When deciding on your EPI dog’s diet, it should be known that there are no exact specifications to follow. Each dog is different in their individual needs, and these needs can vary in several ways. Figuring out what diet is best for your dog likely will require some experimentation.
It was once thought that EPI Dogs required low-fat diets, but that is not the case today.
EPI dogs typically do better with several smaller meals (3+) per day, as opposed to larger, less frequent meals. Doing so reduces stress on their digestive system and can be very helpful in getting them stable. Once your dog has gained back lost weight and has consistently normal stools, meal frequency can be adjusted if needed.
You will also want to avoid adding white rice or white potatoes, as EPI dogs typically cannot handle heavy starches in their diets.
Initially when your dog is diagnosed with EPI, it is recommended to feed them more than usual (by about one and a half times what you normally would) until they gain a good amount of their weight back. This can be accomplished by simply adding an additional meal during the day.
Individual meals of more than 3 cups in size is not advisable. In general, any more than 2.5 cups per meal can be a lot of food for a EPI dog with a distressed GI system. It can also be very difficult to determine the amount of pancreatic enzymes needed for larger sized meals.
Some EPI dogs to do well on raw diets. Raw food can be more easily digestible for some EPI dogs, as it is thought to have more natural properties with no fillers compared to mass produced kibble or canned food. Whenever feeding raw, it is suggested to remove excessive, easily removeable fat. Raw food should also always be minced which allows for proper mixing of pancreatic enzymes at every meal.
It is strongly suggested that you speak with your veterinarian and seek advice with other raw feeders before feeding raw foods to your EPI dog. Beside this site, there are many raw feeder support groups on Facebook that you can easily find.
Always keep in mind that if your dog is reluctant to eat, this can be due to a variety of issues, such as:
- Improper Vitamin B12 levels
- SID or SIBO issues
- Possible mouth sores from lack of incubation
- Using pancreatic enzymes that contain an unnatural, acetone smell
- Over-dosing or using too much pancreatic enzymes per meal
For cats that specifically have trouble eating food treated with enzymes, one of our site administrators has had great success with a drug called Mirataz ointment and their cat that has EPI. Mirataz is an FDA-approved medication for the management of weight loss in cats. It is available from your veterinarian with a prescription. The medication is an ointment that is applied to the inside of the cat’s ear and it stimulates their appetite making food (with the enzymes) more appealing or palatable. Please discuss this with your vet in deciding whether this might be an option for your EPI cat. For more information, view our EPI in Cats section.
For other options in making food with enzymes more palatable, please visit our Hiding Enzyme Smell section.
Low Grain & Low Fiber Diets
EPI dogs can be challenging when it comes to finding the right diet. It is important to understand that EPI dogs can many times benefit from a 4% or less, low grain and fiber diet.
The main goal is to provide nutrients that your dog needs to live a healthy life without stressing their digestive system and foods that are high in grains or fiber can complicate matters for an EPI dog.
However, like many aspects of EPI, the dog owner will need to experiment in finding the diet that works best for their dog.
One should become accustomed to reading ingredient labels. Grains and legumes should initially be avoided when EPI is diagnosed, as they can make it harder for your dog to absorb nutrition from their food.
Some EPI dogs can tolerate normal grain levels, however this can only be determined through trial and error after a majority of lost weight is regained.
Research has determined that high fiber content can also inhibit lipase activity which interferes with pancreatic enzymes that are being given to treat EPI. Lipase is also the most important enzyme for metabolizing fats & proteins which typically make up the bulk of a dog’s diet.
Sometimes a low fiber diet can also cause SID or SIBO in some dogs. Many EPI dog owners find they can introduce small amounts of canned pumpkin or sweet potato to the dog’s diet to help with this.