# Diet for Pancreatitis



## TrendyK9 (Aug 25, 2014)

My seven year old Schnauzer/Poodle mix was just diagnosed with Pancreatitis. This is our second bout with it, although the first go around it wasn't actually diagnosed (the symptoms are just too similar that the vet agrees it's a likely guess). She's home and resting but i was told to feed her a bland diet, multiple small meals a day, for the next two or so days. They suggested some canned foods but they all contain corn or grains - which she is sensitive to, makes her itchy. Are there ANY canned low fat bland foods that would work? Or should i just go ahead and give her shredded chicken for her bland meals? 

Also wondering if anyone can suggest a food for her that is low fat. The ER vet that checked her out to me this morning said that she thinks her normal food would be okay - she's currently on Nature's Recipe Chicken, Sweet Potato, and Pumpkin - so is that accurate? Should i not try to change her food and just slowly reintroduce this to her diet?

Does anyone else, by any chance, have any information about pancreatitis and how to prevent it?


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## zootv (Mar 8, 2014)

A dog (and owner) i occasionally see during our walks has pancreatitis and she feeds her dog Annamaet Grain Free Lean and Acana light and fit. Check those foods out ...


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## doggiedad (Jan 23, 2011)

it doesn't hurt to get a 2nd opinon.


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## Georgiapeach (Jan 24, 2011)

Sorry to hear about your dog. Pancreatitis is not fun and once a dog has it, it can reoccur if you're not careful. You want to feed the lowest fat content kibble you can find (no table scraps!), to reduce the stress on the pancreas. Hill's i/d prescription diet has been very successful in managing this disease. While I'm not a fan of vet diets, this one has saved many dogs. Once the critical stage has passed, maybe you can start weaning your dog slowly onto a very low fat regular kibble (I've also heard good things about the Annamaet Grain Free Lean). Make sure you make no sudden changes in your dog's diet. Transition very slowly.

Here's a two page article worth reading, IMO: Dog Pancreatitis: Types, Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments


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## NutroGeoff (May 15, 2013)

In the Natural Choice line we have a couple of grain free canned foods. I don't know how low fat you are looking for but they are pretty simple foods and might be a good option for you. I'll post links. 

Turkey & Potato Grain Free Canned Dog Food : NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® Dog Foods - The Nutro Company 

Lamb & Potato Grain Free Natural Canned Dog Food : NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® Dog Foods - The Nutro Company

Natural Fish & Potato Grain Free Canned Dog Food : NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® Dog Foods - The Nutro Company


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## Shamrockmommy (Sep 10, 2009)

For my chronic pancreatitis girl I really like Precise Naturals Senior. She has been great for years with this one.


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## TrendyK9 (Aug 25, 2014)

*Thanks!*

I can't seem to find Annamaet anywhere so that's not an option. And Hills foods have grains/corn in them, so she can't have those either. She was on a Nutro product when she was younger and she had explosive diarrhea - i don't know if it was the pancreatitis at that point or what but i'm hesitant to try anything Nutro since it cleared up as soon as we switched foods. 

She's tough to buy food for, and now with the addition of the pancreatitis..... I'll be doing a LOT of research and browsing shelves on my next two days off. The things we do for our pets! I'll be discussing this all with the vet on friday as well. I don't have to make any decisions yet though because they want her on bland diet for another day or two anyway.

I did find Merrick Grain Free Healthy Weight, which is 8% minimum fat. And Wellness Core Reduced Fat Grain Free, which is 10% max fat. Any thoughts on the two of them?


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## Foodie (Apr 25, 2010)

TrendyK9 said:


> I can't seem to find Annamaet anywhere so that's not an option. And Hills foods have grains/corn in them, so she can't have those either. She was on a Nutro product when she was younger and she had explosive diarrhea - i don't know if it was the pancreatitis at that point or what but i'm hesitant to try anything Nutro since it cleared up as soon as we switched foods.
> 
> She's tough to buy food for, and now with the addition of the pancreatitis..... I'll be doing a LOT of research and browsing shelves on my next two days off. The things we do for our pets! I'll be discussing this all with the vet on friday as well. I don't have to make any decisions yet though because they want her on bland diet for another day or two anyway.
> 
> I did find Merrick Grain Free Healthy Weight, which is 8% minimum fat. And Wellness Core Reduced Fat Grain Free, which is 10% max fat. Any thoughts on the two of them?




I get suspicious when someone says their dog can't have grains/corn. I really doubt a dog exists that can't have any grains at all but.....there are plenty of people who fall for web propaganda and deceptive marketing who have this belief yet they have never done an elimination diet to prove it. According to canine dermatologists, corn is low on the list of food allergens for dogs.

I would feed the Hills canned i/d for now, set your phobias/beliefs aside and do what's best for your dog to help her recover. Pancreatitis is very painful! Pancreatic juices escape where they should be and digest the organs of your dog. 

Try to figure out what triggered the attack to minimize further damage and a recurrence. Toxins, drugs or fats can be responsible. Feeding something as seemingly harmless such as peanut butter or scraps from a smoked ham can cause harm. 

Canned Hills i/d
Water, Turkey, Egg Product, Pork Liver, Rice, Whole Grain Corn, Rice Starch, Powdered Cellulose, Dried Beet Pulp, Dicalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Caramel Color, Flaxseed, Calcium Carbonate, Iodized Salt, Choline Chloride, L-Threonine, DL-Methionine, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Tryptophan, Taurine, Iron Oxide, Ascorbic Acid (source of vitamin C), Zinc Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Cysteine, Magnesium Oxide, Beta-Carotene, Manganous Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Sodium Selenite


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## TrendyK9 (Aug 25, 2014)

Foodie said:


> I get suspicious when someone says their dog can't have grains/corn. I really doubt a dog exists that can't have any grains at all but.....there are plenty of people who fall for web propaganda and deceptive marketing who have this belief yet they have never done an elimination diet to prove it. According to canine dermatologists, corn is low on the list of food allergens for dogs.
> 
> I would feed the Hills canned i/d for now, set your phobias/beliefs aside and do what's best for your dog to help her recover. Pancreatitis is very painful! Pancreatic juices escape where they should be and digest the organs of your dog.
> 
> ...


I appreciate the response but please don't suggest that i'm not doing what is best for my dog, and please don't try to push your own beliefs or doubts onto me in regards to ingredients. I am not here to debate wether or not corn/grains are okay for dogs or are allergens (though i would love to see your dermatologist sources on the corn) - i am here to see if anyone can suggest a grain-free diet that will help my dog. Grain-free because i have personally noticed through trial and error (trying different foods and examining ingredients to compare) that my dog chews her feet to the point of bleeding when she eats anything with corn or rice in it. 

I am trying to find a diet for her that will help her recover without risking her becoming itchy and sore - she doesn't need that added stress right now. I would love nothing more than to feed a recommended product like Hills i/d but because of her past with corn and rice i'm unsure it will be a good choice. I will be speaking with her veterinarian on thursday about this - until then she is on chicken only, which he thinks is fine for the next couple of days.

So, any suggestions will be appreciated in that regard.


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## doggiedad (Jan 23, 2011)

if a dog was in the wild what grain or corn would they eat? can a dog digest corn in the shell or do they poop it out whole?


Foodie said:


> >>>>> I get suspicious when someone says their dog can't have grains/corn. I really doubt a dog exists that can't have any grains at all but.....there are plenty of people who fall for web propaganda and deceptive marketing who have this belief yet they have never done an elimination diet to prove it. According to canine dermatologists, corn is low on the list of food allergens for dogs.<<<<<
> 
> I would feed the Hills canned i/d for now, set your phobias/beliefs aside and do what's best for your dog to help her recover. Pancreatitis is very painful! Pancreatic juices escape where they should be and digest the organs of your dog.
> 
> ...


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## Foodie (Apr 25, 2010)

doggiedad said:


> if a dog was in the wild what grain or corn would they eat? can a dog digest corn in the shell or do they poop it out whole?


It doesn't matter. What does that have to do with easing the symptoms of pancreatitis?


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## Georgiapeach (Jan 24, 2011)

TrendyK9 said:


> I can't seem to find Annamaet anywhere so that's not an option.


Annamaet Grain-Free Lean Low Fat Formula Dry Dog Food, 30-lb bag


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## Georgiapeach (Jan 24, 2011)

TrendyK9 said:


> I did find Merrick Grain Free Healthy Weight, which is 8% minimum fat. And Wellness Core Reduced Fat Grain Free, which is 10% max fat. Any thoughts on the two of them?


I've used Core Reduced Fat on an obese dog, but it may be a little high in fat for a dog with pancreatitis. The Merrick may be a possibility, at only 8% - worth a try.


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## zootv (Mar 8, 2014)

have a look here at other foods Suggested Low Fat Dog Foods


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## NutroGeoff (May 15, 2013)

TrendyK9 said:


> She was on a Nutro product when she was younger and she had explosive diarrhea - i don't know if it was the pancreatitis at that point or what but i'm hesitant to try anything Nutro since it cleared up as soon as we switched foods.


Oh I'm sorry to hear that. Well we do have some new formulas so definitely do keep it in mind.


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## TrendyK9 (Aug 25, 2014)

I had a reply typed and posted, i thought, but it seemed to have been lost or not posted. I'm not going to go into what i wrote because it may still pop up, but basically i'm not here to debate grains - i know for a fact that my dog gets itchy when she eats food with corn/rice in it. My decision to go grain free has nothing to do with a phobia or belief but something i actually witnessed with my dog, so please don't suggest i'm not doing right by my dog by avoiding grains. 

I'm here to find a food to help with her pancreatitis, after all. She is going to the vet in the morning where we will discuss everything, and i may put her on Hills i/d just to transition her from chicken to regular-ish food and then to a new kibble. I'm not sure, yet. We'll see if the vet thinks her system can handle a likely food allergy on top of everything else.

But I did find two foods today when i searched a local small store - Innova Weight Management with 22% Protein and 10% fat, and Blue Buffalo Small Breed Health Weight with 25% Protein and 9% Fat - the only issue with them is that rice is the fourth ingredient on both. Blue seems to have more grains overall? I would be willing to try rice with her again considering the only grain free foods i've found yet are very high protein. Wellness and Merrick are my best grain free options but i'm leery about the higher protein. I think the food she has been on was 25% and these two top out at around 33%. Seems like a big leap, to me.

Thanks so far for all the comments!


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## Dr Dolittle (Aug 2, 2013)

Doggiedad, Excellent point! just like us when we eat corn on the cob, most of it goes I digested. A food company must have the knowledge and expertise to know how to grind and what temperature to cook the corn at. if it is not ground right or is cooked too little or too long, it will have little nutritional value. But corn provides fatty acids, antioxidants, amino acids that blend great with meat protein sources, and dietary fiber for GI health. Quite an ingredient , though popular pet food marketing like to badmouth it. But what they eat in the wild means nothing since they don't live long in the wild. optimum nutrition science goes far beyond what a wolf can scavenge up and consume. There are no geriatrics in nature!


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

But, there are plenty of geriatric domesticated animals that are fed a diet modeled after what that animal would eat in the wild. There are far more factors that come into play for wild animals than just diet. For example, injury, climate extremes, disease, illness, predators, environment, poisons and humans play a huge part in premature death.


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## Dr Dolittle (Aug 2, 2013)

MollyWoppy said:


> But, there are plenty of geriatric domesticated animals that are fed a diet modeled after what that animal would eat in the wild. There are far more factors that come into play for wild animals than just diet. For example, injury, climate extremes, disease, illness, predators, environment, poisons and humans play a huge part in premature death.


MollyWoppy, I don't know of a single food that models after what a wild dog would eat in the wild, and also has the nutrient profile to help keep a geriatric dog healthy and reduce the risk of age related disease. And I have looked at a lot. But I must agree about all those other factors. but one could argue because of all those factors, there simply is no NATURAL formula for geriatrics in the wild. they just don't exist.


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## Rvent (Apr 15, 2012)

MollyWoppy said:


> But, there are plenty of geriatric domesticated animals that are fed a diet modeled after what that animal would eat in the wild. There are far more factors that come into play for wild animals than just diet. For example, injury, climate extremes, disease, illness, predators, environment, poisons and humans play a huge part in premature death.


I agree MollyWoppy, There are plenty of us who feed our geriatric dogs a raw diet modeled after what would be eaten in the wild, and have been doing so for years, they are much healthier and visit the vet far less than they ever did while being fed a commercial diet.

To the OP I do not know much about Pancreatitis but I found a great article maybe it will help

Canine Pancreatitis - Whole Dog Journal Article


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