The Truth About Dog Digestive Enzyme Supplements

One case made for the use of supplemental enzymes is that pet foods that have been cooked are harder to digest because they have destroyed the enzymes in the foods. There are enzymes in foods which can be damaged during cooking, but dogs break down food primarily with enzymes they produce themselves, not with enzymes in their food.  

A recent study administered digestive enzyme supplements to healthy dogs and measured the effect of the supplements on the digestibility of their food. The study found that there was no difference in digestibility between the food supplemented with enzymes, and the un-supplemented food when measuring digestibility of the proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

Some veterinarians think supplementing a healthy dog with digestive enzymes may suppress production by the pancreas and could lead to dependency on the enzyme supplement.

Most dogs make their own enzymes with their pancreas. However, there are illnesses and conditions that can limit the ability of the pancreas to do its job.

For example, dogs with pancreatitis - an inflammation of the pancreas - may need added digestive enzymes because the pancreas does not function as well as it needs to. There is also a specific disease called exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) that damages the pancreas so that it is unable to produce enough enzymes. Dogs with EPI may lose weight rapidly despite voracious appetites. They may also suffer from digestive issues, including diarrhea, nausea, and/or vomiting. Some breeds are more likely to have EPI, including German Shepherds and Rough-Coated Collies.

A veterinarian can confirm the disease and prescribe high quality animal-based digestive enzyme supplements that typically help to relieve the symptoms. Note that for dogs that do not have EPI, these prescription enzymes are not likely to bring any benefit.

There are a number of natural supplements in capsules or powder form that you can add to your dog’s diet to help break down foods.