I have two rescue dogs – Millie (8years old, spayed female terrier mix) and Fonzie (3years old, neutered male cock-a-tzu (cocker/shih tzu mix)
I have issues with both, but the main one at present is with Millie who has a bout of mild/moderate pancreatitis. This is the second time she has had it, with a more serious incident two years ago. Her CPL reading is 360, which is way above the reference range of 0-200 ug/l and her Red Blood Cell count, hemoglobin, cholestrol and lipase readings are way up as well.
For the past 6 – 8 weeks I have been feeding them Natures Variety Raw Bites in the honest belief that I was doing the very best for them. They both seemed to like it and have shiny coats etc but the end result with Millie (who is the pickiest eater on the planet!) is pancreatitis and the end result with Fonzie is excessive weight gain – 2kg+ since I began this diet!! I am devastated as Millie was actually enjoying her food for the first time ever (she has always refused dry kibble) but what good is that if she is suffering illness as a result?! To make things worse I was over-feeding them up to a few days ago, which may have caused the pancreatitis to flare up – or maybe the food would have caused it anyway.
I desperately want to feed them a good, nourishing and wholesome food but I am completely frustrated by the choice available and the vastly differing opinions I get in the pet stores. To make matters worse I am leaving them in kennels for 12 days in just under three weeks time when I go to Ireland and I have to have them settled on a suitable food before I go. Please help!
When health problems start with dogs the dog tells us, if she just wants wet food, I’d give her wet food instead of kibble..Kibble is hard & its harder to digest, maybe its not agreeing with her like it once did when she was younger, My boy has Chronic Pancreatitis it took me 6 months & another vet to find out he had Pancreatitis.. but I notice when I give him his cooked chicken breast pumkin & egg for breakfast he’s happier, playing being naughty but when he has his kibble he’s a different dog quiet doesnt play & looks miserable…then I read that kibble isnt good for dogs with Pancreatitis they need softer foods, foods that are easier to digest.. Im not saying ur girl has Pancreatitis, she may need something that’s easier to digest now ..Wellness has a good Senior wet food called Complete Health, its low in fat & good protein.. Also Holistic Select has a good Senior health kibble that is low in fat & fiber & has Glucosaimine she’ll need for her bones…as dogs get older they need less fiber & fat & more protein..
You said that ur dogs itch none stop, you must start with an elimination diet, I started one about 1 month ago as my boy has Pancreatitis & enviornment allergies we dont know if he has food allergies that’s why I’d say the vet suggested an elimination diet, The vet said the first month just feed boil chicken but I knew my boy could eat boil chicken so I added cooked pumkin, then when I saw he wasnt scratching or rubbing his tummy on my beautiful white rug the next week I added sweet potato within 2 days Patch was rubbing on my carpet so I stopped the sweet potato & know he cant have sweet potato or a kibble with sweet potato…. then I added pasta another NO it made him itch then I read dogs with skin problems like yeast & bacteria shouldnt eat carbohydrates, potatos, sweet potatos etc, then I added half a boiled egg & he’s been good, Im thinking of adding broccoli next.. Im reading Raw & Natural Nutrition for Dogs by Lew Olson PhD she has help me understand alot of things & this group its a easy book to read & very easy recipes, she explains what foods aren’t good & what foods are good for certain illness, like Skin problems & what causes ur dog to itch, Pancreatitis Diabetes, Gastro problems, feeding senior dogs, getting a pup onto raw etc, she has cooked recipes & what supplements to add.. in the elimination diet you cannot give any treats nothing, just that one food for 2 weeks then 2 foods so on.. you must cook all vegetables so they are fully cooked, she even suggest to pulped vegetables as dogs digestive system weren’t meant to eat vegies, here’s one of her recipes for Skin allergies a Low Glycemic regular fats Diet..this is for a 50 pound dog to be divide into two or more smaller meals per day.
8 ounces 1 cup regular fat ground beef
2 ounces 1/4 cup beef liver or kidney
2 eggs scrambled or boiled
4 ounces 1/2 cup steamed or boiled broccoli
4 ounces 1/2 cup cooked yellow crookneck squash
4 ounces 1/2 cup whole milk yogurt
Serve meat cooked or raw combined with cooked vegetables eggs & yogurt if serving meat cooked wait until meat & eggs have cooled before stirring in the yogurt…..
What I do is I cook once a fornight & freeze everything except the egg then put in fridge the night before to thaw for next day…
‘Holistic Select’ Senior Health Chicken & Rice, Fat-10% fiber-3.50%, when I looked at the Guarenteed Analysis the only thing was the Gluosamine was higher then the other flavours but the fiber was good only 3.50% & the fat is nice & low for Pancreatitis my vet said he likes dogs with Pacreatitis to be under 9% fat I cant find a kibble that low only the vet prescription diets..I want to try this one next
My boy has Chronic Pancreatitis & IBD & Allergies, Ive been doing alot of reading about Pancreatitis. Ive read that kibble isnt good as the Pancreas has to work harder digesting kibble putting more strain on the Pancreas, have you thought of cooking.. I’ve been boiling chicken breast & pumkin & an egg, I freeze the chicken breast in meals sizes & I freeze the little bits of pumkin, I take out the night before & put in the fridge for breakfast, I boil a egg every second day cause I only give him half boiled egg at breakfast, I shread the chicken & mash the pumkin & mash the egg all together so its all mushed up, easier to digest, also make sure any vegetables or grains are well cooked to make them easier to digest. I then warm in micro wave.. At night I give his kibble only..this has helped the chicken pumkin & egg his pain has gone that he was having under his right rib cage, he’s not coming over to me no more for me to rub his side like when I just had him on kibble.. I’d say that she’s having pain then not wanting to eat. maybe try a low fat can food if u don’t want to cook but I havent found a can food that is low enough in fat, thats why I cook..Ive read that Diabetes & pancreatitis are closely linked, Dogs with Diabetes are often prone to Pancreatitis & vice versa..here’s some Low-Glycemic vegetables you can cook with chicken breast or lean low fat ground beef broccoli or cauliflower, cabbage, summer squashes zucchini, dark leafy greens mustard greens & spinach.. I mite try adding some zucchini, I dont know about spinach I always was told if ur constipated eat spinach…Im reading a book called “Raw & Natural Nutrition for Dogs” by Lew Olson PhD.. it has easy recipes for Pancreatits, diabetes, bladder, liver, heart, cancer etc, she explains what not to feed when ill..also what vitamins to add, excellent read.. the book cost about $11 online..
My dog has also had Pancreatitis. At the same time as the pancreatitis, he spent several days in the ER with Gastroenteritis. We fed him a bland diet for 3-4 weeks. In addition to the Pancreatitis issues, he is also allergic to white potatoes. I slowly (very slowly) transitioned him over to Horizon Legacy Grain Free, Salmon. In addition to the food change I started him on digestive enzymes. He’s currently on Wholistic Pet Canine Complete. I think the combination of the food change and the supplement addition is what really worked. I don’t know that just changing the food would have given me the same results as also adding the enzymes and probiotics. I could not advise on the diabetes….I have no experience with that. Good luck on your search.
My dog has gastro issues (Chronic Pancreatitis/ possible EPI) as well as diabetes and I’ve been trying to find a dry food that she will eat for longer than a few days. We’ve tried Annamaet Lean and that worked for about a week, then California Natural, Fromm Gold and Natural Balance among others. In the past she’s eaten the Wilderness foods, Wellness Core Reduced Fat, Nutrisca, Nutrisource, Taste of the Wild, Earthborne, Rachael Ray Grain Free and Royal Canin LF. She liked the Merrick Classic Chicken, Brown Rice and Pea but it gave her terrible diarrhea, so I think I should stick to Grain free as well. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Yes, his vet gave me a list of human Antihistamines last spring, when he was getting what looked like hives under his fur on his back & neck but that went away & I never bothered with the Antihistamines…I live Australia & its Autunm now & we’re having rotten raining days, I think what Shasta said is a good idea the wipes as Ive been trying not to wet his feet & keep them real dry, I dry them as soon as we walk in the door he knows his routine collar off dry feet. I do bath him weekly in his Malaseb medicated shampoo which helps heaps, but after 3 days the yeasty smell is coming back the yeasty smell started about 3 weeks ago & he was scratching one ear so I put his Dermotic ear drops in his ear & it went away… I saw a new different vet 1 month ago cause Patch was having real bad acid reflux since December & Patches old vet just put him on Zantac & carafate that worked but not 100% he was having pain on his right side under his right rib cage on & off.. the new vet looked at all Patches blood test & listen to everything that had been happening with Patch & he said it looks like Patch has IBD, Chronic Pancreatitis & skin allergies…there’s Acute Pancreatitis which is usually a one off incident from a reaction to a drug or an illness then there’s Chronic Pancreatitis is when several acute occurrences happen over time damaging the pancreas, the vet said we’ll start him on an low fat elimation diet..the first month which was March just gone, he said start with just boiled chicken, so I give just under 1 cup of shreaded boiled chicken then 1 week later I added 1 heap tablespoon of Butternut pumkin then I added 1/2 boiled egg all mashed up, for breakfast.. I still give Patch his vet prescription Eukanuba Intestinal that’s he’s been on since August, I give him his kibble at night I soften in water then drain the water, with his Intestianal kibble his skin goes good.. I found just the chicken & pumkin wasnt filling him up & he looked like he was losing weight, so I put him back on the Intestinal just at night. I want to get him off the Intestianl kibble, Ive read kibble isnt good for dogs with Chronic Pancreatitis to much work on their Pancreas, Oh, the only other thing he has is a little slice of banana in the morning & at night..thats all he eats, Chicken Butternut pumkin, egg & his kibble that is also chicken & turkey.. I thought chicken allergy but his kibble is chicken…what’s the diference with a normal pumkin & butternut pumkin. Im wondering would there be a difference..I started the elimation diet about 1 month ago then the last 3 weeks we’ve had rain..thats what makes me think its the wet grass & wet walk ways..now Im starting to think maybe the Butternut pumkin.. I dont know… I’ll see the vet this afternoon that’s Patches old vet & see what she says, she’s an American vet that came to Austraila after getting married in the 90’s.. I think she gets real confused with Patch too….he does her head in..
I forgot to mention Patch smells like yeast my friend said he smells of mold, I said mold, I dont give Patch sugar the only sweet thing Patch eats is Banana a few little pieces, I didnt realise that the Jazz biscuit had sugar in them but he doesnt have them anymore, Ive cut out the carbs No Potatotoes or sweet Potatoes, Patches paws got real bad 3 weeks ago, we’ve had rain on & off for over 2 weeks, I dry his paws after a walk but u cant dry in between his toes that’s where they’re real red & sores are, they look like red blisters.. I put his Apex Antibiotic cream on them & they start to get better, then the other paw starts going red & sore the next day, its like it’s spreading, one day the back paws are bad then next the front paws are bad, I think it could be from walking on the wet grass, but Ive been on the computer & he has been sleeping & all of a sudden he goes mad with the licking his paw, I look & his paw will be red swollen & we have would of went for a walk about 2 hrs before, this is why I dont know is it food or is it the wet..Ive booked an appointment with the vet this afternoon as Ive been trying to treat his paws over the 3 weeks & they get better then it rains then they seem to get sore again, I’ll see what she says, I bought him shoes but he wont walk in them, the poor thing looks like he’s walking on the moon, Its very hard cause I mite feed him & it happens or we go for a walk & it mite happen, maybe it was going to happen & Im blamming the food or the rain, the elmination diet he’s sort of on one now, no treats, no different foods, he’s on a very bland diet low fat diet cause he has Pancreatitis & IBD as well..thats why I made him the Banana cookies, as a treat, I gave one to him 1 hr ago & nothing has happened this time.. YET..
No mention of pancreatitis or anything else. She said everything was normal. I’ve just done a search on line of Cushing’s syndrome and she does exhibit a lot of the symptoms. I’ve printed some stuff out to take to the vet tomorrow. She seems to have more symptoms of Cushing’s than liver disease. Increased thirst, increased appetite (I thought it was cause she loves the raw), loss of muscle in back legs, hind-leg weakness (thought it was because two degenerated discs mid spine), hind legs trembling (again thought it was from disc problem), reluctance to jump on furniture, panting, thinning hair (thought it was her hypothyroidism), lots of skin tags (thought it was old age).
I don’t know if I’m just seeing things and putting them together or they are really all just the stuff I thought. I certainly know I’m driving myself crazy. I had mentioned the hind leg trembling but vet said it would be from the degenerated discs. I just don’t know what to think.
Did your Vet say anything about the beginnings of Pancreatitis? This is also a cause for Elevated Liver enzymes. Raw is a lot higher in fat than kibble and some dogs do well on it and others have issues with the higher fat. 2 of mine did not do well on it and developed Pancreatitis and one of my other ones just threw it up several times until I did not offer it to her anymore and the other did fine so 3 out of 4 it did not agree with and to be honest I was worried about them getting bad bacteria in which 2 of them ended up doing from Raw. I still have some in my outside freezer which I need to throw out. I don’t think I will ever find the perfect food for my girls and it is very frustrating. Maybe when I retire I can strictly home cook for the ones I have left or newly acquired ones if that happens. Oh and my girls were on Darwin’s for 8 months before anyone developed Pancreatitis.
I do hope it is nothing serious with your baby girl. keep us posted with the fasting results.
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This reply was modified 10 years, 1 month ago by
NectarMom.
My girls were on Darwin’s for 8 months with no issues then one of the reps for Darwin’s said we could introduce Duck and when we did 2 of mine got Pancreatitis and hundreds of dollars later we dropped Darwin’s off our menu and went with Hare Today and one of mine kept throwing it up so I just gave up on Raw. I don’t want anymore of them sick and I do not need anymore vet bills.
Glad to hear your babies are much better. After we resolved the water issue the red staining from licking went away but we still have eye staining and they scratch and lick their feet every now and then which drives me nuts. I edit pictures that I take of them on face book because of the horrid eye staining. We tried Darwin’s Raw among other Raw avenues and 2 out of 4 got pancreatitis so I am very afraid of trying raw again. Though I still worry about the eye staining and do not know for sure if it is environmental or food. It is so hard to tell but I know during Winter we still had feet chewing but not as much.
I have a 11, almost 12 year old Westie allergic to chicken, turkey, pork, eggs, wheat, peanuts, brewer’s yeast and go figure, kelp. He also has multiple environmental allergies. Everybody just laughs and says “imagine a Westie in the south with allergies”! This is per blood work done several years ago. He and I don’t find this amusing!
He is beautiful and since I have eliminated these things in his diet he has done much better, but he still has frequent stools, occasional GI issues including diarrhea, vomiting, anorexia etc. Thankfully he consistently tests negative for pancreatitis. He takes 10mg Pepcid /day. He is slightly overweight. His liver is a little enlarged and his liver enzymes are chronically slightly elevated. He has had intermittent anal gland issues.
I give him yogurt, recently started him on FortiFlora and feed him a very restricted diet. He was on Natural Balance LID and canned Wellness (he can only have 2 kinds). He kept getting sick on this. He is now on Solid Gold Hundenflocken which he does not like! I just bought Innova Grain Free Beef and Lamb to try.
Any other suggestions? It is overwhelming trying to find something for him. MOST of the 5 star foods have chicken or turkey in them. My head is about to explode from researching this! I have looked at everything including Honest Kitchen and many other Editor’s Choice top picks. I am very frustrated!
I want to have him on the best food for him, taking in to account his advancing age, his chronic GI issues, his allergies, his liver etc. I want to keep him around as long as possible and keep him happy and healthy. His vet states he looks about half his age despite the above. His teeth are good, his eyes are clear, his skin is good and he is a delight!
Please give me any suggestions. His diet is so limited! Thanks!
My boy is nail licking at the moment, Paddy, I just read about one of ur dogs having damp wet feet, I read all the time, that some dogs are allergic to chicken what happens when a dog is allergic to chicken?????… I started Patch on boiled chicken, Pumkin, half a boiled egg & sweet Potatoes about 3 weeks ago just for breakfast cause of his Pancreatitis, but now Patches back & front paws are red & sores inbetween his toes, he had this last yr the same time around late March- April & 1 vet said it was Furunculosis, but last yr it cleared up quicker & wasnt as bad.. we did have about 1 & half weeks of rain 3 weeks ago & Patch loves his walks..I dont Know is it from his boiled chicken, Ive cut out the sweet Potatos cause of the carbs, Or is it from damp wet feet from walking in the wet for over 1 week, they smell real yeasty Ive been soaking paws in Detol antiseptic water this kills the bacteria I think, but I dont like soaking his feet as I think its from water so I only soak every 3-4 days.. I was thinking of getting him shoes but I’ve never gotten them. I dont think its the chicken cause his Kibble is Chicken & turkey & his feet were fine 1 month ago, as soon as I fix one problem with Patch another problem happens poor dog he never has a break…What creams can I put on them, Im putting Hydrocortisone & antibiotic cream but its not clearing it…I dont want to see the vet again,
My Yorkie suffers from pancreatitis. We have learned he does best on a low fat/low fiber diet. The vet is strongly encouraging me to feed him Royal Canin or Hill’s Rx canned food. Does anyone know of a good canned or dry food that is low fat/fiber and not Rx that I can try? The Hill’s and Royal Canin have by-products and additives that I do not like.
Thank you in advance!
3 and 4% fat in a canned/wet food is probably too high of a fat level for a pancreatitis dog. The dry matter equivalent is closer to 15 and 20% respectively.
Wellness Complete Health-Senoir recipe Wet, its only 3% fat & 7% Protein, or there’s Nutro Natural Choice-Lite Lamb & rice, Fat-4% Protein-5%.. If you look at most of the senior foods they are normally low Fat & Protein, I have been boiling chicken breast, pumkin & sweet potatoes & freezing little meals, this seems to have helped my boys Pancreatitis, Ive found that when he has his Dry kibble he gets his pain..thats probably why ur Silky doesnt like the dry foods..
People that have or had an ill dog or cat could put up what kibbles or certain foods that they found has helped with their dogs illnesses eg: a dog with Pancreatitis, Kidney problems, Itchy skin, Colitis, Heart problems, Diabetes, I.B.D, Artheritis, Old age etc..It just may help someone at the moment thats looking for a good food….also good lower protein diets for the dogs that cant have a high protein or high fat diets..
My dog is 15, a silky terrier, who has had a few bouts with pancreatitis. She needs a low fat, and probably lower protein dog food. She doesn’t like dry dog food. She is on Hills Science Diet ID low fat GI restore which recently changed the texture of its canned dog food. It is very dry, won’t even absorb any moisture! My dog almost chokes on it. Also, I don’t think the ingredients are very healthy – pork liver, pork by products, corn…! Please, if anyone knows of a good canned dog food – low fat, low protein please let me know. thanks. —Patty
No, Vet said I need a kibble that is 10% or under in fat, he said he likes 8% fat, for Pancreatitis, He showed me the Hills & Royal Canin vet diets & I dont like all the crap in them, its bad enough he’s on the Vet Diet Eukanuba Intestinal, but the Eukanuba seems a bit better then Hills & R/C so Ive been looking at all the kibbles & the weight loss kibbles are low in fat BUT the fiber is always high 7-10% so now Im looking at senior kibbles as the fat is normally low but Ive found that the Glucosamine is high in the Holistic Select its 750mg/kg. Im just woundering will it matter him being only 5 yrs old & having alot of Glucosamine…
My Rescue dog has skin allergies, I.B.D Colitis & now the new vet has said Pancreatitis & I.B.D, When I spoke to this new vet the other week, I said, I rescued Patch over 1 yr ago & have had nothing but problems with his skin, swollen feet, bowels & his stomach, I said the people who owned him before must of not cared for him properly to have all these health problems, they must of not feed him properly or gave him crap food & the vet said, No, he would of started to have his Irriatble bowel when he would of been around 1yr old, he would of inherited the skin allergies & bowel problems, I said, I thought it would of been from his past, then vet sad No, dogs illnesses start to come out around 1yr old..I know Labs are known to have stomach problems & weight problems, I dont think desexing would of contributed, it just happened probably, Ive also been asking questions, I think we want a normal dog & we look for answers & Im finding there’s no answers, we just have special dogs that are very very lucky to have found us..Good-Luck
I forgot to write the food Im going to try, Ive looked & looked for a low fat & low fiber & found this one ‘Holistic Select Senior Health’ Chicken Meal & Rice the fat is only -10% the fiber-3.50% & the protein-26% see my boy isnt use to a high protein being on the Eukanuba Intestinal it’s only 23% so going to 26% I’ll see if he can handle it slowing plus Ive bought the Holistic Select Duck Meal before & its not a hard kibble it digest easily.. I always boil the jug, I put boiling water in half a glass & drop a kibble in for 40sec then pull out put kibble inbetween 2 spoons & try to crush it, if it crushes easily I know it will be good for my boy to digest if I have to really apply pressure to crush a kibble I take the bag of kibble back to Pet Barn, its too hard for my dog.. Before I knew a little about kibbles my dog was on the R/C Hypoallergenic & Sensitivity control they were hard kibbles thats when my poor dog started having all his stomach problems & vomiting now the vet say Pancreatitis..The only thing Im worried about this Kibble is for dogs over 7 yrs old, my boy is only 5yrs old 6 in November & it has 750mg/kg Glucosamine… I dont know if that matters the Duck Meal & other Flavours Lamb etc the Glucosamine is 340mg/kg..
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This reply was modified 10 years, 1 month ago by
Susan.
Im going thru this at the moment with my boy, looking for a good food for Pancreatitis, my vet told me just give him boiled chicken breast for 1 month, just chicken doesnt seem to fill my boy up & Im still giving him his Eukanuba Intestinal kibble for his dinner but then Patch has his pain after the kibble, May I ask what are Paltry Proteins??? as Im trying to learn everything on Dog Pancreatitis.. Ive read low fat, low fiber & low protein then Ive read a low fat & high protein diet…The vet showed me the R/C Low Fat & the Hills Z/D Ultra, does the R/C Low Fat Kibble break up easy or is it a real hard kibble, Ive tried the R/C Low Fat tins when my boy was real ill last yr, but his poos were too sloppy.
Hi, all. I have a 15 1/2 YO schnauzer/staffie mix who was diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis three years ago (snap test plus lipase/amylase testing). Once we got her off the food we were feeding her (I think it was Eukanuba…so long ago I can’t remember) and put her on the Royal Canin prescription food, the vomiting stopped. As a matter of fact, the vomiting was the only “symptom” she ever had. Over the last three years, her amylase/lipase levels have gone up and up and up and finally this past November, my vet recommended putting her on Atopica as A&M was checking into its usage for pancreatitis. I said no way, my old girl isn’t a guinea pig, and decided to figure out if there was anything else I could do. I found Mercola’s digestive enzymes for dogs and started her on those a couple of days later. We ran her blood work two weeks ago and her amylase had dropped from 2344 to 648 (normal!) and lipase from 3231 to 1063 (elevated, but still WAY lower). My vet is skeptical the enzymes did anything (of course), but I’m sold.
Daisy has been completely asymptomatic for three years. If she’s in pain, she hides it incredibly well. She’s ridiculously active for a geriatric dog (still walks a mile a day, plays with her younger poodle sister), can see and hear, and her only real physical problem is really weak hind legs. She can’t even jump up on the couch anymore.
Having said that – I want to get her off the RC food. Why, you may ask, if it’s working? Because it’s full of crap. I cringe when I look at the ingredients, and I’m now learning that the paltry protein values are actually not good for her. So my question is…does anyone know of a good alternative? I’m looking for something lower fat, but higher protein. I fear my old girl is getting so skinny because she isn’t getting much into her to keep her from getting skinny.
Any recommendations would be appreciated…thanks!
I’m a long time lurker who has a similar issue with my dog. Due to an arrhythmia, mitral valve problem, enlarged heart & pancreatitis issues my dog must be on low sodium, low fat food. At first I had him eating one of the hills prescription diets, but it became too expensive coupled with all his meds (he’s a bit guy who eats a lot). So I began searching for a new food. Here’s what I found:
Wellness dog food: I emailed them recently so this is current
Chicken .14% Sodium 12% fat
Lamb .23% sodium 12% fat
Healthy Weight .11% sodium 6% fat
Senior .11% sodium 10% fat
Simple Grain-Free Salmon 0.29% Sodium 12% fat
Simple Grain-Free Turkey 0.24% Sodium 12% fat
Simple Lamb & Oatmeal 0.20% Sodium 12% fat
Simple Duck & Oatmeal 0.08% Sodium 11 % fat
Core Original 0.53% Sodium 16% fat
Core Ocean 0.69% Sodium 16% fat
Core Reduced Fat 0.50% Sodium 10% fat
Core Small Breed 0.23% Sodium 16% fat
Core Puppy 0.37% Sodium 18% fat
Core Large Breed 0.22 % Sodium 12% fat
Core Wild Game 0.22% Sodium 16% fat
California Natural/Innova/Evo all info about fat & sodium can be found on their website
http://www.naturapet.com/brands/evo
Some of the foods that I do have info on some california naturals
Grain free chicken .34% sodium 12% fat
Grain free kangaroo .26% sodium 11% fat
Chicken & brown rice weigh man. .2% sodium 7% fat
Lamb & brown rice weight man. .24% sodium 7% fat
Chicken & brown rice Senior .19% sodium 8% fat
Tufts University also has a list of dog foods
http://vet.tufts.edu/heartsmart/resources/reduced_sodium_diet_for_dogs.pdf
The food we settled on was Natures Logic Sardine Meal 10% fat and .33% sodium. Their other food while low in sodium are higher in fat.
I’m sure there are many, many more that fit are low fat, low sodium my advice would be to visit their websites and if sodium isn’t listed call or email them. Hope that helps.
Hi Sue,
My current dog possibly had/has pancreatitis as a part of his GI complex. The only definitive way to diagnose pancreatitis is biopsy, otherwise the diagnosis is based on a constellation of symptoms, ultrasound and supportive laboratory testing. Amylase and lipase levels in the blood can be low in the face of pancreatitis and high when pancreatitis is not present. Currently it is thought the best test is the Spec Cpl run by Idexx or Texas A and M or the Idexx Snap test. But even this test isn’t perfect. If the test results are in the normal range it is unlikely that active pancreatitis is present, but you an never completely rule it out. If the test is high the higher it is the more likely it is pancreatitis.
With my own dog he was having intermittent vomiting bloody stool and abd pain. At least that is when I assumed was the reason he’d spend the whole day in his crate looking miserable. His pancreas tests cpl amylase/lipase were always normal yet his ultrasound of the pancreas was supportive of previous inflammation-fibrosis.
I was at the point of full exploratory with surgical biopsies as all other tests had been exhausted. since he was stable I did food trials with low fat one protein one carb diets. I tracked symptoms daily. With the first two diets combo home cooked and OTC there was no appreciable change. The third diet RC select protein Venison/Potato from the vet was the charm.
Best of luck to you and Patch
I have dealt with pancreatitis dogs for over 20 yrs. I have yet to have a dog get better quick enough that bloods are normal if tested within a day or two of flareup. In other words false negs happen at the very onset of a flareup, not at the middle..as well, each flareup they have is more severe and longer in duration if not caught and treated.. Its not a disease in my experience that self heals.
If pancreatitis foods need to be low fat to get it under control.. Allergies affecting skin will not kill him but pancreatitis could so I would treat that first and worry about the allergies second. In other words don’t feed a high fat food just because its hypoallergenic.
Ibd can also cause the symptoms you are seeing. If it were my dog and my vet threw out those two options I would request treatment with metronidazole and cerenia-this controls the vomiting and diarrhea and is frequently used in both diseases. I would feed a bland diet for a week and then slowly introduce a lower fat food.
I saw a new vet this morning for a second opinoin as Patch isnt getting better, he’s well for a while then he’s in pain & vomiting & sloppy poos again.. He said it sounds like Patch suffers from Pancreatitis, even thought his blood test came back fine last yr. He said that Patch may of been bettter when bloods were taken, he was better when blood was taken..a waste of $230 dollars.. He said that he’d like the kibble he eats to be under 9% fat.. Then he said it sounds like he has IBD as well & his skin problems & would like to put him on Presdnisone, I just looked up side effects from Prednidone, vomiting, heartburn, thirst…also he bought out the bags of kibble, Science Diet Z/D & another ?/D & Royal Canin low fat & Hypoallergenic that patch has been on & made him worst the Hypoallergenic is 19% fat.. I said NO these are all rubbish & read out by-products etc, I said, I read on the net how these foods are no good, he said thats just other companys saying that so u buy their food.. I didnt bother to argue with him as vets believe in science & have too see the science in everything, thats why they believe in Hills Science diet.. then I said what about home cooking he said YES…. give him JUST boiled chicken for 1 month & nothing else, see how that goes then introduce something new for the next month like pasta, I said what about his vitamins he said we’ll discuss that later if it works.. I know Patch can eat chicken…
I dont know what to do no more, I hate seeing Patch in pain after he eats his kibble every morning some day worst then others…Does anyone else have a dog with Pancreatitis & what are they feeding & what meds were prescribe & did the meds help.. I dont like pills. Patch also gets stomach acid reflux.. I asked for something stronger then Zantac & he said once we change his diet he wont need any ant-acids.. I said that i’ll try the food first & see how we go..I use a Cortisone cream on Patches skin & it does work & he said, see it will work the Presdnisone.. Ive taken Presdnisone for my C.R.E.S.T & it made me feel like crap, I felt awful…..
I have a 5 yr old male Boxer– about two-two and a half years ago we began having issues with him– at first it was vomiting once in a while- then went to vomiting everything he ate– We ran blood test-did xrays-barium series-ultrasound-tried meds- almost did surgery however after ultrasound we figured out no obstruction so no need- All the sudden he was fine again-this continued off and on for another year before blood work finally came back with HIGH lipase and amylase pointing us towards pancreatitis. Switched from Rotation diets that he had been on his whole life to LOW fat food- Even on low fat food issues continued repeated bloodwork/xrays/ultrasounds and so on over the last two years- ONLY thing out of normal was Pancreas enzymes and they have come back HIGH every time- during these episodes he seems painful in abdomen/refuses to eat/some times will vomit–during this time we tried to keep him on ONE food only and stop rotation diet–but with refusal to eat we switched to other low fat foods- when switching he was very interested in his food and would eat for a bit and then stop again unless food was switched– We at that time thought He is used to rotation diets lets try it and see what happens– Found low fat diets/raw to rotate and episodes would come and go (usually lasting 1-2 days) Each episode we re-ran bloodwork- NO episode required hospitalization- Finally something else showed up on bloodwork– His platelet count was dropping– ran again it dropped more (still HIGH lipase and amylase) At that time we ran Accuplex 4 for Tick Borne disease. Came back Positive for anaplasmosis *he has always been on prevention but obv something didn’t work* HE showed NO other signs than the above stated– At that time we put him on a 30 day round of doxycycline—after that round of meds re-ran bloodwork and for first time in since this started and his amylase and lipase was HIGH IT all came back NORMAL!! Including Platelet count– Since then we have decide to take him off Low fat diets and see IF Pancreas issues rise again– We have NOT had any noticeable issues other than the fact at times he will refuse to eat– Seems normal other wise– We cont. to rotate diets and when we start a “new” one in the rotation he is very interested and eats but after a few days he is back to not being all the interested in it again— We have used many diets in the rotation with NO other issues with both our boxers (other has NO issue eating anything you give her) We have used Nature’s Variety Prairie and Instinct– Wellness Core= Natural Balance LID–Grandma’s Lucy’s Freeze Dried Raw–Natural Balance Raw Rolls=and rotated between different proteins- from Chicken/Beef/Lamb/Duck/Buffalo/Salmon… DOES anyone have any ideas of WHY he is doing this and seems uninterested after a couple days— HE even does it with RAW===We are thinking the pancreas issues was due to tick borne disease but at this time are only testing that and aren’t positive since it is NOT a known affect of it–however anything is possible– I am lost on this– have done everything medically that I know to do- Spent TONS of money testing and retesting and buying different foods- NOTHING seems to matter– This is a almost 6 yr old male INTACT boxer=-he was trained in Schutzhund so was always fit and trim but has since been pulled from field due to health years ago and I can NOT get weight on him for anything- He goes from 50-60 lbs at most times– I ONCE got him up to 68-70 lbs but that never last long– SORRY so long but want to give us much information as possible. Anyone ever dealt with something like this– Any ideas?
So once again, I’m on the hunt for some new food. Koda’s an almost 10 year old Papillon with some random tummy issues that we haven’t been able to pin down. The vet has mentioned early pancreatitis possibilities as well as stomach acid issues. Symptoms are random and vary but basically will alter from diarrhea, stomach bloat and/or gurgling and bile spit up.
Since full blown pancreatitis isn’t a concern (yet), I’m not willing to go on a prescription diet since it might not even be an issue, but I’m hoping to find a good alternative that is just healthier all around. Koda has been eating the grain free duck from Lotus and while he seems to do OK on it, he doesn’t love it and tends to free feed.
I’m looking in to raw/wet but confused about the fat content conversions with raw in particular. Since he’s getting a bit older and has these stomach issues, I’m searching for something that is lower in fat. I’ve considered Honest Kitchen’s Preference and was thinking about adding raw but everything seems to be extremely high in fat content. The ones I’ve seen that are lower is Darwin’s and OC, both which I have access to in this area, but I’m not sure if these are even considered way to high for my older boy.
The alternative would be for us to boil Costco chicken and add that to the preference, but I do like the idea of having the ready made patties and being able to alternate between proteins. We often travel to our families place so not having to make a separate meal for the dog would be nice too.
Would I just need to contact the companies and ask what the true fat content is? I saw the mathematical conversion on another part of the site, but it seems like I need to know the moisture content of the food and I’m not sure where to find that.
I posted back in Sept. and wanted to update what I’m doing now that’s working. For about a month now the dogs have been eating Annamaet Option for their kibble. Before that it was Fromm Salmon a la Veg and that was working fine, too. I’ve been adding as a topper canned foods. Mostly Wellness, either 95% Salmon, Lamb or Beef and Beef Stew. I also use Instinct Healthy Weight cans and Mulligan Stew Salmon and Fromm 4Star Beef or Pork. I use enzymes and pre/probiotics each meal. The ones I rotate with are Fresh Digest, Wholistic Pet Digest All Plus, Vetri-Science Mega Probiotics. Lucy gets a Maitake mushroom supplement from Vetri-Science for her cancer. Sometimes, actually rarely, I’ll add in a 3/6/9 supplement from Springtime, Inc. They also get a Fresh Factor chew from Springtime, Inc. in the morning. Recently, I tried substituting the morning meal for premade raw, but after about a week Laverne started having mild pancreatitis symptoms so I’ll probably stop doing that for now….I’m thinking about doing 2 morning premade raw meals a week and try that, instead of every morning. Maybe Tues. and Fri. I’m also thinking of actually trying some Annamaet Lean kibble….I know it’s chicken based, but I just want to see how Laverne does on it. I should be able to tell rather quickly if it’s bothering her. If it does, the others can eat it with no problem. I would also like to try Victor kibble (we may have it locally soon). Dr. Tim’s looks great, but I just don’t know, yet, if I’m up to trying it.
Our sighthound is coming off 3 weeks of what started as diarrhea and developed into Pancreatitis. He just turned 9 and has been fed foods like Canidae, raw, California Natural Grain Free all his life. Because he has a history of GI problems our vet was suggesting things like surgery to do some biopsies. Of course, surgery is a last resort, so we thought we were doing reasonably well, and then this last episode started and he came up with a Pancreatitis diagnosis. I really feel like a fish out of water now. The vet wants him on Hills ID. I am unhappy with that on so many levels (so is our furrkid). I am having a lot of difficulty understanding how a corn food with numerous other unknown ingredients, some chemicals and by-products, can be better than a food with only a few ingredients that are cleanly prepared and occur naturally in a canine’s natural “wild” environment. Pancreas issues are concerning, however, so I feel I need to defer to Vet judgment at this time. If anyone has knowledge of other good quality diets or diet guidelines for a pooch in our doggie’s boat, I sure would like to hear about it. Thanks.
My bichon has the same issue. He is currently recuperating from his first bout of pancreatitis and is waiting for his 4th stone surgery. Diet had been hills ud which was high in fat. It did help with stones for 3 years until now. He’s now on hills I’d to help with pancreatitis, but it’s not good for bladder stones. Did you find a solution?
If the blood test comes back positive, the dog is having trouble, he just may not be showing the severe pain. Chronic pancreatitis sufferers are often this way. I don’t know if they get used to the pain or if they are only in low grade pain or what. If the blood test comes back fine, they are probably borderline and very sensitive or also have something else going on.
Does anyone know with Pancreatitis can a dog have Pancreatitis & when he’s normal not sick have the blood test & comes back fine or do the blood test come back positive even thought the dog isn’t having a problem at the time of blood test…
Hi my name is barb and I just joined because I saw this forum. I am no stranger to a sick dog I had ,
3 rottweilers during my married life all having health issues crime hip dysplasia to cancer and full blow Epilepsy. I adopted a Shepard mix Australian/German. He’s is about 9 or 10 not quite sure. He started back in may of last yr with throwing up and diarrhea. He never had a solid poop in the first 3 yes I have had him. He would
Throw up after eating every once In awhile. Have taken him to the vet and every thing was fine. Now getting back to May of last yr he was acting different. He was a pacer in the beginning but this time it changed to back and forth etc.com he vomited that night and to the vet we went next day. Blood work showed pancreatitis. I was like…….what? Never heard this before. Vet stays 2 to3 nights first time. Month later 5 days than 2 months after that 7 nights I had him to.see a a
Specialist a few days after but he said he could do nothing because he wasn’t sick. I’d have to bring him back if it comes back. Well it has been since October that he was last sick and he is doing very well. I’m afraid to.say anything because IM afraid it will come back. I do not know his past or who he belonged to. All I know was I found him one night after work. Took him up to my apt Gave him water and called animal shelter. One yr to the day I found him I brought him to both our new Home. Yes I brought a house for Charley….there is more to the story.
Anyway dealing with pancreatitis is one of the toughest Illnesses I have ever had to. There is a constant fear it will come back. He will most Iikely be on hills low fat
I/d for rest of his life.
He’s good for now and back to his vocal ways. Just nice to see IM not
alone.
When U buy a kibble always look at the Fiber as well. We thought that our boy had Pancreatitis but blood test came back good, so now the vets said IBD & colitis & seasonal Allergys.. My boy was put on Eukanuba ‘Intestinal’ vet diet..fiber-1.75% Fat-10% its a low residue kibble easier for them to digest, his poos are excellent now, just 2 poos a day but when he was on the Royal Canin Hypoallergyenic his first poo was good the next were just sloppy, u couldn’t pick them up on our walks, the fat was too high 19% fiber-1% was good.. I looked up the fiber for Fish & sweet potato & its 4.5% fat-10% have you tried the Duck & potato LID its just 3% fiber & fat is 10%.. sweet potato has high fiber..Also google ‘Canine Atopy’ you’ll read about the 5 different allergys dogs can have as people often think its the feed & its not…
Hi, I know this post is a few days old and you may have found something by now that works for your pup. You have to be really careful about the fat percentage in everything that he eats so you will be limited, and limited even more if he can’t have chicken. If you’re still having trouble, the best advice I can give you is to join the pancreatitis group on Yahoo. They are extremely helpful and knowledgeable. They’ll give you ideas and other things to ask your vet about. I know it is not popular but some dogs do need a prescription diet for at least a little while in order for the inflammation to go down. Others do better on a home cooked diet.
Oh, you mean “Has anyone had a dog get pancreatitis while on Wellness?”
Thats what I’d like to also know, my boy doesnt have Pancreas but if it wasnt for his blood test coming back good, Id swear he had Pancreatitis, instead the vet said he has IBD & Colitis & Canin Atopy… Ive been looking & looking on the net for a low fat, low fiber premium food, the foods I like are in America, L.I.D Natural Balance & Canidae.. Im in Australia & cant get them.. So Ive come up with 2 that I really think are good..The Wellness Core Oringinal but the protien is 34% fiber-4% FAT-16% Wellness also have “Simple’or “complete Health” also Well Pet the company that makes Wellness also makes another kibble ‘Holistic Select’ Duck meal… Ive read & read all their ingredients & I like the ‘Wellness’ Core or the ‘Holistic Select’ Duck formula as the Holistic Select duck is only 13%-fat-3.9% fiber.. I suppose we’ll just have to slowley introduce one of the kibbles & pray that our dogs tummys & bowels also like what we have picked for them..Ive read that the food is very palatable but after my poor boy being on such a stricked diet he’d eat anything….So sad, I wish he could talk for just 20mins & tell me how he’s feeling & what feed makes him feel ill or better.. My Vet likes that his poos are good now but I know the Eukanuba Intestinal that we have him on makes him either feel sick or gives him stomach acid as he sometimes licks & licks his mouth after his kibble in the morning & wants grass & his breath smells like something fermenting. Then some days he doesnt do his licking & his breath smells good..
Good-Luck
I have a 16 month boxer that has been having food issues since we brought him home. He poops several times a day with his morning poop being solid but then goes down hill from there. His vet seems to think he has allergies and I did find out he is allergic or has no tolerance for chicken. He was recently diagnosed with pancreatitis and responded very well to his medicine, and his diet of rice and cottage cheese. However, since we incorporated his food (Nature’s Balance L.I.D. fish and sweet potato) his diarrhea is back. We have tried several different foods but I can’t find any that works well with his digestion. Before his pancreatitis diagnosis, his vet suggested hypoallergentic food but with all the different foods out there it is so confusing and overwhelming. So, I don’t know if he has allergies or he always had a mild case of pancreatitis that, until recently, has become inflamed. Any advice would be so welcomed! Thank you.
Hi,
I’m new to this site and am seeking dietary advice. My 16 year old Jack Russell was just diagnosed with diabetes after we noticed she had started drinking lots of water for about two days. Her blood sugar was in the 600s and she had traces of ketones. She has had inflammatory bowel disease for years and takes .625 mg prednisolone daily along with being on the Royal Canine hypoallergenic potato and venison prescription diet. The diabetes came on quite suddenly — her blood was checked monthly as she was recently on 6 months of chemotherapy and glucose was always around 90 or so. She also has a heart murmur for which she takes Enalapril. She is not overweight, but lost a pound in the past two weeks, so is skinny at 15 pounds. The vet started her on 2units of Humulin N twice daily, and just increased her to 3 units twice daily after her glucose curve. Because of all of her conditions, he suggested taking a conservative approach and also to keep her on her current diet, minus any treats. Any suggestions on a more appropriate food for her, that would also work with her IBD – she can have duck or venison, although I switched her off of duck about a year ago after she had a mild case of pancreatitis. Thank you — I’m feeling helpless and desperate.
We still moisten the kibble for our 8-month old puppy, so we decided to try Greenies to keep her teeth clean. Never again. After first turning her nose up at it, she finally managed to slowly polish off one stick. She eats virtually everything, so we thought it was odd that she didn’t show her usual avid interest. Later that day, she became rather lethargic and laid down rather than eat dinner. That’s when we knew something was wrong. Normally, she plays and plays during the day, and when dinner time arrives, she dives in head first. We noticed that her heart rate was much higher than normal, and she was panting… not because of excess play or hot weather. It was winter with snow on the ground. Her body temperature also seemed elevated, although we didn’t have a rectal thermometer to take her temperature. She refused to eat yogurt or her favorite carrots, and we thought about taking her to the vet, but decided to let her rest until morning. The next day, she was her usual self: hyperactive, hungry, and happy. She had 3 large bowel movements before noon, and after that was even happier! Current information on Greenies suggests that they are hard to chew into small pieces and often break off in large clumps, which may cause pancreatitis and esophageal or intestinal obstruction. They are only about 85% digestible if chewed completely, even after a reformulation of this product by the manufacturer. Chewing them completely can result in stringy diarrhea and/or vomiting for many dogs and cats. Although there is a negligible amount of vitamins and minerals, Greenies consist of mostly pork gelatin, wheat, and glycerin–not exactly what makes for a healthy pet. We are thankful that our puppy didn’t suffer more serious consequences from her first (and last) experience with Greenies. Rather than donate the unused portion of the bag we purchased to our local animal shelter, it has instead been donated to the local landfill.
Mine get pork all the time. It is high in fat, so if you have a dog that is prone to pancreatitis then it probably isn’t a good idea, but for a normal dog, it’s just fine.
But have you done any research into what dogs need in their diet? Making them an occasional homemade meal that isn’t balanced is fine, but you at least need to know what dogs need, to balance over time before going solely to homemade.
Dr Karen Becker has a great book “Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats” to help get you started. Steve Brown has one for raw feeding that is fantastic, “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet” which I recommend even if you don’t want to feed raw. It has info that everyone making homemade needs to know. And it is available as a ebook.
AReim-
Your dogs sounds like he has IBD/Colitis more so than Pancreatitis. He has all the same issues that my dobergal has had over the years.
ASandy-
If a dog has pancreatitis that is chronic, there is no such thing as its “okay in moderation” when its a high fat food. Typically vets recc under 12percent fat for the dry products, and one should convert canned into a dry matter basis in order to properly assess how much fat is in that particular canned brand, If its 20 percent, its 20 percent fat whether you feed a teaspoon or tablespoon. In dogs with low tolerance a teaspoon of a high fat food could send them into over load.
Also, please state for reference where you garnered the information that dogs with pancreatitis should be on a restricted protein diet? Owning pancreatitis prone breeds for over 20 yrs, I have yet to see such information, and have yet to restrict protein in a dog based on pancreatitis(which is typically brought on by fat, not protein).
Hello,
My name is Ana I am the owner of a small pet nutrition consulting business called Pupcat Nutrition Consulting I am a pet nutrition expert/advisor. Dogs with pancreatitis have very fragile immune systems, avoid high protein and high fat diets, feed small frequent meals through out the day, and less or no processed diets and avoid dry foods and rotation. The next thing PLEASE STOP feeding science diet it’s killing your dog! Here are some suggestions: lean meats,(bison,chicken,turkey) low fat treats, try senior formulas they have less fat and less protein. Here are some awesome brands that will transform your pup forever!! ok , your best bet would be dehydrated raw, I recommend Honest kitchen preference or all except thrive mix with canned for extra moisture and flavor try senior formula canned like merrick , and natural balance(try to stick with 4% fat or less) avoid grocery store pet foods. and it would be beneficial to add a probiotic/prebiotic to aid digestion, like PROZYMES is a really good one I like. and remember there is a transition period when switching foods (7-10 days) for more info on honest kitchen go to thehonestkitchen.com and for more real nutrition facts follow me on twitter @pupcatfacts and on facebook or at pupcatnutrition.com
good luck!!
-Ana
Hi ARiem.
I think it’s important to arm yourself with as much knowledge as possible, so you are doing the right thing, but also as Patty said, very important to find a vet and/or nutrititionist. One that is at least willing to research and consult if not already knowledgeable about your dog’s condition him/her self. Your own knowledge combined with a good vet’s guidance can be very powerful stuff.
Your dog sounds like it’s near emaciated (about 30% underweight) and probably your suspicions are correct-slowly starving for nutrition. Also the Hill’s W/D is also very low in protein (17.9% dry matter average). I also think that your best bet can be with homemade meals-but only with the the help and knowledge that is very necessary.
There are many things believed to cause pancreatitis, hereditary predisposition, ingestion of any atypical meal-usually high fat is implied, gallstones or other obstruction in bile duct or pancreatic duct, hyperlipidemia, hypercalcemia, some medicines such as steroids, antibiotics, and immune suppressants, hyperthyroidism, trauma, etc. Each bout with pancreatitis might damage the pancreas further and limits even more the ability to produce digestive enzymes and maybe insulin also.
Again it’s very important to seek professional help, but it’s possible that your dog is one that is actually in dire need of digestive enzymes to survive and thrive. Has your vet ever discussed this or exocrine pancreatic insufficiency? If EPI is the case, he might need the “big guns” pancreatin (porcine or bovine based), rather than less potent or less efficient OTC plant based enzymes. The prescription enzymes can be quite expensive-middlemen, etc. but they are highly standardized and more tightly controlled. If you and your vet find your dog does need these, enzymediane cuts the middleman and I think are comparable to the prescription ones, albeit maybe not as tightly controlled, but MUCH cheaper. It’s saved lives for many that couldn’t afford the prescriptions. My new friend’s GS I think is one of those.
http://www.enzymediane.com/enzymecomparisonchart.htm
a very good site on canine exocrine pancreatic deficiency.
http://www.epi4dogs.com/
Hope this helps and wishing you and your dogs the best.
I’m sorry about your dog. I think her issues are well beyond what anyone here can advise on. The only thought I have is that the steroids that vets give for food allergy/ intolerance issues have the known possibility of causing pancreatitis. You will probably have to go to a homemade food to help your pup, but I wouldn’t even come close to attempting that with her without the help of a veterinary nutritionist or a holistic vet that has really studied nutrition. If I were you I would definitely find a holistic vet, because they try to get to the root of problems instead of just treating the symptoms.
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