6 Best Cat Foods For Pancreatitis
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The best cat food for pancreatitis is easy to digest, tastes great, and helps to reduce inflammation. That’s why we’ve chosen Vital Cat Freeze-Dried Mini Patties Grain Free Limited Ingredient Cat Food as the best food for cats with pancreatitis. This highly-digestible food nourishes your cat without stirring up inflammation.
What Are The Qualities Of The Best Cat Food For Pancreatitis?
To understand the qualities that set apart the best cat food for pancreatitis, we have to understand what pancreatitis is and how it affects your cat.
The pancreas sits nestled between the stomach and small intestine, where it plays a critical role in the digestive process. This little organ secretes insulin and digestive enzymes, helping to break down the protein, fat, fiber, and sugar that enters the body. We say that a cat has pancreatitis any time this organ becomes inflamed.
While many cats appear to develop pancreatitis spontaneously, the inflammation may stem from other conditions. Disorders that cause pancreatitis include intestinal inflammation, physical trauma, infection, drug use, and infectious diseases.
Regardless of its cause, pancreatitis is characterized by physical discomfort, gastrointestinal distress, and a loss of appetite.
If a cat is suffering from an acute bout of pancreatitis, the best food is either nothing—until vomiting subsides—or a bland diet.
It’s vital that your cat starts eating again as soon as possible, but introducing too much food too soon can make him feel even worse. Cats who are vomiting and having diarrhea can fast for 12-24 hours. If symptoms persist longer, you may switch your cat to a bland diet of boiled chicken breast, tuna in water, turkey, and other raw or cooked protein sources.
If your cat suffers from chronic pancreatitis, you should focus on making the pancreas’ job easier while easing inflammation.
The best cat food for pancreatitis won’t solve the problem completely, but it addresses it in several ways. It’s highly-digestible. It’s delicious and easy to eat, which helps to encourage sick cats to get the calories they need. It focuses on anti-inflammatory ingredients and doesn’t include anything that could worsen inflammation.
Inflammatory ingredients include carrageenan, added sweeteners, and artificial colors.
Note that I haven’t mentioned fat content as a consideration when choosing the best cat food for pancreatitis. Unlike other animals, cats with pancreatitis don’t benefit from fat restriction. Nor is excessive fat intake associated with an increased risk of feline pancreatitis. Though they can help dogs and people with pancreatitis, low-fat foods don’t show any ability to help cats with pancreatic inflammation.
At a Glance: Best Cat Food For Pancreatitis To Buy
We highly recommend looking at the comparison table we have below where we highlighted the features of each product. You’ll also find more detailed information about each product later in the article.
Compare Best Cat Food For Pancreatitis
Overall Best  1. Vital Essentials Rabbit Mini Patties Grain Free Limited Ingredient Freeze-Dried Cat Food | Runner Up  3. Stella & Chewy's Duck Duck Goose Dinner Morsels Freeze-Dried Raw Cat Food | Best Prescription  4. Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal Moderate Calorie Canned Cat Food | Best Dry  5. Dr. Elsey's cleanprotein Chicken Formula Grain-Free Dry Cat Food | Best For Seniors  6. Feline Natural Chicken & Venison Feast Grain-Free Canned Cat Food | |
Protein 52% Min | Protein 23.4% Min | Protein 40% Min | Protein 6.0% Min | Protein 59% Min | Protein 9.0% Min |
Fat 15% Min | Fat 6.6% Min | Fat 30% Min | Fat 1.5% Min | Fat 18% Min | Fat 5.0% Min |
Fiber 3.0% Max | Fiber 0.3% Max | Fiber 5.0% Max | Fiber 2.0% Max | Fiber 4.0% Max | Fiber 0.2% Max |
Life Stage Adult | Life Stage Adult | Life Stage Adult | Life Stage Adult | Life Stage Adult | Life Stage Adult |
Type Freeze-Dried | Type Fresh | Type Freeze-Dried | Type Wet/Canned | Type Dry | Type Canned |
Made In United States | Made In United States | Made In United States | Made In United States | Made In United States | Made In New Zealand |
Our Top Picks For The Best Cat Food For Pancreatitis
Now that you have a better understanding of how we came to our top picks, you’re probably eager to see them! Here are our top 6 picks for best cat food for pancreatitis:
Vital Essentials Rabbit Mini Patties Grain Free Limited Ingredient Freeze-Dried Cat Food
Product Info
- Protein: 52% Min
- Fat: 15% Min
- Fiber: 3.0% Max
- Life Stage: Adult
- Type: Freeze-Dried
- Made In: United States
- Features highly-digestible rabbit muscle meat and liver as the primary ingredient
- Doesn’t contain any inflammatory ingredients
- Contains a blend of digestive supplements
- Limited customer reviews
Rabbit represents 96% of the total recipe. The remainder is constituted of agar-agar as a thickener, supplements to make each meal nutritionally complete, and—most importantly for cats with pancreatitis—a blend of digestive enzymes, probiotics, and prebiotics.
Though it has limited customer reviews, the food’s combination of turkey muscle meat, turkey liver, and natural flavors should make it a highly-palatable choice for cats who’ve lost their appetite.
Smalls Other Fresh Ground Bird
Product Info
- Protein: 23.4% Min
- Fat: 6.6% Min
- Fiber: 0.3% Max
- Life Stage: Adult
- Type: Fresh
- Made In: United States
- Short list of simple, high-quality ingredients
- Packed with single source of premium protein
- Made fresh to preserve nutritional value
- Sent right to your door for convenience
- Only available by subscription
This recipe features fresh chicken thigh and chicken breast as the top two ingredients, supplemented with chicken liver and heart for their nutritious benefits. Green beans, peas, and kale provide essential vitamins and minerals to balance out the added supplements.
Overall, this recipe is very high in protein and moisture but low in carbohydrates. If your cat has pancreatitis and needs a simple, digestible diet this could be a good choice.
Stella & Chewy's Duck Duck Goose Dinner Morsels Freeze-Dried Raw Cat Food
Product Info
- Protein: 40% Min
- Fat: 30% Min
- Fiber: 5.0% Max
- Life Stage: Adult
- Type: Freeze-Dried
- Made In: United States
- Rich in highly-digestible animal protein
- Doesn’t contain any commonly-inflammatory ingredients
- Low carbohydrate content
- Supplemented with probiotics
- May have too much phosphorus for some older cats
First, it’s a minimally-processed product, which helps it to retain the readily-digestible nutrition of fresh meat, organs, and bones. Secondly, it’s supplemented with probiotics, which help to support healthy digestion and may fight inflammation.
The food’s straightforward, meat-based recipe features a mix of duck, turkey, and goose. With no inflammatory additives and radically low carbohydrate content, this food should nourish your cat without stirring up pancreatic inflammation.
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal Moderate Calorie Canned Cat Food
Product Info
- Protein: 6.0% Min
- Fat: 1.5% Min
- Fiber: 2.0% Max
- Life Stage: Adult
- Type: Wet/Canned
- Made In: United States
- Formulated for cats with GI inflammation, including pancreatitis
- Customer reviews suggest that the food can help cats with pancreatitis
- Contains anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA
- Contains prebiotics to support healthy gut flora
- Made with animal by-products
- Made with low-value plant ingredients
- Available with a prescription only
Though the food is nutritionally flawed—cornstarch and corn flour appear on the ingredient list and its carbohydrate content is higher than we’d prefer—it has a great reputation among cats with pancreatitis and other inflammatory conditions.
Dr. Elsey's cleanprotein Chicken Formula Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
Product Info
- Protein: 59% Min
- Fat: 18% Min
- Fiber: 4.0% Max
- Life Stage: Adult
- Type: Dry
- Made In: United States
- Contains highly-bioavailable animal protein
- Contains salmon oil as a source of anti-inflammatory omega-3s
- Doesn’t contain any inflammatory ingredients
- Lower in carbohydrates than most dry foods
- Doesn’t provide the moisture cats need
Though it doesn’t have the moisture cats need, it follows all the rules for cats with pancreatitis.
The food is rich in animal ingredients with an emphasis on digestibility, featuring chicken, dried egg product, and pork protein isolate. Instead of the potentially-inflammatory, high-carbohydrate potatoes, corn, and other ingredients most often used as kibble binders, Dr. Elsey’s employs gelatin to hold the pieces together.
In addition to skipping ingredients that could increase inflammation, the food contains salmon oil. This ingredient is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which help to reduce inflammation and may help your cat to feel better.
Feline Natural Chicken & Venison Feast Grain-Free Canned Cat Food
Product Info
- Protein: 9.0% Min
- Fat: 5.0% Min
- Fiber: 0.2% Max
- Life Stage: Adult
- Type: Canned
- Made In: New Zealand
- Rich in highly-digestible animal protein
- Rich in anti-inflammatory omega-3s
- Contains green-lipped mussel as a source of ETA—this fatty acid may help cats with arthritis
- Low in carbohydrates
- Free of inflammatory ingredients
- Expensive
This food from Feline Natural checks all of our pancreatitis-specific boxes while satisfying senior cats’ unique needs. The food is a canned product made primarily from ultra-digestible chicken and venison muscle meat and organs. From liver to heart to blood, this food is loaded with animal-based nutrition.
The food contains New Zealand green mussels, an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids that help to reduce pancreatic inflammation and ease arthritis.
Like all Feline Natural foods, it’s expensive, but given its apparent ingredient quality, robust nutrition, and digestibility, it could be worth it for cats with pancreatitis.
Want to learn more about the best cat food for seniors? Check out our article on the top 6 best foods for senior cats.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, the best cat food for pancreatitis is the one that works for your unique cat.
Before anything else, your primary concern is getting your cat to eat. Cats with pancreatitis may require a feeding tube or special high-calorie supplements. Others may need to eat a highly appetizing—but not nutritionally complete or ideal—diet. These are all healthy options in the face of malnutrition and hepatic lipidosis.
How you feed your cat with pancreatitis is almost as important as what you feed him.
Cats with pancreatitis do best when they’re fed several small meals throughout the day rather than a couple of large ones.
Supplementing those meals with digestive enzymes can help to ease the burden on the pancreas. Digestive enzyme supplementation isn’t an exact science, but you can try any one of the digestive enzyme supplements sold for cats or mixing green tripe into your cat’s diet as a natural source of these enzymes.
Furthermore, consider probiotic supplementation. Probiotics are living microorganisms that populate the gut, where they aid digestion and may help to reduce inflammation throughout the body.
