Buy a seabass at the wet market, have the fishmonger fillet it, steam and flake it at home. It is probably the cooking method Hong Kong owners know best. White fish is low in fat, easy to digest and high in protein quality, which asks very little of the pancreas.
This recipe belongs to the recovery (ultra low fat) group. Fat is held at 14 g per 1000 kcal, against roughly 40 to 60 g in an ordinary adult food, so about a third. Dietary fat is the main trigger for pancreatitis, which makes fat control the whole basis of the diet. Protein is 89 g from lean, high biological value sources, the carbohydrate is highly digestible white rice, and dietary fibre sits at just 3.1 g, a low-residue design that asks less of the gut.
Ingredients (standard batch)
| Ingredient | Amount | Preparation |
|---|---|---|
| Seabass fillet | 1.8 kg | ask the fishmonger to fillet it |
| White rice | 600 g | rinsed |
| Pumpkin | 600 g | peeled, deseeded, diced |
| Sunflower oil | 20 g (about 4.4 tsp) | stirred in off the heat – measure it exactly |
This batch yields about 3.6 kg (about 4,149 kcal).
Method
- Put the white rice in a large pot, cover with water, bring to a boil and simmer for 12 minutes.
- Add the seabass fillet and cook for 10 to 12 minutes until fully cooked through. Poach it – never fry.
- Add the pumpkin and cook a further 5 minutes until tender.
- Stir in the sunflower oil. Measure it properly with a spoon – it is the only added fat in the recipe, and any extra pushes the fat level up.
- Cool with the cooking liquid included, then portion: 3 days in the fridge, the rest frozen.
Nutrient analysis (per 1000 kcal, before supplements)
| Item | Per 1000 kcal | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Fat | 14 g | cap for this group 18 g (ordinary food 40 to 60) |
| Crude protein | 89 g | AAFCO minimum 45 g |
| Carbohydrate | 121 g | – |
| Dietary fibre | 3.1 g | low residue, easy to digest |
| Linoleic acid (essential fatty acid) | 3.5 g | AAFCO minimum 3.3 g |
| Calcium / phosphorus | 1,250 / 1,022 mg | Ca:P 1.22:1 |
With Eggshell Calcium Powder (about 3.0 g per 1000 kcal) and Daily Multi for Dogs (about 10.4 g per 1000 kcal), this recipe meets every minimum in the AAFCO adult maintenance profile and can be fed as an everyday diet. That is the key difference from a renal diet: pancreatitis asks you to control fat and nothing else has to be compromised. The sunflower oil is measured to meet the essential fatty acid (linoleic acid) minimum, so please do not leave it out.
Feeding and supplement dosing (two meals per day)
| Dog weight | Daily energy need | Daily food | Batch lasts | Daily Multi (per meal) | Eggshell Calcium (per meal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 kg | 251 kcal | about 220 g | about 17 days | 1.3 g | 0.4 g (about 1/8 tsp) |
| 5 kg | 368 kcal | about 320 g | about 11 days | 1.9 g | 0.6 g (about 1/4 tsp) |
| 10 kg | 619 kcal | about 540 g | about 7 days | 3.2 g | 0.9 g (about 3/8 tsp) |
| 20 kg | 1,040 kcal | about 910 g | about 4 days | 5.4 g | 1.6 g (about 5/8 tsp) |
| 30 kg | 1,410 kcal | about 1,230 g | about 3 days | 7.4 g | 2.1 g (about 7/8 tsp) |
Important notes
- Fat is the whole point of a pancreatitis diet. Add no oil beyond the sunflower oil specified in the recipe, and no butter, fatty meat, skin, organ meat, cheese or dairy. A single accidental high-fat meal is enough to trigger a relapse.
- Feed small, frequent meals: three or four a day asks less of the pancreas than two. The table below assumes two meals a day, so halve each portion if you feed four.
- An acute flare-up needs a vet, immediately – vomiting, abdominal pain, a hunched posture, refusing food. These recipes are for recovery and long-term management, not for an acute episode.
- Breeds prone to high blood lipids, such as miniature schnauzers and poodles, benefit most from staying on a low-fat diet long term.
- Transition over 7 days, watching for vomiting, diarrhoea, appetite and general demeanour.
- Recheck pancreatic lipase (cPLI) and triglycerides periodically, and adjust the fat level on your vet’s advice.
- These recipes are formulated for adult dogs at a healthy weight. If your dog has another condition such as kidney disease or diabetes, speak to your vet first.
No time to cook every week? Dogalicious Pancreas Digestive Care therapeutic fresh food is built on the same low-fat principles, nutritionist formulated and ready to heat and serve. The supplements this recipe needs: Daily Multi for Dogs and Eggshell Calcium Powder.