Low fat dog foods are best for dogs with pancreatitis

In a recent post I looked at the known causes of dog pancreatitis and the possible concealed causes that dog food manufacturers don’t want you to know. It turns out that eating fatty food is a major cause of dog pancreatitis but what if you religiously feed your dog grain dog food. That is low in fat right? How did your dog get it?

IBIS says that in Australia the pet food industry is worth about $2 billion dollars with MARS and Nestle by far the major owners of the major brands you all buy. Both of these are massive global confectionary companies that expanded into ‘human food’ and ‘dog food’ industries.  To do this they must tell you that grain is good for your dog, and sell you packets of dog food that is mostly grain.  You must buy it and your dog must eat it.  The grain has enough meat in it to meet the minimum protein requirements (aafco law) and it is cooked, covered in oil and sugar and salt to make it taste like it is food that a dog will eat. Mission accomplished.

If you want to know more about the dog food ‘conspiracy theory’  then here is an article I based on commonly known theories on the internet. How dog pancreatitis is known to be caused but also hidden causes. Note that now days a conspiracy theory usually refers to something that a large corporation or corrupt government doesn’t want you to know, and often its just the simple truth people just dont want to believe.

But if you are one of the 97% of people who buy ‘regular’ dog food, you do so for convenience and because you might believe that it is the healthiest for your dog.  This is your belief. its the belief consumers have been sold for a hundred years ever since corporations started filling boxes full of cheap grain and calling them dog food.

Have you ever wondered why you don’t feed your rabbits and guinea pigs meat?  I wonder that after I see people feed their carnivore dogs lots of grain.  turns out that grain is a LOT cheaper to access.

What dog treats to feed a dog with pancreatitis?

A dog owner recently wrote to me asking what are the best treats for their ‘Furkids’?  They said that their dog had a bout of pancreatitis and wanted to know if there any treats with a really low fat level.

The problem with dogs who get pancreatitis once, is that they are likely to cycle through it many times and if not treated can get progressively worse and end in dog death. I have read that many remedies suggest that vets put dogs on a ‘starvation diet’ until the system rights itself. Always consult your dog in treating this very serious dog condition !

Because the number one KNOWN factor is excessive fat in food, and even fat dogs are more prone to pancreatitis, people assumes that it is FAT levels only that cause it.   The main thing about a dog diagnosed with pancreatitis seems to be a low fat diet (they say nothing about whether it should be grain or meat).

If you have a dog that requires a LOW FAT diet, then yes, you should feed them low fat main meals, but adding MEAT sources, that are low fat can help a great deal too. Regular meat source treats that make up the bulk of low fat dog food meats such as beef and chicken tend to be around 10% plus fat. This is how the meat comes, good dog treat makers don’t add or subtract fat, its a natural level. But for a pancreatitis dog this is believed to be too much. Our fat levels and other nutritional information are always included in the LONG description of each treat on the specific treat page.

So the option I always put forward is that low fat and good fat (ie non-saturated and high in omega 3)  are found in the kangaroo and fish dog treats we sell.  For the roo ones make sure you select a 100% kangaroo as otherwise wheat and chicken will add to fat content.

Besides kangaroo jerky and all of the 100% fish meat (Hake, Flake, Octopus), we also have roo tendons, ling fish skins and shark cartilage that are healthy and low fat too. These last lot are low fat, low Kj and long chewing which is what you want if your dog is over-weight. They are all 100% meat product with no preservatives, coloring or any bad thing added.

The other ‘elephant in the room’ that dog treat sites never discuss in case they scare owners is that regular dog exercise helps dogs and humans lose weight and keeps them social and happy.

The point is that no matter what your dog eats as its main food, for almost every breed of dog, they can always do with more meat in their diet. Low fat meat options are ideal for dogs that do not exercise enough or are breeds prone to becoming fat.  Meat based dog treats provide the bioavailable essential amino acids that are missing in grain and vegetable source food and treats.