My schnauzer has pancreatitis. Can I make homemade food instead of Rx?

Check out this website: www.balanceit.com Click on "create free pet recipe." It will allow you to select the medical conditions your dog has, and his other information to make a balanced customized home cooked diet. I hope that's helpful! Thanks for using PetCoach.

Hi and thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I would stick with a low fat prescription diet such as Hills I/D or Royal Canin Low fat gastrointestinal. Continue this diet until your one pet is over their pancreatitis episode. Then you can slowly transition them back to a senior diet which is typically lower in calories and higher in protein and carbs. My top brands are Royal Canin, Hill’s Science Diet, Evo or Eukanuba. Best of luck with your fur babies and their new diets. Take care!

I am sorry we weren't able to get to your question sooner! The most common breeds that come to mind with pancreatitis are schnauzers and yorkies, however there was a study where malamutes were found to show a slightly higher likelihood of developing pancreatitis as well. It's not the protein content that is the issue with pancreatitis so much as it is the fat content. I personally would not recommend a raw diet, mostly due to concerns for bacterial infections for both your dog AND for you and other humans in your household--especially will so many good kibble options are available. My favorite kibble brands for "Northern breeds" are Science Diet, Canidae and Wellness brands. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Poor Henry-pancreatitis is no fun. I don’t usually recommend adding something like this to the diet for animals who suffer these types of severe/chronic conditions. We never know what may cause a flair up. However, if Henry is using a prescription kibble you could check with your vet to see if a canned formulation is available as well. If so you can cut the canned product into little cubes and bake/dehydrate then in the oven to make your own treats! Another option is that most of the companies that manufacture prescription foods also have a range of treats which are labelled for use with various of their prescription diets. Good luck!

Poor Quinton! Pancreatitis can become a chronic issue. Switching the diet to the Low Fat food may help. You will also need to make sure he does not eat ANY human food or get into the garbage. Any treats need to be extremely low fat. Some dogs with chronic pancreatitis benefit from daily antioxidants for dogs. Some may need a daily steroid but most don't. Make sure Quinton drinks lots of water daily. Here is a link about pancreatitis: https://www.petcoach.co/article/pancreatitis-inflammation-in-dogs/ If this trend continues, your vet may want to look for an underlying condition such as Cushing's Disease. I hope this helps and that he starts feeling better quickly.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Aiko. I recommend having a blood value known as SDMA tested as it is more sensitive in detecting kidney disease that BUN and Creatinine. This value can be combined with a first morning urine sample to check the kidney's concentrating ability. With this information, it can be decided if he has kidney disease and if so, which stage. If his kidneys are functioning well, then I would suggest a prescription low fat diet to be fed to him exclusively to help prevent recurrence of pancreatitis. Royal Canin Veterinary Diets LF or Purina ProPlan Veterinary Diets EN would be appropriate choices. I hope this information helps!

Pancreatitis is a very tricky disease and has two diatcint presentations. There is the acute form where they are incredibly sick, non stop vomiting or dirrhoea and require hospitalisation for intensive support. There is the second form which is chronic and requires home care and support. Potentially lifetime changes to food types which are bland and low in fat. Here is an amazing resource to understanding pancreatitis in 5 minutes; https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-minutes-to-understanding-pancreatitis-in-dogs/ Pancreatitis requires a change in food, you can do as your vet prescribed and I recommend 1/3 chicken and 2/3 white rice. Fed Ina umiaks portions to your regular dog food, for at least one week. You can also check out home cooked diets here https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-create-a-balanced-homemade-diet-for-your-pet/ A simpler option for you would be hills I/d low fat which can be purchased from your vet or online. I am happy to discuss this further in a private consult or if you would Like to post as many questions as you need on the forum we can continue to support you as much as you need.