Canine Pancreatitis Diet: Food Recipes for Dogs with Pancreatitis

Pancreatitis is a condition in which the pancreas becomes inflamed and starts producing many digestive enzymes. These enzymes are triggered by certain gastrointestinal hormones like gastrin, secretin, and cholecystokinin (CCK), which further get activated by fatty acids and certain amino acids. It usually occurs when the diet tends to lean towards richer and fattier foods. Pancreatitis can range in severity from being very mild to extremely dangerous. It can be either acute or chronic. Acute pancreatitis occurs once and causes minute, lasting damage to other organs. Chronic pancreatitis, on the other hand, is a recurring condition that occurs due to a high fat diet or certain medications. Trauma to the pancreas, middle age, obesity and high risk breeds can be some other causes for pancreatitis in dogs. Apathy, loss or irregular appetite, aggressiveness and vomiting are some symptoms that can be observed in the dogs suffering from pancreatitis.

A canine pancreatitis diet should be a low fat diet. In fact, less that 18% of the energy should come from the fat. The diet should be rich in carbohydrates, as these have a weak effect on the gastrointestinal hormones, which trigger the pancreatic enzymes. Rice is highly digestible, rich in carbohydrates and can be fed to the dog in small amounts. Along with rice, you can add low fat cottage cheese or boiled skinless chicken breast. According to dog nutritionists, a canine pancreatitis diet may include white meat chicken, lean and low-fat ground beef, beef heart, beef kidney, beef liver, egg whites, non-fat plain yogurt, oatmeal, barley and cottage cheese. Cooked vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, dark leafy greens, winter squash and sweet potatoes can also be considered, as these foods contain low amounts of phosphorus and fat.

Food Recipes for Dogs with Pancreatitis
Given below, are some food recipes that can be fed to your dog in three to four portions daily.

Recipe #1
Ingredients

• 2 ½ cup rice flour
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 6 tbsp low sodium, low fat chicken broth
• 1 cup cooked squash and sweet potato (ground up)

Directions
Combine all the ingredients and add some water to make dough. Roll the dough, having ½ inch thickness and cut into desired shapes with a cookie cutter. Bake at 350°F for about 20-25 minutes and then allow it to cool.

Recipe #2
Ingredients

• 1 cup of boiled lean ground beef, fat drained
• ¼ cup of cooked kale
• ½ cup boiled beef kidney, fat trimmed
• ½ cup of yellow crookneck squash
• ¾ cup of oatmeal

Directions
Combine all the ingredients and serve it to your dog.

Recipe #3
Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked stew meat or cut up lean roast, fat drained
• ½ cup cooked broccoli
• ¾ cup cooked barley
• ¼ cup cooked zucchini
• ½ cup low or nonfat cottage cheese
• ½ tsp of Berte’s Digestion Blend

Directions
Combine all the ingredients and serve it to your dog.

These food recipes for dogs with pancreatitis, along with an exercise program, can minimize the risk of problems in the future. Make sure the food given to the dog is low in fat as fatty foods can cause further inflammation of the pancreas.