Pancreatitis in Dogs: Homemade Food Ideas & Meal Plans

Okay, so my dog, bless his furry little heart, got hit with pancreatitis. The vet bills were insane, and honestly, the prescription food was pricey too. So, I thought, "I can do this myself!" I'm no chef, but I love my pup, and I figured homemade food couldn't be that hard, right?

First, I hit the internet. I read a bunch of stuff, some of it super confusing with all those vet-school words. But I found some simple guidelines: low-fat, easily digestible ingredients. That was my starting point.

My First Attempt (and a Few Fails)

My initial plan was simple. I grabbed some chicken breast (skinless, of course), some plain white rice, and some pumpkin puree (the plain stuff, not the pie filling!). I boiled the chicken until it was cooked through and shredded it up super fine. Then I cooked the rice according to the package, making sure it was nice and soft. Finally, I mixed everything together, adding a dollop of the pumpkin.

• Mistake #1: Too much chicken. My dog loved it, but it was a bit too rich for his sensitive tummy. He had... well, let's just say it wasn't pretty.
• Mistake #2: Not enough variety. He got bored of the same thing every day. Who wouldn't?

Back to the drawing board! (Or, you know, back to Google.)

Getting it Right (Finally!)

I learned that lean protein is key, but in moderation. I also discovered that sweet potatoes are a great alternative to rice sometimes, and that adding a little bit of cooked, pureed veggies (like carrots or green beans) is good for him.

So, here's what I started doing, and it's been working great:

• I rotate the protein. Sometimes it's chicken, sometimes it's extra-lean ground turkey. I always boil it to remove as much fat as possible. And I measure it carefully – smaller portions are better.
• I switch between white rice and cooked sweet potato. I mash the sweet potato really well.
• I add a small amount of cooked, pureed veggies. I steam them until they're super soft and then blend them up.
• I even found some dog-friendly bone broth (low sodium!) that I sometimes mix in for extra flavor and hydration.

It's still a bit of work, but seeing my dog happy and healthy is totally worth it. Plus, I feel good knowing exactly what's going into his food. It's definitely saved me money in the long run, and I think he actually prefers my cooking to the store-bought stuff (don't tell the vet!). I do still check in with his vet!