Expert: Dr. Louis N. Gotthelf - 4/23/2010

Question
Hi,

I have a two and half year old basset hound. She's allergic to corn so I have her on Nutro Lamb and Rice Sensitive Skin food. Before I switched her to the lamb and rice food, she would vomit and itch a lot. Now she's pretty much fine, but she was still itching alot. I changed her flea treatment, and was told by a friend that adding a little bit of fat to her diet would help the itching by keeping her skin moist. Once a month around the same time as her flea treatment I take her food and fry it in a very small amount of bacon fat, her coat looks great and she doesn't itch anymore.

My problem is that another friend just told me that bassets are very prone to pancreatitis and that any fat at anytime can bring it on.
She doesn't get table scraps and very seldom gets anything fatty other then the bacon grease. Should I be worried?

Thanks!

Answer
It is true that extra fats can cause pancreatitis.  Usually we will hear the the dog got the trimmings from a steak or a roast.  I would recommend using something called Omege3 fatty acids in the food for the coat.  It is a specific fat for the skin and coat and in the small quantities, it will not result in pancreatitis.