[mjdonner]

My 2 year old boxer was diagnosed with pancreatitis 5 months ago and since then has been on a low fat diet and seems to continue to lose weight. He is at approx 55lbs, but I can see pretty much every rib. I feed him more than the recommended amount and give him low fat treats often. I would like to introduce a higher fat food but am concerned the pancreatitis will return. Before he was diagnosed he was on Royal Canin food for Boxers which had a fat percentage of around 20 (he was at a healthy weight and looked healthy while on it) and now he is on Science Diet Adult Light fat percentage 6-9%. Everyone who sees him thinks I don't feed him enough. But I have added an additional 3 cups a day but am concerned the pancreatitis will come back. Anybody have any suggestions?

[Sariss]

Your best bet is to consult with your vet on the best route to take. They will have suggestions on bulking him up, and the foods you can use to do so.

[shazamataz]

I agree with sariss, we had a poodle with pancreatitis and our vet advised us on what to feed and how much.

The most important thing is that when feeding a dog with pancreatitis is to know that if they have an attack or show any signs of stomach upset don't feed them for up to 48 hours.
Nohing at all.
The pancrease is basically the control center for the bodiesenzymes and if you feed a dog while it is having an attack, it cannot break down the food properly, especially fats.

Another function of the pancreas is it produces insulin so diabetes is something that always has to be watched out for.

I found this answer to a question on "ask the veterinarian"
I'll quote it below, I hope it helps :)

Answer
Low fat and easy to digest are the key as well as supplementing with Digestive Enzymes. You can feed a variety of meats (chicken, turkey, beef, venison, fish, lamb, veal) with veggies and grains (brown rice, oatmeal, etc). There are a lot of recipes and books out there to give you ideas. For example, Dr. Richard Pitcairn, DVM, a guru among holistic veterinarians, also recommends a homemade diet; his is slightly different and a bit more complex. His basic diet, which works for both cats and dogs, includes a variety of meats — hamburger, chicken and turkey, some organ meats — mostly lean and ground up, and often fed raw. Although Pitcairn knows that many veterinarians are opposed to feeding raw meat because of concern about contracting diseases, in seventeen years of recommending raw foods he has never seen a problem with this practice. In fact, he sees improved health when animals are fed raw meat. He also includes dairy products (raw milk, cottage cheese, yogurt); eggs (either raw or lightly cooked); whole grains, cooked; legumes such as lentils, soybeans, split peas; and vegetables, ideally raw, such as carrots or alfalfa sprouts, though cooked corn, broccoli, and others can be included, all preferably organic. His book, Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats, includes many recipes for dogs and cats.


However, I would try to have him eat some dog food so you know he is getting a completely balanced diet but I would suggest an all-natural diet and not one with corn, soy, by-products, dyes, preservatives or fillers. Check into Prairie by Nature's Variety Nature's Variety... this is a great brand of food that I feed my cats. They have dry kibble, canned, freeze dried and raw.

Dancing Paws makes a great digestive supplement... DancingPaws.com: High Quality Natural Pet Supplements & Treats SHAKE 'N ZYME and this should help curb future flare-ups.

[dawnabela]

My boxer is 10 and had pancreatitis he was in so much pain he was immediately put on I?d science diet formula and given antibiotics he seems to be better I feed him orijins senior formula its about 60.00 for a 30lb bag but has superior ingredients and is a high end food.. my dog is 95lbs I wish he would lose weight