Homemade dog food for pancreatitis: lean beef with sweet potato
Low-fat homemade dog food for pancreatitis: lean beef with sweet potato and rice, no oil. Only with your vet's guidance, never during a flare-up.
- Time
- 45 min + 30 min resting
- Makes
- About 1.3 kg / 2.9 lb (2 days for a 13 kg / 29 lb dog)
- Type
- Main meal
- Difficulty
- Easy
- 37 % lean ground beef
- 30 % sweet potato
- 20 % white rice
- 13 % green beans
Follows THE RULE. All 5 ingredients are on our safe list: nothing that could harm your dog.
This homemade dog food for pancreatitis is made to be low in fat, around 9% on a dry matter basis: lean ground beef that's boiled and drained, sweet potato, white rice and green beans, without a drop of oil. It's a recipe for the maintenance phase, once your vet has brought the flare-up under control and recommended a low-fat diet.
The most important part isn't in the ingredient list: the meat is boiled and drained, and the broth is chilled so you can lift off the layer of fat that rises. It seems like a minor detail, but it's what makes the difference. You get a gentle dish, with the sweetness of sweet potato, that dogs who've been through pancreatitis usually accept well.
Why it works
An inflamed pancreas handles fat poorly, so the whole recipe revolves around reducing it: the ground beef is 5% fat and is also boiled and drained. Protein stays high to preserve muscle. Sweet potato and white rice supply the energy that fat would provide in other recipes, and they're easy to digest. Green beans add bulk. The eggshell balances the phosphorus; there's no salmon oil unless your vet recommends it.
Talk to your vet first. Use this recipe only under your vet's guidance and never during a flare-up without their supervision: acute pancreatitis can be serious and needs treatment, not just diet.
Step by step
Boil the meat
Put the ground beef in a pot with 1 liter (about 4 cups) of cold water and break it up with a spoon. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, stirring, until there's no pink left.
Drain and skim the broth
Drain the meat in a colander and save the broth. Put the broth in the freezer for 30 minutes (or the fridge for a few hours) and remove the layer of fat that forms on top. Don't skip this step.
Cook the sweet potato, rice and green beans
Peel and dice the sweet potato. Cook it with the rice in 600 ml (2½ cups) of water for 18-20 minutes; for the last 8, add the cut-up green beans.
Mix
Combine the meat with the sweet potato, rice and green beans. If it's dry, moisten it with the skimmed broth. Let it cool for 15 minutes.
Add the calcium and portion
Sprinkle over the ground eggshell, mix, and split the daily portion into 3-4 meals: small, frequent meals put less load on the pancreas.
How much should I feed?
Approximate daily portion for a "spayed or neutered adult" profile. Split it into two meals (three or four for puppies).
— g a day
| Weight | 3 kg | 5 kg | 10 kg | 15 kg | 20 kg | 30 kg | 40 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grams/day | 215 | 320 | 535 | 725 | 900 | 1,220 | 1,515 |
Puppy, senior, very active or on a diet? Calculate the exact portion.
- Energy
- 118 kcal/100 g
- Protein
- 42 % dry matter
- Fat
- 9 % dry matter
- Calcium:phosphorus
- 1.3 : 1
Values estimated from the ingredients (BEDCA/USDA data). An everyday meal. To feed it daily as the only food, add a vitamin and mineral supplement for homemade diets.
Storage
Fridge: 3 days. Freezer: up to 3 months in weighed portions. Thaw in the fridge and serve lukewarm. Don't add fat when reheating, not even a little oil to keep it from sticking.
If you don't have…
- You can't find ground beef that lean
- Skinless turkey or chicken breast, ground, in the same amount (even lower in fat)
- Your dog doesn't tolerate sweet potato
- Peeled, well-cooked potato in the same amount
- You want to alternate with fish
- Hake or fresh cod in the same amount, steamed for 8 minutes
Cooking tips
- No fatty treats: no cheese, hot dogs, chicken skin or table scraps. Use bits of the recipe itself or cubes of cooked sweet potato as treats.
- If you're thinking of adding omega-3, ask first: some vets recommend it for pancreatitis and others prefer to avoid any extra fat.
- To use it as the only food long term, your dog needs a vitamin and mineral supplement for homemade diets; ask your vet for one that's compatible with a low-fat diet.
Safety
- Never during an acute flare-up without your vet: a dog that's vomiting, has abdominal pain (the “prayer position”, chest on the floor and rear end up) or won't eat needs urgent care, not a diet change.
- No oil of any kind, for cooking or at serving time, unless your vet recommends it.
- Even just once, a fatty meal can trigger another bout of pancreatitis: watch what other people in the household give your dog.
Frequently asked questions
What can a dog with pancreatitis eat?
Low-fat, highly digestible food in small, frequent meals, always following your vet's guidance. Very lean meat (turkey, skinless chicken, lean beef), white fish, white rice, cooked potato or sweet potato and gentle vegetables usually work well. What must be avoided at all costs is fat: table scraps, deli meats, cheese, chicken skin and fatty treats.
How much fat can a dog with pancreatitis have?
Generally less than 10% on a dry matter basis, and in some cases even less; your vet sets the limit based on severity and your dog's history. This recipe is around 9% and has no added oil. For reference, many regular kibbles fall between 12 and 20%, so the difference is significant.
How long should a dog stay on a low-fat diet after pancreatitis?
It depends on the case: after a mild episode, sometimes a few weeks; if pancreatitis keeps coming back, it's usually a diet for life. Your vet decides based on how lab results and symptoms evolve. Going back to fatty food too soon is a common cause of relapse, so it's best not to rush it.
What are the symptoms of pancreatitis in dogs?
The most common are vomiting, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, lethargy and sometimes diarrhea or fever. Many dogs adopt the “prayer position”: chest pressed to the floor and rear end raised. It often appears after a very fatty meal. It's an emergency: see your vet the same day and don't try to treat it at home with diet.
What's in it, in detail
- Beef Yes
- Sweet potatoes Yes
- Rice Yes
- Green beans Yes
If they liked it, try
Special needs
Homemade dog food for weight loss: turkey with sweet potato and green beans
40 minMain meal
The fridge list
The foods your dog can eat, can have in moderation and must never eat, on a single printable page.