Data report · Updated October 2026

Fat in Indian foods for dogs: 30 foods ranked by fat per 100 g and per 1,000 kcal, with the pancreatitis limit

Paneer has 24.8 g of fat per 100 g, fresh coconut 41.4 g and ghee at least 99.5 g, while rice has 0.5 g and rohu 2.4 g. Per 1,000 kcal, paneer carries 81 g of fat, about 4 times the Merck Veterinary Manual's limit of 20 g for dogs being treated for pancreatitis. A bowl of rice and skinless chicken breast sits just under that line at 18.1 g; 5 g of ghee pushes it to 25.5 g.

20 g

fat per 1,000 kcal: the upper limit of a low-fat diet for dogs with pancreatitis, Merck Veterinary Manual

81 g

fat per 1,000 kcal in paneer, 4 times the 20 g limit for a whole pancreatitis diet (IFCT 2017)

1.5 g

fat per 1,000 kcal in raw milled rice, the leanest food we ranked

27.5 g vs 0.3 g

fat per 100 g in boiled egg yolk vs boiled egg white

13.2

odds ratio for pancreatitis in dogs that got into the trash, 2008 US study

By the dogeats.in Editorial Team · Published 2026-10-16 · Updated 2026-10-16 · Free to reuse with credit (CC BY 4.0)

86 statistics · 11 sources · 10 charts · 4 tables · every figure checked against its source

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Which Indian foods are highest in fat for dogs?

Dry coconut tops India's food tables at 63.3 g of fat per 100 g, per IFCT 2017 from ICMR-NIN Hyderabad. It is followed by almond (58.5 g), cashew (45.2 g), fresh coconut (41.4 g) and raw groundnut (39.6 g). Ghee, not listed in IFCT, must be at least 99.5% fat under FSSAI rules.

Among foods many Indian owners share every day, paneer has 24.8 g of fat per 100 g, boiled egg yolk 27.5 g and khoa 20.6 g. Pork shoulder has 18.8 g and hilsa 18.5 g.

At the lean end, raw milled rice has 0.5 g, moong dal 1.4 g, wheat atta 1.5 g and orange pumpkin 0.2 g. Most of these figures are for raw ingredients; IFCT does not say how its chicken was prepared, and eggs are boiled as listed. Oil, ghee or butter added in cooking comes on top.

Fat per 100 g is only half the story. A food can be low in fat by weight and still get most of its calories from fat. Cow milk has just 4.5 g of fat per 100 g, yet fat supplies 54% of its energy.

That is why the table also gives fat per 1,000 kcal, the unit vets use for a dog's diet. Our paneer, coconut, cashew and peanut pages cover safe portions for each.

How much fat can a dog with pancreatitis eat?

For a dog being treated for pancreatitis, the Merck Veterinary Manual says a low-fat diet, less than 20 g of fat per 1,000 kcal, is key to successful treatment. Merck applies it to the whole ration, so treats count too.

On their own, most rich Indian foods sit far above that line. Paneer has 81 g of fat per 1,000 kcal, boiled egg yolk 89 g and fresh coconut 101 g. Even skinless chicken breast in IFCT 2017 comes to 53.5 g.

Of the 30 foods we ranked, only 7 fall under 20 g per 1,000 kcal. They are rice (1.5 g), moong dal, toor dal, atta, boiled egg white, pumpkin and mackerel (15.1 g). Rohu (23.4 g) and chicken gizzard (22.4 g) sit just above.

Merck adds that food should be withheld only if a dog vomits uncontrollably, and that feeding through the gut is better than feeding into a vein. So the question for most dogs is what to feed, not whether to feed. Your vet sets the plan.

A dog that has never had pancreatitis does not need such a strict diet. The 20 g figure is a treatment target, not a rule for healthy dogs.

Which chicken, mutton or fish has the least fat for dogs?

Among common meats in IFCT 2017, rohu has 2.4 g of fat per 100 g, mackerel (bangda) 1.5 g and chicken gizzard 2.1 g. Compare that with 14.2 g for skinless chicken thigh and 18.8 g for pork shoulder. Big freshwater prawns have just 0.5 g.

The cut matters as much as the animal. Goat leg has 7.9 g of fat per 100 g, goat shoulder 11.9 g. Skinless chicken breast has 9.0 g, the wing 13.8 g and the thigh 14.2 g.

Oily fish run high. Hilsa has 18.5 g of fat per 100 g and sardine 9.0 g, while white pomfret has 5.1 g.

IFCT does not say whether its chicken rows were raw or cooked, so check pack labels or ask your vet if your dog needs a strict diet. Bones are a separate hazard; see our chicken page.

For low-fat fish, plain boiled rohu and mackerel with every bone removed are among the leanest proteins in an Indian kitchen.

Is egg yolk or egg white better for a dog with pancreatitis?

Egg white: a boiled hen's egg white has 0.26 g of fat per 100 g, against 27.5 g in the boiled yolk, per IFCT 2017. Nearly all the fat in an egg sits in the yolk.

A whole boiled egg has 10.5 g of fat per 100 g and 71 g per 1,000 kcal, well above the 20 g low-fat limit. Boiled egg white has 4.9 g per 1,000 kcal.

IFCT lists an omelette at 11.6 g of fat per 100 g without stating any oil, so a home omelette fried in oil or butter will carry more. Our egg page explains why eggs should be cooked for dogs.

How much fat is in ghee, butter, paneer, milk and curd?

By law, ghee sold in India must be at least 99.5% milk fat and table butter at least 80%, under FSSAI's food product standards. So 5 g of ghee adds about 5 g of fat and 44 kcal to a dog's bowl.

Paneer has 24.8 g of fat per 100 g in IFCT 2017. FSSAI requires regular paneer to have at least 50% fat in its dry matter, and allows a low fat paneer with no more than 20%.

Packet milk varies by type. FSSAI sets a minimum of 6.0% fat for full cream milk, 3.0% for toned milk and 1.5% for double toned milk, and a maximum of 0.5% for skimmed milk. Plain dahi must keep the fat level of the milk it is made from.

IFCT 2017 measured whole buffalo milk at 6.6 g of fat per 100 g and whole cow milk at 4.5 g. Curd set from double toned or skimmed milk is the lowest-fat way to give dahi, if your dog tolerates lactose.

Read our ghee and butter pages before adding either to food. For calories in dairy treats, see our dog treat calories report.

Is rice and chicken low fat enough for a dog with pancreatitis?

Only just. 100 g of raw rice with 100 g of skinless chicken breast works out to 18.1 g of fat per 1,000 kcal from IFCT 2017 values. That is under the Merck limit of 20 g. Swap breast for thigh and it rises to 26.5 g.

Small additions tip the balance. Adding 5 g of ghee to the rice and chicken bowl lifts it to 25.5 g of fat per 1,000 kcal. Rice with 50 g of paneer comes to 25.4 g.

Rice with rohu stays at 6.3 g per 1,000 kcal, and 15.7 g even with 5 g of ghee. Rice with boiled egg white is the leanest bowl at 1.9 g.

These bowls are not complete diets. Rice with chicken or fish lacks calcium and other nutrients, as our Indian dog diet chart report shows. A dog recovering from pancreatitis needs a diet planned with a vet.

Cooking adds fat the tables cannot show. Fry the fish, use chicken with skin, or pour dal tadka over the rice and the numbers above no longer hold.

What causes pancreatitis in dogs?

Eating things they should not is the clearest food link. A 2008 Texas A&M study compared 198 dogs with pancreatitis and 187 controls. Getting into the trash raised the odds 13.2 times and eating unusual food items 4.3 to 6.1 times.

Table scraps mattered too. Dogs given scraps in the week before diagnosis, or throughout life, had 2.2 times the odds. The Merck Veterinary Manual calls dietary indiscretion a common risk factor in dogs.

Other factors sit outside the food bowl. Merck names severe high blood triglycerides, generally 500 mg/dL or more, and Cushing's disease. A 1999 study of 70 fatal cases added overweight body condition, diabetes, hypothyroidism, earlier gut disease and epilepsy.

The same 2008 study found an odds ratio of 21.1 for previous surgery other than neutering. Its effect depended on whether the dog was neutered, so we left surgery and neutering out of the chart.

Being overweight carried an odds ratio of 1.3 in that study, and a 1999 study of 70 fatal cases also linked overweight body condition to higher risk. In a 1998 study, 43% of dogs that died of acute pancreatitis were overweight or obese.

In India, festival leftovers, mithai and fried snacks are the usual high-fat scraps. Our most toxic foods report covers the dishes that are poisonous, not just fatty.

What are the symptoms of pancreatitis in dogs?

In severe cases, the Merck Veterinary Manual lists loss of appetite, vomiting, weakness, abdominal pain, dehydration and diarrhoea. In a 1998 study of 70 dogs that died of acute pancreatitis, 97% were dehydrated and 58% showed abdominal pain at first exam.

Mild cases can be vague, with a poor appetite, tiredness or loose stools. Merck notes that some dogs in pain stand in a prayer position, front legs down and rear end up.

Scans help. In the 1998 study, ultrasound matched the diagnosis in 68% of dogs scanned (23 of 34) and X-rays in only 24% (10 of 41).

Merck calls the outlook good for mild cases and guarded for severe ones. A dog that vomits repeatedly, will not eat or seems in pain after a rich meal should see a vet the same day.

Which dog breeds are prone to pancreatitis?

Miniature Schnauzers stand out: the Merck Veterinary Manual says they are dramatically overrepresented. A 1999 US study also found raised risk in Yorkshire Terriers and lower risk in Labradors and Miniature Poodles.

In Hyderabad, a study of 36 dogs suspected of pancreatitis from September 2020 to January 2021 confirmed 12 cases. Five were German Shepherds, three Pomeranians and two Golden Retrievers. Seven were over 7 years old, eight were male, and no puppy under a year was affected.

The Hyderabad figures show which dogs came to that clinic, not which breeds are most at risk in India. With 12 cases, one dog moves a breed's share by more than 8 points.

Schnauzers often carry high blood fats. In a 2007 study, 32.8% of 192 healthy Miniature Schnauzers had triglycerides above normal, against 5.3% of 38 other dogs. In 2011, 71% of Schnauzers that had recovered from pancreatitis had high triglycerides, against 33% of Schnauzers with no history of it.

Diet helped. In a 2020 trial of 16 Schnauzers with high triglycerides, median levels fell from 480 mg/dL to 177 mg/dL two months after a switch to a low-fat commercial diet. Our Miniature Schnauzer food guide covers feeding the breed in India.

Frequently asked questions

Methodology and limitations

Fat and energy for 30 foods come from Table 1 (Proximate Principles and Dietary Fibre) of the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, published by ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad. Foods are raw except the eggs, which are boiled, and the chicken, whose preparation IFCT does not state. We used the total fat column (FATCE) and the energy column (ENERC), one IFCT row per food, named by code in the main table.

IFCT gives energy in kilojoules. We divided by 4.184 to get kcal. IFCT's own note uses 4.18, which changes no figure by more than 0.1%. Fat per 1,000 kcal is fat in grams divided by kcal, times 1,000. Share of energy from fat uses IFCT's factor of 37 kJ per gram of fat.

IFCT 2017 has no rows for ghee, butter, curd or cheese. For ghee, butter, paneer, dahi and packet milk we used the legal composition standards in the FSSAI Food Products Standards and Food Additives Regulations 2011. We used the text as printed in the compendium version of 25 March 2021. For ghee we used the 99.5% minimum milk fat and IFCT's 37 kJ per gram.

The 12 example bowls add ingredient weights as IFCT lists them (raw rice, dal, fish and mutton; boiled egg; chicken of unstated preparation). They show how one rich ingredient moves a whole bowl across the 20 g per 1,000 kcal line. They are not recipes and not complete diets.

Pancreatitis facts come from the MSD Veterinary Manual chapter on pancreatitis in dogs and cats (full review September 2025). They also come from peer-reviewed studies read in their PubMed abstracts or full text: Lem et al. 2008, Hess et al. 1998 and 1999, Xenoulis et al. 2007, 2011 and 2020, and Sandepogu et al. 2026 from Hyderabad.

Sources

1. Longvah T et al. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, Table 1: total fat (FATCE) and energy (ENERC, kJ) per 100 g edible portion for all 30 foods
2. MSD Veterinary Manual: Pancreatitis in Dogs and Cats (Steiner JM, full review September 2025), Low-fat diet under 20 g fat per 1,000 kcal; dietary indiscretion, triglycerides, Cushing's and Schnauzers as risk factors; signs
3. Lem KY, Fosgate GT, Norby B, Steiner JM (2008), Associations between dietary factors and pancreatitis in dogs, JAVMA 233(9):1425-31, 198 cases, 187 controls; odds ratios for trash, unusual food, table scraps, overweight
4. Also consulted: FSSAI, Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations 2011, compendium Version-XIV (25 March 2021), Hess RS et al. (1998), Clinical, clinicopathologic, radiographic, and ultrasonographic abnormalities in dogs with fatal acute pancreatitis: 70 cases (1986-1995), JAVMA 213(5):665-70, Hess RS et al. (1999), Evaluation of risk factors for fatal acute pancreatitis in dogs, JAVMA 214(1):46-51, Xenoulis PG et al. (2007), Investigation of hypertriglyceridemia in healthy Miniature Schnauzers, J Vet Intern Med 21(6):1224-30, Xenoulis PG et al. (2011), Serum triglyceride concentrations in Miniature Schnauzers with and without a history of probable pancreatitis, J Vet Intern Med 25(1):20-5, Xenoulis PG et al. (2020), Effect of a low-fat diet on serum triglyceride and cholesterol in Miniature Schnauzers with hypertriglyceridemia, J Vet Intern Med 34(6):2605-16, Sandepogu RK et al. (2026), Incidence of Pancreatitis Among Dogs in Hyderabad, International Journal of Bio-resource and Stress Management 17(3), dogeats.in reports on treat calories and home diets, which already list IFCT calories and protein for many of these foods; this report adds fat per 1,000 kcal and pancreatitis data only.

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