If your dog has been diagnosed with pancreatitis, suddenly every packet of food can feel like a nutritional maths exam.
How much fat is too much?
Can they still eat raw?
Which proteins are lean?
Should they eat chicken? Kangaroo? Veal?
And what does “low fat” actually mean anyway?
Pancreatitis can be a serious and painful condition, so this isn't something we'd recommend trying to manage from Google alone.
But once your veterinarian has diagnosed pancreatitis and you're trying to understand what goes into your dog's bowl, knowing a little more about dietary fat can make those conversations much easier.
And this particular subject is one we understand personally.
The pancreas is a small but extremely important organ involved in digestion and blood-sugar regulation.
Its digestive role includes producing enzymes that help break down nutrients in food.
Pancreatitis means inflammation of the pancreas.
Dogs can experience acute pancreatitis, where illness develops suddenly, or they may experience ongoing or recurrent pancreatic problems.
The severity varies enormously.
Some dogs can be mildly affected.
Others become extremely unwell and require hospitalisation, intravenous fluids, pain relief and other supportive veterinary treatment.
Pancreatitis isn't something to diagnose or treat at home.
Signs can include:
The problem is that many of these symptoms aren't unique to pancreatitis.
Vomiting, lethargy and abdominal discomfort can happen with many gastrointestinal and other medical conditions.
And that's something we learnt personally.
Pancreatitis is a subject that hits fairly close to home at The Raw Dog Food Co.
We've personally experienced having a dog initially diagnosed with pancreatitis, only to later discover that pancreatitis wasn't actually the underlying problem.
That experience changed the way we look at this condition.
It taught us that symptoms, blood results and digestive problems need to be considered as part of the whole clinical picture.
That's not to suggest that pancreatitis is commonly misdiagnosed or that veterinary testing isn't important.
Quite the opposite.
It reinforced for us why a proper diagnostic work-up matters.
If your dog has ongoing or recurring digestive problems, don't simply assume every flare-up is pancreatitis—or make permanent dietary decisions based on an assumption.
Work with your veterinarian to understand what is actually happening.
We've experienced first-hand just how stressful that uncertainty can be when you're trying to do the best thing for your dog.
There isn't always one single test that gives the entire answer.
Veterinarians may consider a combination of:
Routine blood lipase and amylase levels on their own don't necessarily prove that a dog has pancreatitis.
More specific pancreatic lipase testing can provide much more useful information, but test results still need to be interpreted alongside your dog's signs and other findings.
This is one of the reasons it's worth looking at the whole dog rather than one number on one blood test.
Dietary fat is an important consideration in the management of pancreatitis in dogs.
Veterinary management commonly involves feeding a fat-restricted diet, particularly in dogs that have experienced pancreatitis or are considered at risk of recurrence.
That doesn't mean dogs shouldn't eat any fat.
Dogs need dietary fat.
It provides energy and essential fatty acids and helps with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.
The aim is therefore generally fat restriction rather than eliminating fat altogether.
How much restriction your individual dog requires depends on their health, history and veterinary feeding plan.
As a general veterinary benchmark, the Merck Veterinary Manual recommends a diet containing less than 20 grams of fat per 1,000 kcal for dogs with pancreatitis. Your dog's individual target may differ, so use this as a discussion point with your veterinarian rather than a DIY prescription.
This is where things become surprisingly confusing.
You might look at one raw food and see:
2% fat
Then look at a dry food and see:
8% fat
It seems obvious that the first one must contain one-quarter as much fat.
Unfortunately, you can't reliably compare foods that way.
Raw and wet foods contain far more water than kibble.
That extra moisture makes nutrients—including fat—look lower when they're expressed as a percentage of the food's total weight.
For dogs that need genuine dietary fat restriction, one of the most useful comparisons is the amount of fat relative to the calories the food provides, often expressed as grams of fat per 1,000 kcal.
Dry-matter calculations can also make foods with very different moisture levels easier to compare.
If your dog has medically diagnosed pancreatitis, ask your vet what fat target they actually want you feeding rather than simply buying whichever packet displays the lowest percentage.
That's a much safer approach.
There isn't one perfect pancreatitis diet for every dog.
Your veterinarian may recommend a veterinary therapeutic gastrointestinal diet, particularly during or immediately following an acute episode.
Depending on the individual dog, longer-term feeding considerations may include:
The most important point is this:
Don't look at one lean ingredient and assume that automatically makes the entire diet suitable for pancreatitis.
The fat content and nutritional balance of the whole meal matters.
Some dogs with a history of pancreatitis may be able to eat an appropriately formulated raw diet.
Others may be better suited to a veterinary therapeutic diet.
It depends on the individual dog.
Raw feeding itself doesn't automatically make a diet either high-fat or low-fat.
The actual ingredients matter.
A raw meal containing particularly fatty cuts could be very high in fat.
Another made with carefully selected lean proteins could be considerably leaner.
But if your dog is currently experiencing acute pancreatitis, vomiting or abdominal pain, this is not the time to experiment with a new raw diet at home.
Follow your veterinarian's treatment and feeding recommendations.
Once your dog is stable, you can discuss longer-term feeding options with them.
If your veterinarian has said that carefully controlled lean raw proteins can form part of your dog's long-term feeding plan, there are several interesting options available.
Importantly, these should be considered as ingredients within an appropriate diet, not as treatments for pancreatitis.
Kangaroo is one of the leanest meats in our range.
Our Kangaroo Meat for Dogs has a product analysis of approximately:
2% fat
and
21% protein
It is boneless meat, so it isn't nutritionally complete when fed by itself long term.
However, its naturally low fat level means it can be a useful protein to discuss with your veterinarian if you're constructing a carefully controlled lower-fat feeding programme.
We have a separate guide explaining Kangaroo Meat for Dogs, including its role as a lean and less commonly fed protein.
Our Veal Raw Dog Food contains whole veal including muscle meat, bone, skin and organs.
Its current product analysis shows approximately:
2.69% crude fat
and
17.7% protein
Again, don't look at the percentage alone and conclude that the finished diet automatically meets your dog's prescribed pancreatitis fat target.
But it is useful information when comparing ingredients and discussing feeding options with your vet.
Horse is another naturally lean protein available in our range.
Our Horse Meat for Dogs is boneless horse meat, making it another straightforward single-protein ingredient for raw feeders.
Because it is boneless meat, it must be appropriately balanced with the other nutritional components required in the overall diet.
This is one of the questions we receive most often.
The most accurate answer is:
Kangaroo can be a useful low-fat ingredient, but it isn't a pancreatitis treatment.
Our kangaroo contains approximately 2% total fat based on its product analysis.
That makes it exceptionally lean compared with many commonly fed meats.
But whether it's suitable for your dog depends on:
So we'd much rather you show the nutritional analysis to your veterinarian than simply buy kangaroo because somebody online says it's “good for pancreatitis.”
Definitely not.
Different animal species and different cuts from the same animal can vary enormously in fat content.
For example, lamb can naturally be considerably richer than proteins such as kangaroo.
Skin can also increase the fat content of poultry products.
Fatty trimmings and highly marbled meat obviously contribute more fat as well.
If your dog needs medically controlled dietary fat, “raw” is not enough information.
Look at the actual product.
Ask for nutritional analysis where possible.
And evaluate the complete diet rather than assuming every raw meat is interchangeable.
Raw meaty bones are a common component of many raw feeding approaches, but dogs with a medically prescribed diet need a little more thought.
Some meaty bones can carry a significant amount of attached skin and fat.
They're also not nutritionally interchangeable with lean boneless meat.
If you're feeding a dog with pancreatitis or another condition requiring fat restriction, discuss the overall meal structure—including bones—with the person helping you formulate the diet.
Treats are one of the easiest ways to accidentally undo a carefully controlled low-fat feeding plan.
A dog's main meal might be beautifully managed...
...then along comes a piece of cheese.
Or sausage.
Or fatty dried meat.
Or the corner of somebody's bacon sandwich.
If your dog needs dietary fat restriction, treats count too.
Ask your veterinarian what treats fit within your dog's diet.
Depending on their individual plan, small pieces of an approved lean protein may be more appropriate than rich commercial treats.
The important thing is that everyone in the household knows the rules.
One generous family member can make dietary management surprisingly difficult.
Not necessarily.
It's tempting to assume that pancreatitis simply means a dog ate something too fatty.
The reality is more complicated.
Many cases don't have one obvious cause.
Various risk factors and associated conditions have been identified, and dietary indiscretion or particularly rich food may contribute in some dogs.
But pancreatitis shouldn't automatically be interpreted as proof that an owner fed their dog incorrectly.
The priority is identifying and managing any risk factors that apply to the individual dog.
That's another question for your veterinarian.
Some dogs may require ongoing fat restriction, particularly if they have recurrent pancreatitis, abnormal blood lipids or another condition that makes dietary fat management important.
Others may have different long-term needs.
Don't assume that a diet prescribed during an acute illness must automatically become the dog's permanent diet without review.
As your dog recovers, ask:
What fat target should we be aiming for now?
Is this temporary or long term?
How will we know whether the diet can change?
Are there underlying risk factors we need to manage?
Those questions are far more useful than simply searching for the “best food for pancreatitis”.
If your dog has repeated episodes of vomiting, diarrhoea, appetite loss or abdominal discomfort that continue despite treatment, it's reasonable to talk with your veterinarian about whether further investigation is needed.
Pancreatitis can recur.
But other gastrointestinal and medical problems can cause overlapping symptoms too.
That's why our own experience left such an impression on us.
Once a dog has been given a diagnosis, it is very easy for every future gastrointestinal problem to get placed into the same box.
Sometimes that's correct.
Sometimes there may be more to investigate.
Good veterinary care involves continuing to look at the dog in front of you.
A dog that occasionally develops loose stools or digestive upset doesn't necessarily have pancreatitis.
There are numerous possible causes of recurring gastrointestinal signs.
We've covered those more broadly in our Sensitive Stomach in Dogs NZ Guide.
If your dog's issues are more about recurring soft stools, wind, food changes or suspected dietary sensitivity rather than confirmed pancreatitis, that's a better place to start.
Food allergies are another separate issue again.
While gastrointestinal symptoms can sometimes occur with adverse food reactions, food allergies are also commonly associated with skin and ear symptoms.
If your dog's digestive issues occur alongside paw licking, itchy skin or recurring ear trouble, have a read through our Itchy Dog NZ Guide.
Again, don't assume the diagnosis.
Look for patterns and involve your veterinarian when symptoms persist.
If your dog has recovered from pancreatitis and your veterinarian is comfortable with you feeding raw, don't immediately build the most elaborate bowl possible.
Keep it simple.
Know the fat content of the ingredients you're using.
Introduce dietary changes carefully.
Avoid suddenly adding numerous rich proteins, toppers and treats.
Make sure the overall diet is nutritionally appropriate.
And monitor your dog.
Our Raw Dog Feeding Guide NZ explains the fundamentals of building and transitioning a raw diet.
For a dog with a medical history, however, that general guide should sit alongside—not replace—your veterinarian's individual advice.
Seek veterinary attention promptly if your dog is experiencing signs such as:
Pancreatitis can become serious.
This isn't a condition where we'd recommend waiting several days to see whether changing the meat in the bowl fixes things.
There isn't one universally best food. Dogs with pancreatitis are commonly fed a fat-restricted, highly digestible diet, but the appropriate fat level and food depend on the individual dog. Some require veterinary therapeutic diets while others may eventually be able to eat carefully formulated lower-fat diets.
Comparing the crude-fat percentage on two packets can be misleading when the foods contain different amounts of moisture. For medical fat restriction, your veterinarian may assess fat relative to calories or on a dry-matter basis. Ask what target is appropriate for your dog rather than relying solely on the front of the packet.
Some dogs with a history of pancreatitis may be able to eat an appropriately formulated lower-fat raw diet after recovery, while others may be better suited to a veterinary therapeutic diet. During an acute episode, follow your veterinarian's feeding instructions rather than introducing a new diet yourself.
Kangaroo is exceptionally lean. Our boneless kangaroo contains approximately 2% fat based on its product analysis. This can make it a useful ingredient to discuss with your veterinarian for dogs requiring controlled dietary fat, but kangaroo alone isn't a complete diet or a treatment for pancreatitis.
Our current Veal 80:10:10 product analysis shows approximately 2.69% crude fat as fed. That makes it one of the leaner products in our range, although percentage fat alone doesn't determine whether a complete diet meets a dog's medical fat target.
Lamb can naturally be richer in fat than some other proteins and individual cuts vary considerably. If your dog requires strict fat restriction, discuss specific products and their nutritional analysis with your veterinarian rather than choosing solely by animal species.
A particularly rich meal or dietary indiscretion may be associated with pancreatitis in some dogs, but many cases don't have one identifiable cause. Other risk factors and underlying conditions can also be involved.
Diagnosing pancreatitis can be challenging because symptoms overlap with many other conditions and no routine test should be interpreted completely in isolation. Veterinarians generally combine the dog's symptoms, examination, pancreatic-specific testing and imaging where appropriate. If your dog's clinical picture doesn't fit or problems repeatedly return, further investigation may be warranted.
Not always. Some dogs require ongoing fat restriction while others may have different nutritional needs once they recover. Your veterinarian can advise whether the diet is temporary or should become part of your dog's long-term management.
Dogs on a fat-restricted diet generally need to avoid particularly rich or fatty treats, table scraps and high-fat foods. Treats should be included when calculating the overall diet rather than regarded as something separate from meals.
If your veterinarian has advised that lean raw proteins can form part of your dog's diet, we stock several options that give you greater control over what goes into the bowl.
You can also read:
If there's one thing our own experience with a pancreatitis diagnosis taught us, it's not to reduce a complicated dog to one blood result, one symptom or one food.
Pancreatitis is real.
It can be serious.
And diet can be an incredibly important part of managing it.
But good nutritional management starts with understanding what you're actually treating.
Get the diagnosis right.
Understand the fat target your individual dog needs.
Look at the complete diet rather than one ingredient.
And work with your veterinarian when making decisions for a dog with a history of pancreatic disease.
Once you know what you're dealing with, choosing what's appropriate for the bowl becomes a whole lot easier.
Sources & Further Reading
Merck's current professional guidance was reviewed in September 2025 and specifically supports several of the important statements we've made: most cases have no obvious single cause, dietary indiscretion can be a risk factor, signs are nonspecific, diagnosis should combine findings rather than rely on one test, and low-fat feeding is important in canine management.
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