Pancreatitis is one illness you want to take seriously, as mismanaging this disease can quickly become fatal. Pancreatitis is the inflammation of the pancreas, the part of your dog’s body that creates hormones such as insulin and digestive enzymes. The pancreas is vital for several important bodily functions, including glucose control.
If your dog has pancreatitis, you will have to change how you feed them. You’ll need to switch them onto foods that are easier to digest and more suited to dogs with pancreatitis. While this change may be temporary, consider changing your dog to a pancreas-friendly diet full-time because you don’t want to stress the pancreas more, and pancreatitis can be recurrent. Veterinarians recommend that dogs with pancreatitis eat a diet that is low-fat and highly digestible. You should follow your veterinarian’s instructions on feeding. In principle, egg whites are an excellent protein source, but the yolks need to be removed for dogs with pancreatitis.
What Should Dogs With Pancreatitis Eat?
As we’ve mentioned, dogs with pancreatitis will need to be fed a diet that is low in fats and highly digestible. Low-fat dog food can promote pancreatic healing and help prevent your dog from having future problems with chronic pancreatitis. There are several prescription diets that your vet may recommend.
Low-fat dog foods for dogs with pancreatic problems offer all the nutrition your dog needs daily without the excess fat that is implicated in pancreatic flare-ups. If your dog has a history of pancreatitis, your vet may recommend that you feed your dog low-fat food to prevent flare-ups.
Dogs with pancreatitis can eat eggs so long as the eggs are not cooked with butter, oils, or whole milk. Eggs yolks can be challenging for the body to digest when it has pancreatitis as they’re high in fats. So, if your dog has pancreatitis, you’ll want to skip the egg yolks and feed them egg whites. However, all foods fed should be discussed with your vet first.
Signs of Pancreatitis in Dogs: What Is Pancreatitis?
One of the pancreas’ many functions is the production of digestive enzymes. Ideally, these enzymes are inactive until they’re secreted into the intestinal tract to break down a recent meal. Pancreatitis occurs when the digestive enzymes become active prematurely while still inside the pancreas. This causes pancreatic inflammation and sometimes infection or tissue death.
Pancreatitis can be mild or severe; it can develop over a long period or suddenly appear. You may have it once, or it can be a chronic problem. Signs in dogs with pancreatitis can vary wildly from each other because the illness has a spectrum of severity and sign profiles.
Dogs with pancreatitis typically display a combination of the following signs:
Lethargy
Abdominal pain
Poor appetite
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Abdominal enlargement
Fever
However, these signs are not specific to pancreatitis in dogs. They may be present in any number of other illnesses seen in dogs. To make a diagnosis, your vet will have to run tests. These may include a blood chemistry panel, pancreatic enzymes, complete blood cell count, urinalysis, and maybe even abdominal ultrasound.
Even if this initial panel points to pancreatitis, your dog may still need additional testing to reach a solid diagnosis of pancreatitis.
What Treatment Options Are There for Dogs With Pancreatitis?
Treatment for pancreatitis will depend mainly on the dog’s symptoms. Any abnormalities detected during the blood work and urinalysis will also be significant factors in the type of treatment your dog needs. The goal of treatment is to keep the afflicted comfortable and support their physical needs while giving the pancreas time to heal.
Fluid therapy and medications to control nausea and pain are usually necessary for your dog’s quality of life. If your dog has an infection in the pancreas, your vet will prescribe antibiotics to treat or prevent the disease.
Dogs with severe signs will need to be hospitalized so your veterinarian can provide more aggressive treatment. Research shows that dogs with pancreatitis who return to eating dog food have an improved prognosis. Thus, veterinarians aggressively use anti-nausea drugs to treat vomiting to keep dogs with pancreatitis fed.
In Summary
It can be scary when your dog starts showing signs of pancreatitis. Luckily, many dogs that come down with it live whole and happy lives with adjustments to their diet and medication routines. You and your vet can help your dog live a good life regardless of his special dietary needs!
We want to emphasize that pancreatitis is a severe illness, and if you suspect your dog has it, you should take them to the vet immediately. Dogs that receive medical treatment early into the disease have a much better prognosis than those whose treatment was delayed.
Veterinarians recommend that dogs with pancreatitis eat a diet that is low-fat and highly digestible. You should follow your veterinarian's instructions on feeding. In principle, egg whites are an excellent protein source, but the yolks need to be removed for dogs with pancreatitis.
Eggs are great for dogs with pancreatitis if they aren't cooked with butter, oils, or milk. We recommend avoiding giving the yolks to dogs with pancreatitis as these can be harder to digest. A dog with pancreatitis can eat egg whites.
Rice is a commonly used ingredient in both commercial and homemade diets for pancreatic patients. Boiled chicken, low fat beef, egg whites, yogurt, barley and cooked vegetables are also considered safe foods for pancreatitis patients.
Tuna also tends to be a relatively oily fish, which makes it less than ideal food for dogs with pancreatitis. Tuna can also contain high levels of mercury and other toxins, which, though not directly related to pancreatitis, add additional concerns—best avoided when possible.
The recommended protein level in a diet for dogs with pancreatitis is 15% - 30% on a dry matter basis. Because they will be getting less protein, it is important that the protein they get is high quality and easily digestible and with the right balance of amino acids, like that found in fish.
Can you eat eggs when you have pancreatitis? Egg yolks are high in fat, which can be hard for your body to digest when you have pancreatitis. Instead of eating a whole egg, opt for egg whites. They're low in fat and high in protein.
Eggs are nutritious for both people and dogs. They can be tasty treats or a hearty breakfast, whether they're hard-boiled, poached, scrambled, or over easy. A cooked entire egg or yolk can be good for your dog, unless your pet has a pre-existing health condition like acute pancreatitis or diabetes.
For pups with chronic pancreatitis or those at risk for developing pancreatitis such as Yorkshire Terriers and Miniature Schnauzers - even a small amount of high-fat treat like peanut butter can be enough to cause or worsen their condition, so it should be avoided altogether.
Rice can be a healthy, hearty, gluten-free grain to feed your dog at any point in their life, but it can be especially great following a bout of pancreatitis or other digestive issues. This is because rice can bind loose stool in cases of diarrhea and can help produce regular bowel movements.
What should I feed a dog that has had pancreatitis? A low fat dog diet which is easy to digest is recommended. We recommend feeding a diet that contains 10% fat or under (dry food/dry matter basis – see below) or 2.5% fat or under (wet food/as fed – see below).
Fish is a high-quality protein source that is easily digestible and doesn't overload your dog's pancreas. However, it is recommended to feed fish which is low in fat. For example, Salmon may not be a good choice since it is an oily fish and has a higher fat content in comparison to others.
This dog food checks all the boxes for a pup dealing with pancreatitis. Its protein content falls within the recommended range. It also has one of the lowest fat and fiber percentages on our list. Healthy whole grains like oatmeal and barley lead the ingredients, along with fish meal, eggs, and chicken fat for protein.
Dogs with pancreatitis can eat eggs so long as the eggs are not cooked with butter, oils, or whole milk. Eggs yolks can be challenging for the body to digest when it has pancreatitis as they're high in fats. So, if your dog has pancreatitis, you'll want to skip the egg yolks and feed them egg whites.
What foods should you avoid giving a dog with pancreatitis? High-fat diets like red meat, organ meat, potato and starchy foods, sugary goods, table scraps, and dairy fats are all to be avoided when your dog is diagnosed with pancreatitis.
If your dog has acute pancreatitis, your vet is likely to recommend a prescription dog food that is low fat or ultra low fat, at least until they get better. But if your dog has chronic pancreatitis, they may have to eat a low-fat diet for the rest of their lives.
Pancreatitis is common in dogs and is usually, but not always, caused by eating something they shouldn't have. This could be because they got into the trash, have been getting a lot of table scraps, or found a fatty treat at the park.
Medication: Pain management is an integral part of treatment, including pain medications sometimes combined with anti-inflammatories. Medications to help with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are also commonly prescribed.
Dogs with pancreatitis must eat digestible foods that are easy on the organs, to avoid the pancreas having to overwork. Gentle digestible foods such as fish, potatoes and peas should be top of the menu. Made with high-quality protein sources. Dogs need a lot of lean protein - it's the hero of a nutritious dog diet.
For pups with chronic pancreatitis or those at risk for developing pancreatitis such as Yorkshire Terriers and Miniature Schnauzers - even a small amount of high-fat treat like peanut butter can be enough to cause or worsen their condition, so it should be avoided altogether.
Introduction: My name is Arline Emard IV, I am a cheerful, gorgeous, colorful, joyous, excited, super, inquisitive person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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