommendations.. from licensed nutritionists to veterinarians who specialize in these two health problem and have solution on how co-exist with both. Thank you.

[Caterina B]

There is a Hill’s food that is Urinary and low fat. I leave the name for you to investigate. hopefully this can help you. My dog ​​has pancreatitis and The presence of a urinary calculus in the bladder.

Hill’s Prescription Diet c/d Multicare + Metabolic, Urinary + Weight Care Chicken Flavor Dry Dog Food

[Patricia A]

Being 14 she’s not feeling so great at times which inevitably comes with aging . It’s heartbreaking then to also have to suffer from this painful condition.
I’ve never thankfully had a dog suffer from pancreatitis .Hopefully others on this board can share their experiences and be of help.
I do know that my little Chihuahuas’ cannot tolerate too much fat in their diet. Dark meat of chicken will give them vomiting and diarrhea . A little boiled salmon they’ll do fine with. However, two days in a row and digestive issues. Their diet is generally freeze dried mixed with a little kibble. I use this site to only use the 5* proteins/flavors of primal and Stella Chewy’s. I believe his lower scores are higher in fat to protein ratio.
Could your little Yorkie have eaten something you’re not aware of off the floor? My elderly mom “accidentally” dropped some beef lomein on floor while eating. Saw Sophie chewing something under table. Next day didn’t want to eat and tail tucked under, stomach gurgling. Finally right before I was going to go to emergency vet (late at night Sunday)after looking like she was in pain I got her to eat a little boiled chicken n rice. Seemed to start acting like herself.
I hope your little Yorkie is feeling better. Maybe you can try a little boiled white meat chicken. A little boiled egg might also fill her up. Could the medication be causing side effects?
Hope this helps.

[weezerweeks]

My 14 year old yorkie spent 8 nights in the hospital on fluids pain meds etc. he is doing great now except he is famished all the time. He licks the kitchen floor and was trying to eat his own stool.he lost from 8.2 to 7lbs. Why is he so hungry his over vaues we’re not good so we’ve been on Denamarin for 15 days. We are to go back to check his levels. Have no idea what caused his pancreatitis. Should I go back to vet now about the hungry problem

[Pamela K]

My 5 year old lab has episodes of vomit (bile) and lip smacking. Normal ultrasound but GI panel showed folate of 5.5. I’m thinking endoscopy would be next step. Welcome advise on any next steps tests as well as dog food. Riley has been of Fromm Duck a la Veg for several years. 2 years ago she was hospitalized with pancreatitis/gastritis. Thank you for input.

[Mel R]

Hi everyone. I’m at crying point for my lovely female boxer. She’s 7 this year and she’s been the most poorliest dog I’ve ever had. I’ve read about the same problem on this forum that my bitch has and I’ve read all of peoples solutions but I’ve done them all. I’m devastated for her. For 6 years my girl has had the gulping thing but can I start by telling you of her illness so you will understand why I can’t try all of your suggestions . She started at an early age of itching and scratching her ears were left bleeding and her chest sliced from her claws. She has no fur left on her chest now. She’s bald. The fur just doesn’t grow back. So in 2018 I had an allergy test done . It cost £450 but it wasn’t the money ( I’m just trying to explain that it should be an extensive test for that price. ). It turns out she’s allergic to 13 things…….dust, grass, weeds, beech trees, birch trees, ostrich in dog food, venison in dog food, grain, blue fish ( I can’t remember the rest . I’m waiting for the vet to send me a print out). So I put her on a hypoallergenic food, grain free dog food. The vet that told me of all these allergies said that a dog can eat everything on a pig apart from the oink hmmm funny… so she’s on pork , sweet potato and apple. But her gulping remained. All her life when she’s had an episode of gulping I’ve automatically opened the back door and she’s ran out to eat grass for 30 minutes minimum but you may remember that I said she’s allergic to grass 😔. Recently I moved house which has no garden so when she has a gulping fit I’m walking to the field at the bottom of the road at 3am in the morning just to stop her from gulping. The grass seems to stop the gulping but it’s not doing her grass allergy any good. She panics and just expects grass. She’s been put on omeprazole 3 months ago and I’ve spaced her food out incase it’s too heavy on her stomach to have big portion. I also got her a food bowl and water bowl with them lumps in the bowl ( to stop them from eating too fast ) and I also took her collar off ( I only put her collar on when it’s time for walkies. ). She’s gone the longest time ever without having a bad gulping fit , which is 10 weeks and when she has a small panic gulp I put her head in my hand and stroke her throat ( easier without the collar on ). But today no stroking her throat would calm her down. 3 hours of gulping and panicking … she vomited. She has never vomited. The vet has put her on a steroid called medrone to fight her itching but it’s not the answer to ALL her allergies and I’m also aware that steroids ruin the organs in time. She’s been on them 4 years now and when she’s had to come off them for an acl operation her itching went worse . She’s also been diagnosed with pancreatitis last week so
. If anyone has got any recent suggestions they are more than welcome . Just bare in mind she’s limited with all her problems .
Thankyou

[Penelope S]

Here’s the thing….I have a senior dog (going on 14) who was also diagnosed with early stage kidney disease. At the time, he was in major need of a teeth cleaning & that was the reason for the bloodwork. Other than the bloodwork saying something was wrong, he was (& still is) utterly asymptomatic – & as fit, energetic & active as a young dog. We did all the tests, including ultrasound & his kidneys themselves were perfect. Still, the vet didn’t want to do the teeth cleaning…despite all my arguments to the case that dental disease could be a contributing factor. So, I did the whole kidney prescription diet for nearly a year in an attempt to get his levels low enough that my vet would do the cleaning. It was a nightmare for both of us. He HATED – I mean HATED – the food. No matter what flavor or prescription brand I tried. He looked like I was punishing him every time I put a dish of it in front of him. The wet food especially – it smelled like a jar of old pennies so I can’t say I blame him. I could get him to eat it ONLY if I pretended it was a treat & fed him one kibble at a time – so that’s what I did. Guess what. After almost a year on that stuff, his kidney levels barely improved by a fraction of a fraction. His teeth got worse though. Like really a lot worse. Also, because of the super low protein content in these foods, he lost significant muscle mass. I read the ingredients…literally garbage. Wheat gluten, corn gluten, egg “product”, and chemicals…and way more fat (not from quality sources) than the high quality foods I’d been feeding him prior (are muscle wasting & pancreatitis a good tradeoff for kidney disease…?).

Last summer, he almost died. Spent a week in the emergency room after I rushed him there w a swollen face & 103 fever in late July 2020, came home a skeleton (they sent him home to die). Lost a tooth his last day at the ER – & was likely so sick thanks to a nasty abscess. IV antibiotics – heavy duty – the whole time he was there & immunosuppressant doses of prednisone. I syringe fed him high calorie dog food at home for a month, carried him downstairs for potty breaks because he was too weak. He lived though – got stronger. I weaned him off the steroids & did not go back to the prescription food. I started feeding him the food he was on prior to the whole mess – grain free, limited ingredient food, plus green tripe, egg whites…other things like boiled ground meats to vary his diet. Kept his protein high – (because it’s actually BAD to reduce protein in senior dogs & there’s no actual basis for doing so in early stages of CKD), fat moderate, looked up protein sources lower in phosphorus like lamb & beef (in comparison to poultry & salmon). He gained weight, including muscle & his energy levels came back. Most notably, he was excited about meal times again.

I switched to a new vet about 3 months after his ER visit. She said she didn’t understand why the first one wouldn’t do the teeth cleaning way back when. She also said that his bloodwork showed much greater improvement in his kidney levels since I switched back to his old diet compared to tests taken just prior to his ER stay. So we scheduled his teeth cleaning. Before all this started, the old vet had estimated he’d need about 5 or 6 teeth pulled. He ended up losing 14 because they had deteriorated so much in the time since this entire ordeal started. He flew through the cleaning w no issues & was up & running a couple days after. I’m still feeding him the same way & his kidney levels are consistently improving – almost normal levels when I had him tested a couple months after his cleaning. My new vet said I have been doing an excellent job w his diet, is happy w all his bloodwork & now he only has to get it checked at his semi annual checkups (instead of every month like the old vet at $250 a pop). He’s in excellent condition now. He’s a Shepherd/Shiba mix &, when I tell people he’s nearly 14, the reaction is complete disbelief. He keeps up no problem w my 2yr old female APBT mix who is extremely high energy. I have no doubt I will get several more years out of my good boy. Bottom line – do the research, get the 2nd opinions, & never assume your vet (or your own doctor for that matter) know a dang thing about nutrition. Basically find a vet who will work with you rather than one who can’t think “outside the box” or be bothered to keep up w more current research. They sell these foods based on what the manufacturers “sell” them. I wish there was a way to upload photos here – you would not believe the before & after.

[Patricia A]

Hi Alex,
There is a post under this topic (Diet and Health) started by KC . Just scroll down until you find topicI under (IS there dog food low in protein AND low in fat 4 renal failure AND pancreatitis). Many posted on their experience with their much loved dogs also suffering from these health issues and diets which helped.
Hope maybe suggestions in feeding work with your pup.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 1 month ago by Patricia A.

[Alex F]

Hello forum users! I have been having a tough time finding a commercial diet for my dog that has recently suffered from a bout of pancreatitis and whose kidneys are starting to show signs of decline. I am looking for dog food (preferably small kibble – she is a 14 year old Miniature Pinscher) that is both low in fat and low in protein. Any suggestions? She is currently on the Royal Canin Gastrointestinal diet.

Thank you for any help!
Alex

[Tracey G]

Walter’s problems are ongoing. After stone surgery, he began showing symptoms of an autoimmune neurological disease. He was eating food to avoid stones, and the vet put him on prednisone. Guess what. Pancreas flareup again that had him in the doggie hospital for two days. Before he was released, they did a sonogram and found pancreatic cancer and confirmed the neurological disease which causes the esophagus to collapse. He was also put back on the Hills lowfat food because of the pancreatitis. I’m waiting to hear he has another stone. We live in Mexico, and a doctor in Guadalajara has created a cancer treatment for certain kinds of cancer. He has been on this for two weeks. Another sonogram in a few days will tell us if the tumor is shrinking or not. No one seems to have any ideas how to treat dogs with both pancreas and kidney stone issues.
Walter is shockingly in decent health with all he has wrong. The vet is shocked. With where we are located, I doubt I can find a dog nutritionalist to create a proper diet- if such a thing exists.

[Brenda I]

My 4 yr old Pug, Luna, developed kidney stones, ureter stones; we ended up in ER with hydoflush and aggressive medications to flush stones into Bladder. After 7 days they were able to flush them out and she came home without surgery.
Vet gave her R.C. SO food and Hills C/D.
4 days later she almost died due to severe pancreatitis. The Vet was “preparing” us.
She got a miracle and came home 36 hrs later with 5 medications and
R.C. Gastrointestinal food.
She is doing good with this food…
We have 2 Dr appts with Internal Medicine in Boston on how to help her kidneys AND pancreatitis.
We also have an appt with Nutritionist.
Having said that, the only food ( In My Opinion) that I have found in my research for all this; that can do both Kidneys and Pancreatitis is
Hills Rx Gastrointestinal BIOME.
I have not yet asked Vet about this food. But I have researched it.

Check it out.

[Cara G]

We have had success in using an antiseptic mousse, as our vet recommended, to prevent future bladder stones. This has worked but you have to do it EVERY time after your pet goes to the bathroom. It’s a pain but so worth it. We use Royal Canin Gastrointestinal dry and wet food for her pancreatitis. We add water each meal to further help prevent stone formation.

[Tammie B]

Good morning Tracey! I’m so sorry your babies are going thru this! I give my baby a supplement that eliminated his incontinence and I have a friend who had great success eliminating the bladder stones/crystals. If you’d like more info, just let me know. He’s a yorkie and has had bouts of pancreatitis, haven’t had any of that in a very long time. He may not be as prone as your babies, but I’m happy to share what and why I feed what I do. He does have horrible allergies and was on apoquel for years, successfully off apoquel and on an all natural supplement now.

[Celeste D]

Any help will be greatly appreciated. I want to do anything I can to reduce the swelling of her pancreas so that she doesn’t have any bout of actual pancreatitis, whether it be scute or chronic. At the moment, she is a symptomatic . We only did sn ultrasound because her cardiologist was concerned that her spleen looked larger than normal . That turned out o be ok, but when doing the ultrasound, her pancreas looked somewhat inflamed.

[Celeste D]

Linda,

Thank you so much!1 my dog has renal,disease and just got,diagnosed with pancreatitis. She has no symptoms of pancreatitis , but had an ultrasound and pancreas looked inflamed. But she is eating fine, o vomiting, nothing. She is on a kidney specific diet with the hills,but her cardiologist said he things it is high is]n fat and we may need to Change it so that a bout of pancreatitis doesn’t ensue. What kind of protein and oil do you add to dr Harvey’s food ?

[Linda M]

I know this post is quite old, but I wanted to respond in case others find it while looking for a food for a dog who has both kidney failure and pancreatitis. Our dog, who is now 14 years old, has had kidney failure for more than three years. He was doing well on Hills K/D plus daily subcutaneous fluids but then all of a sudden was on death’s door with pancreatitis. He got through that, but I was left searching for a low-fat diet that would not result in pancreatitis again. The vet was no help. Through Internet research, I found Dr. Harvey’s, which is a base product you mix with water and then add your own protein and oil (for fat). This has been absolutely wonderful, and my dog is pretty much back to where he was a few years ago. It has also dramatically improved his symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease. The customer service from the company is incredible–they happily email with you to discuss their program and encourage you to call them on the phone to discuss your dog’s particular needs. I hope this helps someone else out there!

[Janice R]

6/1/2021. I purchased Verbac CET Hextra Premium chews. I gave him one waited a day or two before giving him 1 each night. After giving him one the third night consecutively, he began acting anxious, begging for my attention. I thought he was begging for another and corrected him. The next morning, he could not get up by himself, was not eating only drinking enormous amounts of water. Elimination ok. I took him to ER Vet where they diagnosed him with Acute Pancreatitis and Diabetes Mellitis. Due to the enormous $5-$6000 estimate with very poor prognosis, I planned his Euthanasia. I was finally able to get in with his regular Vet. So, now we are trying insulin and low fat diet. After getting him stabelized, I looked at CET Hextra chews, saw they were only 1.0 gm fat, I gave him another. Within 2 hours, again he was distressed with panting and his abdomen became bright red with distension. So, this morning, it dawned on my there might be an association. I found this identical statement from March 2020. I informed my veternarian of what I have found and am waiting to hear back from her. Wish I did a search on “reactions,” verses side effects. I likely would not have purchased. I still may end up Euthanising. Talk about Grieving process.

[Patricia A]

With some dogs prone to pancreatitis it’s necessary to watch the amount of fat in hamburger meat. Better to go with lean.

[Tracey G]

I am in the same boat. Walter, half shitzu and mutt, developed pancreatitis about 10 years ago after prednisone for allergies. The apoquel was not a help and was expensive. He is now 13. He has been on Hills low fat diet for years with no issues. If and when we tried something else, he had a flare up. We just picked him up from the vet today after having stone surgery. They pulled out a huge stone. It has been sent to the lab, but I’m pretty sure it’s a calcium oxalate stone. I read where carrots and spinach can cause this. He is addicted to carrots, so those have to go. I’m terrified his pancreatitis will flare up on the kidney diet after reading what you all have been through.

Is it possible to use both foods? Will any fat send him into a pancreatic flare up? Like you all, he is our baby. I will do anything including cook his foods. It’s interesting to note there are many other dogs with these issues.

Piki, I too am so sorry about your doggie. What enzyme would the doctor have added? Very curious.

[Patricia A]

Just be careful of feeding nuts to a dog prone to pancreatitis. A lot of fat in most nuts.
Nuts Have High Fat Content That Can Cause Pancreatitis
Symptoms can include decreased or no appetite, vomiting, lethargy, and sometimes diarrhea. Some breeds, like Schnauzers, are prone to this condition, and a high-fat diet in sensitive dogs can sometimes trigger the irritation.
Could try to add in diet VERY SLOWLY freeze dried food. I prefer Primal. Turkey/Sardine being their favorite. Just add some warm water to rehydrate and it becomes a nutritional meal that most dogs love.

[Rachel S]

Hello! I see this post is a few years old but I am hoping someone can give me some insight. I have a 3 year old female cane corso, my child if you will. Last week around 3 am on Sunday she started throwing up, I assumed it was because she ate grass on a walk and usually will throw up for a while when digesting it. Unfortunately the throwing up went on for about 9 hours. She refused to eat and was very lethargic and sleepy. I called the vet and brought her in. They sedated her and ran some tests, one of them being for pancreatitis. The vet told us her pancreatitis test came back “negative” but her bloodwork showed high pancreas enzymes which led her to believe it was early pancreatitis and would treat it as so. I was told to give her a bland diet of chicken and rice. At the same time as the pancreatitis testing we also had some allergy testing done. Her results came back highly allergic to most meats and fillers in dog food. was were instructed to put her on Purina Pro Plan Hydrolyzed low fat dog food-salmon. The food is prescription so we are still waiting for it to show up in the mail. We are now over a week since the throw up incident and she does have her energy back, is drinking, peeing and pooping but she does throw up yellow bile once or twice every other day. Not much interest in food either. I assumed it was the boiled chicken so I stopped giving her that and have been giving her a pancreatitic kibble but it is chicken flavor….could that be the reason for her throwing up? or has her stomach been through so much trauma that there will be throwing up continuing to happen until we get her on the correct diet? I am hoping someone can help. I am so nervous and scared for her.

[Patricia A]

Hi..Diane has your vet ruled out what possibly is causing these high ALT”s from puppyhood? Glad to hear ultrasound is normal . Below are some common causes of the high ALT levels. ALT is an enzyme that may be released with any source of damage to the liver. Blunt trauma, anaphylactic reaction, systemic illness such as thyroid disorders, and other problems that have nothing to do with the liver can cause an elevation of ALT in the blood. Just because ALT is elevated doesn’t mean the liver is failing, however. This result is interpreted in conjunction with clinical signs and other bloodwork and imaging changes.
Increased ALT

Common Causes
• Inflammatory
o Infectious causes
 Bacterial cholangiohepatitis
 Leptospirosis
 Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP)  Histoplasmosis
 Infectious canine hepatitis
o Noninfectious causes

 Chronic hepatitis
 Cirrhosis
 Pancreatitis
• Toxic
o NSAIDS
o Phenobarbital
o Corticosteroids
o Methimazole/carbimazole
• Liver hypoxia or hypoperfusion o Anemia
o Congestive heart failure
o Shock
• Metabolic disorders
o Hyperthyroidism (cats)
o Hepatic lipidosis (cats)
o Cushing’s disease
o Diabetes mellitus/diabetic ketoacidosis
• Neoplasia
• Trauma
Generated by VetConnect® PLUS: Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) Page 1 of 3

Uncommon Causes
• Portosystemic shunts (usually mild elevations if any)
• Toxic
o Mushroom
o Sago palm
o Aflatoxin
o Ragwort (horses) o Xylitol
o Tetracycyline
o Idiosyncratic drug reactions
• Inherited
o Copper storage disease (certain dog breeds, but particularly severe in Bedlington Terriers)
o Lysosomal storage disorders
• Severe skeletal myopathy, usually mild to moderate increases
• Nutritional hepatopathies
• Gastroenteritis
Related Findings
• Inflammatory
o Increased AST, ALP, GGT, total bilirubin
o Decreased albumin, cholesterol, glucose, BUN in severe cases
o Increased bile acids and ammonia
o Positive titers or PCR for leptospirosis, feline coronavirus (FIP), histoplasmosis o Positive bacterial or fungal culture of liver/bile
o Histopathology/cytology findings consistent with inflammatory hepatic diseases o Increased Spec cPL® or Spec fPL® with pancreatitis
• Metabolic
o Hyperthyroidism
 Increased T4, free T4, free T4 by equilibrium dialysis
o Hepatic Lipidosis
 Increased ALP
 GGT usually normal unless concurrent inflammatory disease is present  Enlarged liver on radiographs, hyperechoic liver on ultrasound
 Cytology/histopathology consistent with hepatic lipidosis
o Cushing’s Disease
 Increased ALP
 Decreased urine specific gravity
 Stress leukogram: increased neutrophils and monocytes, decreased lymphocytes and/or eosinophils  Adrenal function tests consistent with Cushing’s disease
o Diabetes Mellitus
 Increased serum glucose and glucosuria  Increased fructosamine
 Ketonuria (in severe cases)
• Neoplasia
o Enlarged/irregular liver on radiographs and/or ultrasound o Cytology/histopathology findings consistent with neoplasia

• This reply was modified 4 years, 11 months ago by Patricia A.
• This reply was modified 4 years, 11 months ago by Patricia A.

[Patricia A]

Steve I know that in some dogs too much fat in a diet can cause pancreatitis. When given a little chop meat that was not lean or even dark meat chicken my two would get IBS symptoms of diarrhea . I don’t know if your vet said that the bloat could be caused by fat in diet. However, these are some of the possible causes of bloat.
Causes
Vets aren’t sure what causes bloat, but there are some things that raise a dog’s risk for it, including

Having one large meal a day
Eating quickly
A lot of running or playing after they eat
Other dogs they are related to have had bloat
Eating or drinking too much
Stress
To avoid bloat, be mindful of your dog’s eating habits. Dogs that gulp their food should not receive large meals or large quantities of water all at once. Instead, let them have smaller meals more frequently and small drinks of water more frequently. Large dogs will benefit from eating their food from a raised bowl because they will ingest less air when eating. Make sure your dog is kept quiet after they eat so have time to digest before running and playing. Below is a good article on burping dogs also. Hope this helps a little.
https://www.petful.com/pet-health/why-does-my-dog-burp-so-much/

• This reply was modified 4 years, 11 months ago by Patricia A.
• This reply was modified 4 years, 11 months ago by Patricia A.

[Jessa J]

Hi everyone,

I have a 9 year old bichon with ckd and proteinuria. She has recently had 2 pancreatitis flare up’s which I’m assuming is from having her on Hill’s kd and also Royal Canin renal food, because they are both high in fat. This latest flare up was really bad, and I almost had to put her down. Luckily with some fluid therapy and prednisone, she is currently eating very lean ground beef and rice. Her vet suggested I try Hill’s ID, but she will not eat it and I won’t put her back on the other renal foods because of the high fat. She is very picky and almost wants to eat only protein, which is a problem with her proteinuria since she should be on a low protein diet. She will not eat vegetables. We tried BalanceIT, she will not touch it because she can smell the supplement powder.

I have no idea what I can feed her, and her vet is no help to me in figuring this out, I am totally lost and desperate for some help. Is there any commercial canned food that is low fat with relatively low protein/phosphorus/sodium?

[Tiffany L]

Hi! My dog was just diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis. Prior to taking him we only noticed sluggish behaviors, dry mouth, and he vomited one day only (and not much). Other wise he was playful, eating, and had healthy looking poops. The doctor recommended IV treatment, gabapentin, and Cerenia. She also recommended that we feed him royal canine gastrointestinal food. After we started this treatment his symptoms worsen significantly, more specifically after a whole day of IV fluids. Now he is very sluggish, not eating or drinking on his own, and in a lot of pain. The doctor told me to increase his food since he was eating well when I fed him. That night he ran around the house whining in pain and today he still appears to be in pain. I was hoping for some advice on if this is normal or if I should seek someone else out? and if this is normal how long do pups usually stay like this.

[Piki G]

My dog Tapi succumbed to death a month ago, from pancreatic complications after he was placed on the bladder stone diet. He had just turned 8 (his breed lives for about 16 years).

Tapi always had a bit of a weak stomach; couldn’t tolerate fatty food. He was placed on a low fat diet all his life. I was never told why (& I never asked why) except for the fact that this diet suited him, so nothing to worry!

Upon having a detailed discussion with the doctor who saw him last, I understood that a possible reason why Tapi couldn’t tolerate fatty food was most likely a sign of underlying chronic pancreatitis.

Every year Tapi suffered from seasonal allergies and his vet prescribed him Prednisone. I am told now that Prednisone affects the pancreas. Supposedly Apoquel is a better alternative with milder side effects.

The irony is Tapi could have continued with his low fat GI diet post surgery; all the doc needed to do was to add an enzyme to his diet to prevent the bladder stones from forming. It was just that simple.

What I learnt from this is to not change your pets food all of a sudden, especially if the pet is on a special diet. There is always a way around it.

[Cara G]

My Mattie is doing well now after a lot of experimentation by my vet. Hopefully this can help someone else’s pet! My vet took her off the Royal Canine GI low fat and put her on the Royal Canine Urinary after her bladder stones(calcium oxalate) were surgically removed. This was a huge mistake to switch her food!! She developed the Pancreatitis which is SO much worse. We immediately returned her to Royal Canine Gastrointestinal low fat dry and wet food, plus I give her several Royal Canine GI snacks a day. She is also on one Denamarin pill each morning an hour before eating her first meal. I have to give it to her with a small amount of her GI wet food. Then twice a day after eating she gets a syringe of the compounded prescription Ursodiol (my vet sent the prescription to my pharmacy to compound). She finally is back to her old self and feels wonderful! We check her liver enzymes every two months now and they continue to go down. We also check her urine which is now normal. The following is what we are doing to prevent future bladder stones from forming: I feed her four small meals a day. A scoop of dry with water twice a day and 1/4 can of wet with lots of water twice a day. The water has her peeing the crystals out before they can form stones! I do have to take her out more frequently but it is so worth it! My vet recommended the wet in addition to the dry because it has so much more water in it than the dry. Plus he recommended to add even more water to it, which I do. My Mattie is 11 pounds and my vet has told me exactly how much to feed her so she will not gain wait. I give her 1/4 cup of dry twice a day and 1/4 of wet twice a day. So far so good!!

[Piki G]

My 8 years old Daisy (mixed breed) have been on Royal Canine GI low fat diet his entire life until he developed bladder stones (calcium oxalate) and was put on Hills c/d diet. He was on this diet for about a month, and ended up getting pancreatitis.

I too am struggling to find a diet suitable for both conditions, but am leaning towards home cooking just because I don’t understand /rely on dog food anymore.

He is on boiled white rice, boiled chicken, boiled carrots and bone broth to begin with, while still trying to figure out a balanced diet.

He surely is suffering way more from pancreatitis than from his stones and bladder surgery.

[sunshine D]

ZCRiley , ur post is negative then turns to mame it seem like u like / approved of the product & heres some info on avocados
we do know that dogs especially sensitive dogs can develop pancreatitis, even if they only eat a small amount of avocado pulp.
Pancreatitis is inflammation of the digestive organ called the pancreas. In some cases, this condition can even be fatal. So as a rule, I actually do not recommend feeding avocados to dogs.
If your dog eats the pulp of an avocado, it’s always a good idea to watch them for 24-48 hours, and report any vomiting, diarrhea or signs of abdominal discomfort to your veterinarian.
While there are some health benefits to avocados—including vitamins, fatty acids and antioxidants— these benefits can be obtained by feeding other foods that are lower in fat and do not contain the risk of inducing pancreatitis.

[Patricia A]

Madison I have dogs’ which have digestive problems with higher fat in their diet. I came to that conclusion because whenever I fed certain home cooked food as a kibble topper they would have loose stools. That being dark meat chicken vs boiled white meat, ground beef that wasn’t 90% fat free, fatty pieces of steak vs very lean(when they got lucky lol). They have no trouble with plain, boiled salmon.
So, that being said I hope I can make some suggestions of a starting point in switching to raw and then you can see how she does with each of these brands.
I got used to my dogs’ with one brand/protein VERY, VERY, VERY slowly. Then when i knew that they were digestively good with the brand/protein I would switch the protein also very slowly. Just giving them bits mixed in with the other protein. Eventually, I also would change brands and did the same. I just feel better not sticking always to one brand, but that’s me.
I used a starting point by looking at the raw food reviews on DFA. This led me to Primal, Stella Chewy’s, I have Chihuahuas’. This allowed me to use freeze dried. However, for a larger dog as yours, I believe the frozen raw would be most cost efficient. Freeze Dried should be the same as raw nutritionally once hydrated.
I always only feed his 5* reviews in the protein/flavor of that brand. I believe he rates by protein to fat ratio. So the 5* ones are lower in fat. So I stick to Primal’s turkey/sardine, venison, pork, duck. All of these proteins/flavors are non HPP (HIGH-PRESSURE PROCESSING (HPP)
High-Pressure Processing, or HPP, is an FDA- and USDA-approved cold water pressure process that allows us to target salmonella and other food-borne pathogens—without cooking.) Some raw feeders do not like the HPP process claiming it effects nutritional values. However other studies show he use of High Pressure Processing (known as HPP) is becoming increasingly common with commercial raw dog foods. However, HPP can be a controversial process. Some view it as an effective way to eliminate disease-causing bacteria while having only minimal effect on the integrity of the finished product.)
I believe Stella’s uses HPP in all their products. With their food I use chicken, venison bland and their rabbit.
Their are many other companies which are rated highly on this site. I believe VITAL ESSENTIALS is the brand which Is as a whole below in fat . If you go to the reviews on DFA they are all listed as a 5*. Many different flavors also. They are also low in calories . Their company goes by the prey model which is no veggies/fruits which are sometimes added to other brands. vital essentials example (ngredients: Beef, beef tripe, beef lung, ground beef bone, beef liver, beef heart, beef kidney, beef blood, beef fat, herring oil, d-alpha tocopherol)
I also want to suggest possibly kibble with salmon. Pancreatic digestive enzyme supplements have been reported to help some dogs with pancreatitis while fish body oils (such as salmon oil or EPA oil but not cod liver oil), can help to lower blood lipid levels which may reduce the workload on the pancreas.
I believe your dog does not suffer from pancreatitis but just occasional IBS? So I hope she does well with any of these . Just go slowly. So much confusion with all those brands. Hope I gave you a good starting point and she does well with these suggestions.

[Madison K]

Hi all!

So I’m looking into switching my dog to raw. She has always eaten kibbble and wet food and has been on Wellness since end of last year. She is 7 years old, 50lbs, rottie/beagle/lab/who knows what.

She has had some issues the last few years and I’ve tried changing her food and have taken her to the vet for each individual issue (sensitive stomach — she vomits and/or has diarrhea a day or 2 every couple of months, chews her paws, and has low energy) but I am realizing that these individual concerns might be a symptom of the same main problem and have heard that switching to raw has helped some dogs with similar issues. I’m a bit overwhelmed by the options (freeze dried vs frozen vs dehydrated), brands, etc so would love to hear from *real* people about the following:

– what raw brands have you tried and liked?
– do you have any recommendations on form of raw (freeze dried, frozen or dehydrated)?
– has anyone had dogs with similar issues as mine (above) and seen positive results when switching to raw?

I’m also a little concerned about the fat content of a lot of raw food I found online, especially since I’ve heard my dog *may* have pancreatitis (she is going to the vet today for blood work). Idk if anyone has any thoughts on that?

Sorry for all the questions:) just curious about your personal experiences and recommendations:) thanks in advance!!

[Susan]

@ Wonderuspups,
A Colonoscopy is different to an Endoscope Stomach you just need a empty stomach, not empty bowel the camera can only go down esophagus & maybe small bowel only if the sphincter flap is open to enter small bowel for dogs.
Patch has IBD not IBS..
When Patch is having Endoscope + Biopsies, he eats his Dinner night before then no more food after 8pm, no water after 12am, next day he goes to vet 10am, his Endoscope app is at 11am, blood is taken for anesthetic check.
then I get a call from his vet nurse who’s looking after him after his procedure to tell me Patch has woken up come around 3pm to pick him up then he’s back home eating small meal 3-4pm & running around, there’s no pain with Endoscope/Biopsies, he stayed on his Acid Blocker meds weren’t stopped same with me.
I have Endoscope every 5 yrs, no food after 12am I’m at hospital 8am next day, back home 11am same day & I have to take my meds before I leave home that morning, when I was younger I was told to stop my ant acid medication 2 weeks before Endoscope & my god the pain I had bad acid reflux, when my scope/biopsies was finished & I woke up the Gastro Dr told me to take my ant acid medication as soon as I get home, cause my esophagus & stomach is red & inflamed..

Turmeric is hot spice, I cant take it & I’d never give to Patch as it would upset his stomach. Same as Apple Cider Vinegar makes acid reflux worse if dog or person is making too much Hydrochloric acid in their stomach, coconut oil can cause bad acid reflux as well its a hard fat, not a soluble fat.
You have to be very careful with animals as they cant talk & tell owner they’re in more pain after having natural herbs etc.. The only supplement I’ll use is Slippery Elm powder cause I’ve tried it & CBD oil, I always try things first..

@ Sienna.
I’d be trying medications before trying any holistic supplements, Turmeric can cause stomach upset, if your dog has Ulcer Turmeric will make pain worse.
Patch was eating Earthborn Holistic Ocean Fusion & the fish made his acid worse he cant eat any fish kibbles they’re higher in Omega Oils, also dogs who suffer with Pancreatitis have problems with oily fish + fish oils, they can cause a Pancreas flare, if you follow Dr Judy Morgan her old dog he’s since passed away, he kept having Pancreatic flare every month so Judy stopped everything in his diet & did Elimination Food diet & re introduced everything slowly & it was the Fish Oil causing his flares… look at Turkey & Potato kibbles, Pork & Potato kibbles
Here’s Canidae Pure Wild Boar but the fat is 15-16%???
https://www.canidae.com/dogs/canidae-pure-grain-free-dry-dog-food-wild-boar/

Patch does really well on the Canidae Pure Senior it has the lowest fat- 10.80%max are you 100% sure she cant have Chicken you’ve don’t a proper elimination diet?

There’s also 4Health Special Care Sensitive Stomach, there’s NO meat + kcals are low
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/4health-special-care-sensitive-stomach-formula-for-adult-dogs-8-lb-bag?cm_vc=-10011

4Health has Lamb & Rice Kcals are 328Kcals per cup easy to digest ingredients fat -12%min.

Sometimes we have to put aside our strong beliefs & do whats best for the dog, I’m feeding Patch Eukanuba Senior kibble Eukanuba made in Australia, ingredients are slightly different to USA Eukanuba, it has Corn & Wheat & Patch isn’t wanting his grass he normally wants after Dinner, I’m going back to what Patch was first put on when I rescued him 2012 + I know Eukanuba makes low residue kibbles easy to digest ingredients.

[sienna11711]

Yes, I was actually on the EPI forum recently and all of the EPI dogs have really poor stools and poor appetites, and weight loss. On fresh food my dog lost weight rapidly, but back on kibble her weight is stable and her body is ideal. I sent them her recent bloodwork and they said it looked indicative of chronic pancreatitis, but a low fat food combined with incubating the food in enzymes and warm water for 15-20 min usually causes a big turnaround for dogs with that issue.

My vet told me her behavior is likely 100% behavioral- that my dog is basically just so generally stressed that she is resorting to eating- and since she doesn’t have loose stool or diarrhea that she may just have general IBD but to keep her on this same food since her stools are nice and firm with it.

I know she is ravenous because when we go out on walks the entire walk she is nose to the ground sniffing for food and poop. Sometimes she will be so keen to find food or crumbs that she literally bumps into poles and stuff when I try to keep her moving. Sometime we’ll be crossing a busy road and she will drop to the ground to eat something while cars are waiting for us to cross. Before quarantine, when I’d go out to a restaurant, instead of sitting down and hanging out she would be all over me, trying to get onto the table, and crawling all over the surrounding tables on the floor to sniff for crumbs. She wakes up 1-2 hours earlier than usual these days and barks and whines at me to eat. I thought at first it was to go out but if I take her out before feeding her she will just frantically look for food and potty a few minutes into the walk, so I know it’s not bathroom related. After she eats she will drink any and all water in the bowl, and then keep sniffing her food bowl, then go back to water bowl, then come to me and whine and keep doing that over and over. If I don’t strictly monitor her water intake she will just gulp it all away and pee herself while napping. Around 2:30 pm ( dinner is at 5pm) she becomes impossible to deal with. She follows my every move, paws at me constantly, and will just sit there hypervigilant of what I’m doing. If I even move to adjust myself on the couch she will get up as if we were going somewhere. If I’m eating she will literally be underfoot. Her counter surfing has surged, now if I leave anything on the counter in a box she will knock it over. I left a taped box of donuts and went to take out trash down the hallway and when I came back she had taken the entire box down on the floor, ripped it open, and ate 12 donuts in a matter of 45 seconds. When I leave and watch her on the pet camera, she goes straight into the kitchen and jumps up on the counter and sniffs the entire area of it. I’ve always been really food about not leaving anything out, but I was always able to leave fruit out or even boxes of snacks so long at they were closed, but now anything is fair game for her. All of this becomes 10 times worse if we do more activity like long walks, little trips to the park or to the beach…so it’s really diminished our relationship unfortunately. She’s also not very playful anymore, she only grabs her toys when shes hungry and is super rough if I try to play with her so it seems like it’s only agitation.

Previously, she was always a food lover, and would always come and stand in the kitchen if I was cooking or eating, but I would ask her to move away and go sit on her bed and it was that easy. She would only try to steal off the counter if it was open sitting on a plate and no one was in the room, otherwise she wouldn’t touch it. I used to take her everywhere that was pet friendly with me. She was also a much more gentle player.

[Susan]

Hi Sienna,
Your girl sounds just like my Patch, who I rescued November- 2012. He was weeing blood when I got him & Ultra Scan showed Urinary Crystals he was put on Royal Canine S/O Urinary Wet & dry kibble for 6 weeks to dissolve the crystals & he was desexed, I adopted him cause I didnt see any health problems probably cause he was on the R/C Vet Diet as soon as the vet said his crystals have dissolved feed him what he was eating before this is when my nightmare begun & he was always STARVING HUNGRY eating cat poo… I kept thinking Pancreatitis, but all times we checked his Pancreas its good, he cries whinges after he eats, wet food is the worst if comes back up cause it digests quicker & cause his lower sphincter flap isn’t closing properly the food comes up his esophagus & throat causing acid reflux, a Acid Blocker- Pantoprazole-20mg given in morning really helps Patch even stopped his vomiting finally in 2018 Patches stories are thru DFA Forum section how I nilly put him to sleep 2018 he was 10yrs old but we have really good vets in Australia who wouldn’t put Patch to sleep till they worked out what was happening now.
Vet changed his PPI to 20mg-Pantoprozole it works heaps better then Omeprazole , I take Pantoprazole for my GERDS & asked my vet can we please change his PPI as they all work different till you find the right one for yourself & dogs would be the same + my gastro specialist told me Pantoprazole is best when Lower Esophageal Flap isnt closing properly.

Have you done Endoscope & Biopsies yet? you need the Biopsies so vet can diagnose properly. Or ask vet can you please try the triple therapy meds for Helicobacter all dogs have Helicobacter BUT when a dogs immune system is compromised the Helicobacter takes over the dog stomach also Patch suffers with Environment Allergies in Summer causing his immune system to crash by Autunm cause its been working overtime fighting his allergies this causing bad acid reflux as well, Patch does best on an easy to digest kibble.
Canidae Pure Senior, Wellness Core Large breed adult but they changed their recipe & added Lentils Patch cant eat Lentils he gets Diarrhea, he does really well on Potato & Sweet Potato kibbles.
Patch suffers with IBD, LES =Lower Esophageal Sphincter Flap doesn’t close properly in between his stomach & esophagus causing BAD Acid reflux, 1 yr after I rescued Patch I was told my boy has IBD I didnt believe vet so I asked can we do Endoscope & Biopsies, the Biopsies came back IBD, Helicobacter Pylori he was put on Triple therapy medications for 21 days, Metronidazole & Amoxicillin given every 12 hours with a meal & a PPI -Pantoprazole or Omeprazole-20mg given in the morning before breakfast, a gluten free, low fat diet is best, no high fiber diets, 8 yrs on he still has Pain stomach area, doesn’t eat poo no more as soon as we fixed his Helicobacter & kept him on a PPI the poo eating all stopped , your girl has Pain in stomach & food relieves her stomach pain, the Helicobacter lives in their stomach walls, food stops the pain BUT 20-30mins later they’re starving again how I know is I suffered with Helicobacter when I was younger, get her on the Metronidazole, Amoxicillin & a PPI will help her you’ll see results 5-7 days..then when medications are finished after 21 days continue with teh PPI or you’ll have to do the triple therapy meds over & over again I did research & Drs found when humans stayed on their PPI medication their Helicobacter didnt have the right environment in the stomach.
There’s a few of Patches post thru DFA Forum back 2015-2018..
I havent had time yet to read your posts, I have to feed Patch now its 7pm he’s waiting, he eats 5 smaller kibble meals a day 7am,-1/2 a cup kibble, 9am-1/2 cup kibble, 12pm he either gets 1/3 cup kibble or 1/2 boiled Sweet potato, 1/2 boiled white potato with his lean Pork rissoles but he prefers his kibble some days, 5pm 1/2 cup kibble, 7pm-1/3 cup kibble 9am a dry piece of Milk Arrowroot Biscuit then at 10pm he gets 1/2 his Quick Eze Rapid Chew ant acid lollie every single night they have also found Pepto Bismol kills off the Helicobacter
Hes doing well on his Eukanuba Senior kibble we have just started 3-4 weeks ago, I have to rotate his kibbles as soon as he starts showing he has his stomach pain I change his kibble.. also the Kcals in the kibble need to be under 360Kcals per cup or he gets his pain right side..
are you on Face Book??
join “Acid reflux in Dogs” https://www.facebook.com/groups/1635198406751056
I’m on there you can msg me on f/b if you want…You’ll see Patches photo hes a English Staffy & my name is Susan B

[Patricia A]

oops forgot to put this article. Might be helpful? https://dogsfirst.ie/health-issues/pancreatitis-dogs-part-2-solution/