ROYAL CANIN Veterinary Diet canine LOW FAT LF (canned) & LOW FAT LF (dry) are highly digestible, palatable, complete, & balanced dog foods highlyrestricted in fat, formulated to aid in the management of chronic diarrhea, gastrointestinal disease, & pancreatic disease in dogs & puppies. INDICATIONS: -- Acute & chronic diarrhea in dogs & puppies -- Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency -- Acute & chronic pancreatitis -- Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) -- Malabsorption syndrome -- Lymphangiectasia -- Gastroenteritis -- Bile acid deficiency -- Hypertriglyceridemia -- Hypermotility -- Hypomotility -- Intestinal parasites (e.g., giardia, worms) -- Diarrhea due to dietary indiscretion -- Short bowel syndrome RATIONALE: Of the energy-providing nutrients, fat is the most difficult to digest. Fat absorption is easily disrupted when gastrointestinal function is sub-optimal. Restriction of dietary fat reduces the challenge to an already compromised gastrointestinal tract. A deficiency of pancreatic enzymes (as occurs with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency & pancreatitis) impairs digestion & results in malabsorption of dietary nutrients. Although the digestion of protein & carbohydrate will be affected, the digestion of fat is most severely impaired since lipases are absent from the normal array of intestinal brush border enzymes. Bacteria in the intestinal tract can metabolize undigested fat to hydroxy-fatty acids that can lead to secretory diarrhea in the large intestine. Bacteria also deconjugate bile acids further impairing fat digestion & absorption. For this reason, fat restriction is beneficial for conditions where fat may become available for microbial metabolism, for example in malabsorption syndrome, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, bile acid deficiency, and/or gastroenteritis. Unlike amino acids & monosaccharides which are absorbed directly into the blood stream, fat is discharged from enterocytes into lacteals & is transported to the systemic circulation via mesenteric lymph vessels & the thoracic duct. Lymphangiectasia, a disorder characterized by congestion and/or dilatation of lymphatic vessels, will impair fat transport. LOW FAT LF (canned) & LOW FAT LF (dry) are highly restricted in fat, providing less than 16% of metabolizable energy from fat. LOW FAT LF (canned) & LOW FAT LF (dry) contain moderate levels of highly digestible protein to meet the needs of dogs suffering from protein malabsorption or protein-losing enteropathy. The carbohydrates are highly digestible & do not contain lactose. Since diarrhea can lead to loss of B-complex vitamins, B vitamin levels are enhanced. Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency can result in an inadequate uptake of zinc & copper, hence, zinc & copper levels are enhanced. A clinical study with 48 dogs was conducted at the University of Edinburgh, Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies. All dogs presented with chronic di