How Can Digestive Enzymes Help My Dog?

Digestive enzymes help your dog’s body break food down into nutrients that can be absorbed and used for energy, healing, and overall health. Your dog naturally makes these enzymes in several places, including the mouth, stomach, and pancreas.

Sometimes, a dog’s body does not make enough digestive enzymes. When this happens, a veterinarian may recommend adding digestive enzyme supplements to meals.

Why Dogs May Need Digestive Enzymes

Digestive enzymes are most commonly used for dogs with conditions that make it hard for them to digest and absorb food properly.

One of the main conditions they are used for is exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, often called EPI. With EPI, the pancreas does not make enough enzymes to properly digest food. Dogs with EPI may lose weight even though they are eating normally or even eating more than usual. Their stools may also look soft, greasy, bulky, or unusually foul-smelling.

Veterinarians may also use digestive enzymes in some dogs during pancreatitis flare-ups or when the pancreas has been damaged by disease.

In dogs with cancer, digestive enzymes may be helpful if the cancer directly affects the pancreas, such as pancreatic cancer, or if another cancer causes digestive problems by interfering with pancreatic function.

Some digestive support products also include digestive enzymes along with probiotics.

The Main Types of Digestive Enzymes

The three main digestive enzymes are:

Lipase, which helps break down fat.

Protease, which helps break down protein.

Amylase, which helps break down starch and carbohydrates.

Many veterinary digestive enzyme products are made from pig pancreas. Because of this, it is important to check the label if your dog has food allergies or sensitivities.

Digestive enzymes may come as powders, tablets, or capsules. They are usually given with meals.

There are also plant-based digestive enzymes. These may include ingredients such as papaya, which naturally contains enzymes. However, plant-based enzymes may not be strong enough for serious conditions like EPI, where prescription-strength pancreatic enzymes are often needed.

Common veterinary enzyme products include Pancrezyme, Epizyme, Panakare, and Viokase-V.

Do Digestive Enzymes Really Work?

Digestive enzymes have strong evidence for helping dogs with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. In these dogs, enzyme replacement is often an important part of treatment because their pancreas is not producing enough enzymes on its own.

EPI can usually be diagnosed with bloodwork, along with your dog’s symptoms. German Shepherds are one breed that is more likely to develop this condition.

For other digestive problems, the evidence is more limited. Digestive enzymes are sometimes marketed for general digestive support, but they may not make much difference in healthy dogs with normal digestion.

One study looked at adding digestive enzymes to the food of healthy dogs and found that the enzymes did not improve how well the dogs digested their food.

Do Digestive Enzymes Treat Cancer?

Digestive enzymes do not treat cancer itself.

In the early 1900s, a scientist suggested that certain enzymes might help fight cancer. Since then, this idea has been studied, but research has not shown strong or useful evidence that digestive enzymes can treat cancer.

At this time, digestive enzymes should not be viewed as a cancer treatment. They may be useful for digestive support in specific cases, especially when the pancreas is involved, but they are not an alternative to veterinary cancer care.

Possible Side Effects

Digestive enzymes are generally used under veterinary guidance, but they can cause side effects.

The most common side effects include:

• Upset stomach.
• Diarrhea.
• Nausea.
• Loss of appetite.

Digestive enzyme powders can also irritate the mouth, throat, or esophagus if they sit on those tissues too long. To reduce this risk, mix the powder well into your dog’s food and make sure your dog eats or drinks afterward.

Do not inhale powdered digestive enzymes, as they can irritate the lungs and airways.

Giving too much can cause digestive upset, so always follow the dosing instructions from your veterinarian or the product label.

Using Digestive Enzymes With Other Medications

Always ask your veterinarian or oncologist before giving digestive enzymes with chemotherapy or other cancer treatments. There is not enough research to know how they interact with every cancer protocol.

Some antacids and acid-reducing medications, such as calcium carbonate or famotidine, may affect how pancreatic enzymes work. Do not give these at the exact same time unless your veterinarian says it is okay. Ask your vet about the best timing.

When Digestive Enzymes May Not Be Needed

If your dog does not have a digestive disorder, pancreatic problem, or signs of poor nutrient absorption, digestive enzymes may not be necessary.

They are most helpful when there is a clear medical reason, such as EPI or pancreatic involvement. For healthy dogs with normal digestion, there is limited evidence that digestive enzymes provide added benefit.

How to Give Digestive Enzymes

Most digestive enzyme powders are sprinkled onto food and mixed in well before feeding.

Some products recommend letting the enzymes sit on the food for about 15 minutes before serving. Follow the instructions on your specific product.

Digestive enzymes are usually given with every meal. The amount depends on your dog’s weight, diagnosis, diet, and the product being used.

High-fat meals may make some enzymes less effective or may worsen digestive symptoms in sensitive dogs, so talk with your veterinarian about the best diet for your dog.

Our Recommendation: SPARK from Pet Wellbeing

SPARK is a comprehensive nutritional supplement that provides a specially formulated blend of digestive enzymes to support dogs suffering from poor digestion and nutrient malabsorption. As dogs age, they naturally produce fewer digestive enzymes, and supplementing them can assist the gut by making the digestive process much easier.

SPARK contains specific enzymes tailored to break down different dietary components: lipase for fats and triglycerides, protease for proteins, amylase for starches, cellulase for plant cellulose, and invertase for sucrose. 

Together, these enzymes hydrolyze complex foods into smaller, easily digestible parts to ensure optimal nutrient absorption. Providing additional digestive enzymes is particularly recommended if your dog is eating a cooked diet, as the cooking process destroys the natural enzymes found in food.

For dogs battling cancer, SPARK offers significant benefits through its nutrient-dense "superfood" ingredients:

• Antioxidant Protection: Cancer cells trigger the formation of harmful free radicals in the body. The rich antioxidants in SPARK help to neutralize these free radicals, protecting cells from further oxidative damage and supporting the body's vital systems.
• Energy and Gentle Detoxification: The easily-absorbed nutrients and greens found in SPARK assist in gentle detoxification and help maintain a dog's energy levels, which is highly beneficial for pets undergoing cancer treatment or recovery.
• Complementary to Conventional Treatments: Unlike some stronger immune-stimulating formulas, SPARK is a nutritional greens supplement that does not carry cautions against use with chemotherapy or immunosuppressive drugs like steroids. It can be safely incorporated into a cancer patient's regimen to provide comprehensive foundational nutrition that might be missing from their standard diet.

What If You Miss a Dose?

Give the next dose with your dog’s next meal.

Do not double the dose to make up for a missed one.

How to Store Digestive Enzymes

Store digestive enzymes at room temperature unless the label says otherwise.

Keep them in a dry, tightly sealed container.

Avoid moisture, heat, and direct sunlight.

The Bottom Line

Digestive enzymes can be very important for dogs with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency or certain pancreatic problems. They may also help dogs whose cancer or treatment has affected digestion.

However, digestive enzymes do not treat cancer itself. They also may not offer much benefit for dogs with healthy digestion.

The best approach is to talk with your veterinarian before starting them, especially if your dog has cancer, pancreatitis, food allergies, or is taking medications.

References

Jadhav S, Gaonkar T, Joshi M, Rathi A. Modulation of digestibility of canine food using enzyme supplement: an in vitro simulated semi-dynamic digestion study. Front Vet Sci. 2023 Aug 9;10:1220198. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1220198. PMID: 37621870; PMCID: PMC10445143.

Seo K, Cho HW, Jeon JH, Kim CH, Lim S, Jeong S, Kim K, Chun JL. Influence of Bile Salts and Pancreatin on Dog Food during Static In Vitro Simulation to Mimic In Vivo Digestion. Animals (Basel). 2022 Oct 11;12(20):2734. doi: 10.3390/ani12202734. PMID: 36290120; PMCID: PMC9597847.

Szkopek D, Pierzynowski SG, Pierzynowska K, Zaworski K, Kondej A, Wychowański P, Konieczka P, Seklecka B, Donaldson J, Jank M, Woliński J. A review: Pancreatic enzymes in the treatment of chronic pancreatic insufficiency in companion animals. J Vet Intern Med. 2024 Jul-Aug;38(4):2026-2033. doi: 10.1111/jvim.17096. Epub 2024 May 9. PMID: 38721836; PMCID: PMC11256127.

Villaverde C, Manzanilla EG, Molina J, Larsen JA. Effect of enzyme supplements on macronutrient digestibility by healthy adult dogs. J Nutr Sci. 2017 Apr 18;6:e12. doi: 10.1017/jns.2017.10. PMID: 28620487; PMCID: PMC5465853.