It is commonly known that dogs need fats in their diets, but sometimes, vets advise dog owners to feed their canine Low-fat dog foods. Low-fat dog foods or low-calorie dog foods are case-sensitive types of dog foods. Fed to dogs with special health conditions like PANCREATITIS.

Low-fat dog foods or low carbs dog foods come in different forms, for instance; low fat dry dog foods, low-fat wet dog foods, and there are even low fat dog treats.

In case your dog is sick or just fat, you might want to consider switching him to a low-fat diet. However, doing so means cutting on fats and carbs from his food. in this process, low-fat dog foods makers usually cut on meat, which renders the dog food low on protein as well. Thus, choosing one of the best low-fat dog foods is not an easy task.

Your vet may help you in choosing a suitable low-fat dog food, but usually, vets recommend a prescription diabetic dog food, which is expensive. Thus in this post, you will find out all you need to know about nonprescription diabetic dog foods and how to choose the best low-calorie dog foods for your overweight or pancreatitis sick dog.

1. Fats and their Importance for Dogs

Fats are the first energy source for dogs. they provide them with the calories they need to grow and stay active all day long. There are two types of fats. Healthy and harmful fats. Unhealthy fats or trans fatty acids are fats that come from oils that are chemically modified so they are solid like butter and they are usually used in products like dog treats.

However, sometimes the vet suggests a low-fat diet for dogs, of course in case your dog has some health condition. Low-fat dog foods can be beneficial for pets suffering from specific health conditions like Pancreatitis, Obesity, and Pancreatitis; which is a painful disorder that occurs in dogs when the pancreas becomes inflamed.

Successful treatment relies on letting the pancreas rest as much as possible and providing supportive care. Dogs who have repeated bouts of pancreatitis should be fed low-fat diets for life to prevent further recurrence. Thus, dogs with pancreatitis conditions are usually fed prescription dog foods.

Low fat in dog foods is defined as dog diets with 9 percent or less fat in dry food, 7 percent in moist, and 4 percent in canned (wet) foods. Healthy fats are the Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. They are responsible for preventing the following conditions:

•  • Dry, dull, brittle, itchy skin and hair coat.
• • Inflammatory processes from any source.
• • Allergies, immune system dysfunctions-especially autoimmune conditions, and related diseases, such as arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, asthma, and ulcerative colitis, may respond to proper amounts of dietary omega-3s.
• • Yeast infections can be slowed.
• • Omega-3s have been shown to slow the growth of some cancers.
• • Fish oils decrease the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood.
• • Overweight-a proper balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids can actually help prevent obesity.
• • Many mental conditions (in humans) respond favorably to increased levels of omega-3s.

In addition, the two essential fatty acids most important to good health are omega-3 and omega-6. But dogs need these in the right balance in order to protect their hearts, joints, pancreas, mood stability, and skin.

2. How Much Fat is OK for dogs?

According to the whole dog journal, a diet needs to have less than 10 percent fat (less than 17 percent of calories from fat) on a dry matter basis to be low fat. while dog diets with 10 to 15 percent fat (17 to 23 percent of calories) are considered to contain a moderate amount of fat. Foods with more than 20 percent fat are considered high-fat. These are not exact but rather proximate amounts. Point is, a low-fat diet for dogs means you should not feed your dog foods that contain more than 10% fat if his vet put him under a low-fat dog diet.

Finding quality low-fat dog food can be a difficult task. The reason why is simply because by cutting back on fat, pet food makers are inclined to cut back on meat, which means less protein. So, most low-fat dog foods also tend to be low in protein and high in carbs, too.

The previous fats amounts are the basic criteria on which we choose the following dog foods ranking. In addition to customer rating, price range, brand authority (how well the brands’ reputation is, as we know some brands have been frauds). Other marginal but still important criteria include; stock availability, suitability to most dog breeds, allergy provoking, minerals and vitamins included.

If you have a diabetic dog, a dog with a pancreatitis condition, or just a fat dog and you want to put him in shape, then here is a list of The Top 10 Best Low Fat Dog Foods in 2018 for Overweight dogs and dogs with pancreatitis

1. Wellness Core® Natural Grain Free Dry Dog Food 

• • GRAIN FREE: 100% grain free, complete and balanced everyday nutrition to support your dog’s healthy weight.
• • REDUCED FAT FORMULA: Naturally grain free, protein rich, lower fat recipe using real turkey, chicken & salmon oil to support your dog’s healthy weight management.
• • ALL NATURAL: Contains only premium, all natural ingredients with no wheat, corn, soy, meat by-products, or artificial colors, flavors and preservatives.

Wellness CORE Natural Grain Free Dry Dog Food Reduced Fat Weight Management Turkey & Chicken Recipe is healthy, 100% natural grain free dog food for adult dogs made with turkey, chicken, salmon oil and fruits and vegetables to help support your dog’s optimal health, featuring 25% less fat than Wellness CORE Original Recipe to help your dog maintain a healthy weight and fortified with antioxidents, probiotics, vitamins and minerals, including fish and flax omega blend for healthy skin and coat.

Wellness CORE grain free dog food formulas are based on the nutritional philosophy that dogs thrive on a diet mainly comprised of meat. Each grain free, nutrient-rich formula provides high quality protein for your dog with no meat by-products or fillers, grain, corn, soy, wheat-gluten or artificial preservatives, colors or flavors.

As for Flavors, this dog food comes in 7 different flavors to choose from.

2. Royal Canin Gastrointestinal Low Fat Dry dog food 

• • Easily-digestible protein and complex carbohydrates
• • Chelated minerals that are easily absorbed by your pet’s system
• • Low fiber content to lower digestive stress in your dog