New Paper Offers Updated View on Fat’s Role in Canine Pancreatitis

In this article:

• Why is fat an important nutrient in dog food?
• What are the shortcomings of previous research on dog food and pancreatitis?
• Why does this matter for dogs’ health?

On February 18, the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association published a new, peer-reviewed paper on the relationship between dietary fat and pancreatitis. Researchers at The Farmer’s Dog, Whole Pet Provisions, and Michigan State University reviewed 50 other publications spanning nearly eight decades.

The authors analyzed how research connected fat and pancreatitis in the first place, identified some of the previous studies’ shortcomings, and pointed to opportunities for more research to help better understand, prevent, and treat the illness.

Here’s what they found, and why it matters for dogs’ health.

Why is fat an important nutrient in dog food?

Fat is an essential nutrient for dogs, and offers them numerous benefits.

For example, dietary fat supports skin and coat health, as shown by a 2020 study published in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science, in which dogs ate either a high-carbohydrate or high-fat diet; the latter group displayed strengthened immunity and lower oxidative stress, both of which bolster healthy skin.

Other research underscores fat’s crucial role in endurance and energy availability. One study published in 2021 in the journal PLOS, and another published in 1973 in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, demonstrated that—compared to dogs consuming low-fat or high-carb diets—dogs eating higher-fat diets had increased energy levels without clinical signs of disease.

Fat also makes food more palatable, meaning that dogs like eating it more. Two studies, published in 2013 and 2017, revealed that dogs allowed to choose food by nutrient composition consistently chose higher-fat options. Palatability is especially important to ensure picky eaters get all the nutrition they need.

Complete and balanced food that’s been formulated for long-term feeding by board-certified nutritionists offers proper proportions of dietary fat that support dog health. All recipes from The Farmer’s Dog are formulated by on-staff, board-certified nutritionists to meet guidelines established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) and the National Research Council (NRC), including fat levels deemed safe for healthy dogs.

What are the shortcomings of previous research on dog food and pancreatitis?

While a number of factors increase a dog’s risk of pancreatitis—including genetic predisposition by breed, excess weight, and certain medications—research has pointed to a possible connection between dietary fat and the disease. But many of those studies have been limited by their relatively small sample sizes, variable diagnostic methods, and use of diets that aren’t formulated for long-term feeding. And, as the authors wrote, in recent years a growing number of studies “have generally failed to confirm a consistent or straightforward association between dietary fat content and disease onset.”

An experiment from 1948, which was the first to document pancreatitis in dogs following exposure to a high-fat, low-protein diet, used foods that weren’t complete and balanced or meant for long-term feeding; the food used in the experiment was higher in fat than today’s commercial diets. The foods most pet dogs eat in the United States are complete and balanced according to standards set by AAFCO, which require fat and other nutrients to be included in appropriate proportions to support dogs’ health. These include foods with a range of fat levels.

Some frequently cited papers, including that 1948 study, also failed to provide clinical data on the dogs studied and their conditions—meaning that we don’t know what observable signs of illness the dogs may have shown. For example, in a 1970 study, researchers fed 30 dogs one of five diets for six weeks, and then intentionally induced pancreatitis. Although the dogs fed the high-fat diet developed more severe pancreatitis, none of them showed clinical signs of the illness before the researchers induced it. And the method the scientists used to cause pancreatitis in this study is not something that ever happens to dogs living or being fed in a home environment.

Group size, proportion, and comparability are also important. A 2005 paper investigated the influence of a ketogenic diet on dogs with epilepsy; three of nine dogs fed the experimental ketogenic diet developed pancreatitis. But all dogs enrolled in the study were receiving phenobarbital and/or potassium bromide—two drugs that have a strong potential to increase the risk of acute pancreatitis.

In another study, published in 2021, there was no control group at all. Without a control group, it’s difficult to determine whether there is an increased relative risk of feeding a high-fat diet compared to a moderate or low-fat diet. Additionally, the authors did not evaluate medical records to determine if dogs had previous episodes of pancreatitis. On top of this, the food used in the study was low in protein and not complete and balanced for long-term feeding.

Why does this matter for dogs’ health?

Understanding what research has revealed about pancreatitis, and what’s left to learn, can guide future studies into the subject as veterinarians search for the best ways to prevent and treat the disease.

All in all, the authors wrote, “It is our combined suspicion that the profession’s focus on a single factor, such as total dietary fat content, as a cause of pancreatitis substantially underestimates the complexity of naturally occurring disease.”

They went on to describe the various influences that can contribute to pancreatitis development, including dietary fat composition (meaning what types of fat a dog is eating); disorders; obesity; breed disposition; medications; and dietary indiscretion (such as ingestion of excess treats, table scraps, or garbage).

The authors also recommended updated guidelines for treating pancreatitis in a clinical setting—where it matters most.

First, they recommended reducing dietary fat by using a low-fat diet in dogs with both pancreatitis and hypertriglyceridemia. The latter condition is characterized by high levels of triglycerides—a type of fat circulating in the blood—and is a potential risk factor for acute pancreatitis.

Second, for dogs whose recurring episodes of clinical pancreatitis have no other explanation, they recommended either avoiding high-fat diets or halving dietary fat content, while eliminating table scraps and extra treats.

Third, they recommended doing the same for dogs who develop clinical pancreatitis after exposure to a high-fat diet.

The authors did not recommend automatically assigning dogs clinically affected with pancreatitis to a lifelong low-fat diet. Instead, they emphasized evaluating on a case-by-case basis. This is because, in some dogs, reducing dietary fat can have unintended health consequences—and even dogs on controlled diets may suffer pancreatitis relapses.

“If a specific cause of pancreatitis—such as dietary indiscretion or certain medications—can be found in the patient’s history, a low-fat diet might not be needed in the long term,” said Rae Sires, DVM, Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Nutrition), manager of nutrition research at The Farmer’s Dog and a co-author of the paper. “Dietary fat is important for normal hormone and cell function, absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, and a healthy skin and coat,” she said, “and we shouldn’t reduce it unless there is a specific reason to.”