Are There Nutritional Gaps in My Dachshund Mix's Low-Fat Diet? (Vet Answered)
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Small Animal Veterinarian
Dr. Karyn is a small animal veterinarian originally from Australia, now based in the UK. She holds degrees in Veterinary Science (2010) and Zoology. When not helping pets, she tends to her 5 cats, 5 dogs, and garden!
The Question
My weenie-mix had a pancreatitis flare up a few months back and since then she has had some gland issues . Our vet things she's already lost the ability to express herself and said that diet changes won't work but we've decided to try a low-fat/ anti inflammatory, novel protein diet to see if that makes any difference. What we've been feeding her is a few different meats on rotation like: - Bison -White fish ( tilapia, cod, mahi mahi) - Kangaroo -Rabbit We've also changed her kibble to a venison and sweet potato recipe, and we give her abut 1tbsp 4x a day. With her larger meals we give her a lighted steamed veggie mix ( dark leafy greens, sweet potato or butternut squash, broccoli, red pepper, carrot, green beans and some rice (about 2 tbsp of this per day) We also supplement with a 1/4 tsp salmon oil, probiotics, TRI-ACTA H.A. for joint mobility and some pumpkin powder. I am wondering if we are on the right path? I've figured out the calories and I know we are okay there but I am worried since she's having so little kibble that we may be missing essential nutrients, can you spot any gaps in her diet ie: calcium.
Quick Info about Roxie
📹 Vet's Video Reply (scroll down to see text answer)
Hi Delilah,
Thank you so much for writing in, and I can see very clearly that Roxie is a very loved and lucky little Chiweenie! I never like to contradict a colleague, but if Roxie has only recently developed anal gland issues, I think there’s a good chance that she could get back to normal.
Assuming that the dry kibble you are feeding her is an AAFCO approved food, I believe that what you are giving her will more than meet her nutritional needs, and those leafy greens should be keeping her calcium levels in check. There are just a few things I would like to recommend.
While it’s good to offer a bit of variety, I would suggest finding just one or two meat types and sticking to those. The reason for this is that if Roxie were to develop any food allergy or intolerances in the future, we can still have some novel proteins up our sleeve to switch her onto. As you’re probably already aware, we need to avoid overly rich and fatty foods to avoid future pancreatitis flare ups, and that also means keeping her meals relatively bland. I would probably stick with the rabbit and white fish, but avoid feeding too much of the larger, deep sea fish that can contain higher levels of mercury.
The vegetables and supplements you have chosen are terrific, and the butternut squash/pumpkin are particularly good for adding bulk to the feces, which in turn can help express those anal glands naturally. You might also consider adding ¼ teaspoon of powdered psyllium husk into her food as well to help with this.
One thing to keep in mind is that following an episode of pancreatitis, the pancreas can remain inflamed for weeks, sometimes months, which is why consistency is key when it comes to the diet - sudden changes and rich foods are the enemy here. Have her anal glands checked every 4-6 weeks, but if they aren’t full, ask your vet or vet tech to leave them alone and only express them if they are actually full.
Hopefully, you will see that over time, her poo becomes nice and firm (but not dry) and this will keep those glands emptying on their own.
If you have any other questions or want to discuss Roxie with one of our vets, you can always head over to Pangovet.com to book a consultation.
I hope this helps, and I am sure that Roxie is in very good hands!
Dr Karyn