In most cases, dogs don't require additional digestive enzymes to digest their food. The natural enzymes their bodies create in a healthy dog are generally sufficient. To help facilitate digestion, though, digestive enzymes from whole foods could give the body a little extra push to relieve some of the stress, mainly when that stress is caused by difficulty digesting processed food. 

Digestive enzymes can be provided in whole foods or commercial products that provide an additional source of amylase, lipase, protease, and cellulase. Rotating through the different commercial enzymes allows for supplement diversity.

Dogs produce thousands of enzymes throughout the body, essential for various chemical reactions. There are two types of enzymes, metabolic and digestive.

Digestive enzymes are necessary to break down food. In the stomach, digestive enzymes break down proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and starches; in the small intestine, they help digest starch into glucose. Enzymes also aid in breaking down bile salts from the liver, which are essential for proper fat digestion.

The pancreas secretes digestive enzymes such as amylase (digests carbohydrates), lipase (digests fats), and protease (digests protein). Other digestive enzymes include pepsinogen, which is secreted by the stomach into your dog's small intestine and becomes activated by hydrochloric acid after you feed him a meal (this process is known as "autodigestion").

Digestive enzymes may also be produced by other parts of your dog's digestive tract, including the large intestine and colonic mucosa, which help absorb nutrients from food before they leave the body through excretion.

Although dogs make digestive enzymes naturally, some dogs may be deficient, like those fed kibble-based diets lacking many enzymes in whole foods. 

Additional enzymes are sometimes necessary to replace enzymes damaged by cooking and processing. Food processing and cooking at high temperatures can destroy nearly all enzymes, resulting in little pre-digestion in the stomach. Traditional kibble is cooked up to six times at high levels of heat, and since most of the nutritional value is gone, it is no surprise that the enzymes would be killed off along with the nutrients.

Most food that enters the small intestine remains undigested, putting excessive strain on the pancreas and endocrine system organs. Improper enzyme levels negatively affect the gut microbiome and reduce the digestion rate. As poorly digested materials enter the large intestine, damage to the intestinal mucosa can occur, resulting in leaky gut syndrome. 

If your dog eats starchy, kibble diets, they may be unable to break it down since they don't make enough enzymes. Amylase is the enzyme that aids in the digestion of carbohydrates. However, dogs do not produce much amylase naturally since they do not eat starchy foods in the wild. Their bodies aren't well adapted to consuming starches.

Feeding your dog raw, the enzymes your dog needs are obtained from his food since it contains live enzymes. In the wild, dogs would get additional enzymes from their prey's internal organs. Dog parents that follow traditional feeding models, like PMR, BARF, or ancestral, may not include internal organs in their dogs’ bowls. However, if organs are omitted from a fresh food diet, your dog has to work harder to manufacture enzymes needed for digestion.

Pharmaceuticals and Vaccines Lower Enzyme Activity

Vaccines, pharmaceutical medicines, and fluoridated water can all impair your dog's capacity to produce enzymes. This can lead to an enzyme deficit over time.

Clinical Signs of Digestive Enzyme Deficiency

Signs your dog may need some extra support with digestive enzymes include:

If you notice any of the above clinical signs, it's worth giving digestive enzymes a try. If, after several weeks, your dog's signs don't improve with digestive enzymes, you may need to alter your dog's diet.

Digestive enzymes benefit dogs with food allergies, frequent ear infections, and skin problems. These issues are frequently caused by poor gut health. The first step is creating a healthy microbiome. This is done by avoiding overly processed foods and synthetic additives that are harder for the body to digest.

Almost every chronic health problem in your dog could indicate that he isn't getting enough nutrients. This could be caused by a low-quality diet and a lack of digestive enzymes, preventing your dog from obtaining optimal nutrition. 

Antibiotics, by name, are anti-bacteria. They kill off harmful bacteria, but they also kill the good. Adding enzymes may be necessary to get the gut back to a healthy state. Probiotics aid in restoring homeostasis, and digestive enzymes can improve the digestive process that antibiotics impair.

Of course, there are supplements designed specifically for dogs with digestive enzymes, but whole food sources are recommended first. Foods that may help increase your dog's digestive enzymes include: 

Fruits like bananas, mangos, papayas, pineapple, kiwi

When food is cooked, a significant amount of nutrients are lost. If your dog needs digestive enzymes and you plan on supplementing with whole foods, feed them raw.

Choosing the Best Supplement for Digestive Enzymes

Several digestive enzymes are available to dogs, grouped by enzyme activity. Amylase-digesting enzymes break down carbohydrates into simple sugars to be absorbed into the bloodstream. Protease breaks down proteins into amino acids. Lipase digests fats so they can be absorbed into the bloodstream. The last type, cellulase, digests fiber and is the only one not produced by the canine body. Including cellulase in the dog's diet is vital to break down indigestible fiber.

The ideal supplement contains all four enzymes, especially for a dog experiencing clinical signs of digestive enzyme deficiency.

Most digestive enzyme supplements for dogs come in powdered form, which makes them simple to include in your dog's bowl. If you're offering them kibble, this is a bit more difficult, but adding water for moisture before mixing can help. 

If your dog is experiencing clinical signs of enzyme deficiency, it's always a good idea to discuss your concerns with your veterinarian. Providing whole foods can reduce the amount of work placed on the digestive system and give your dog's organs some relief.

Digestive enzymes are naturally produced by your dog's body to break down foods.

A whole food source is recommended over a supplement if your dog lacks digestive enzymes.

A supplement may be necessary if your dog is still deficient in digestive enzymes.

Effect of enzyme supplements on macronutrient digestibility by healthy adult dogs 

Digestive enzymes in dogs and cats | IVC Journal 

Food microstructure affects the bioavailability of several nutrients 

Malabsorption Syndromes in Small Animals - Digestive System - Merck Veterinary Manual 

Effects of fluoride on pancreatic digestive enzyme activities and ultrastructure in young pigs  

Superoxide Dismutase and Glutathione Peroxidase in Dogs with Leishmaniasis Following Antimoniate Therapy 

Best Digestive Enzymes & How to Provide them to Your Dog 

Mucus in Dog Poop: Causes and How to Treat It | Great Pet Care 

Articles from future units will be accessible once you have completed that unit.

Unit 2 - Proper Protein In Your Dog's Bowl 

Unit 3 - The Rendering Process: How Is Dog Food Made? 

Unit 5 - Managing Your Dog's Diarrhea At Home 

Unit 1 - Learning About The Gut Microbiome 

In most cases, dogs don't require additional <a href="https://feedreal.com/glossary/digestive-enzymes">digestive enzymes</a> to digest their food. The natural enzymes their bodies create in a healthy dog are generally sufficient. To help facilitate <a href="https://feedreal.com/glossary/cellulase">digestion</a>, though, digestive enzymes from whole foods could give the body a little extra push to relieve some of the stress, mainly when that stress is caused by difficulty digesting processed food. 

Your Dog's Digestive Enzymes

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