Broad-spectrum digestive support for dogs and cats
Every meal your pet eats is only as nourishing as the nutrients the pet can absorb. ThorneVet’s Digestive Enzyme Formula is designed to support that process in pets whose digestive capacity is under greater than normal demand.
Who Benefits Most? Pets that consume a legume-rich or high-fiber diet, older animals with declining digestive vigor, pets with a history of digestive sensitivity, or dogs and cats with less than optimal pancreatic reserve can benefit most from targeted enzyme support.
The formula is a comprehensive blend of carbohydrate-digesting, fat-digesting, and protein-digesting enzymes that addresses the specific substrates most likely to challenge a pet’s digestive efficiency — such as fermentable oligosaccharides that generate gas, plant-derived non-starch polysaccharides that increase intestinal viscosity and limit nutrient access, or dietary fats and proteins that require sufficient luminal enzyme activity for complete hydrolysis.¹
How It Works
Each enzyme in this proprietary blend targets different components of the diet:
- Amylases and glucoamylase convert starches into easily absorbed glucose.²˒³
- Alpha-galactosidase minimizes the gas and bloating that legumes and vegetables can cause.⁴˒⁵
- Cellulase, hemicellulase, and beta-glucanase reduce the amount of plant fibers that would otherwise trap nutrients and increase intestinal viscosity.⁶⁻⁸
- Lipase promotes the normal digestion of fats.
- Protease and peptidase enhance the breakdown of proteins into their constituent amino acids.⁹˒¹⁰
In a dog or cat whose digestive capacity is under strain (due to diet composition, advanced age, or reduced pancreatic reserve), these targeted enzymes help close the gap between what the pet is consuming and what the pet is absorbing.
Rationale for the Ingredients
Alpha-galactosidase This enzyme targets the alpha-galactosides naturally found in legumes and vegetables that commonly cause gas. Clinical studies demonstrate a lessened amount of flatulence with supplemental alpha-galactosidase, which also shows good tolerability.⁴˒⁵
Amylase and Glucoamylase These two enzymes work together to metabolize starches to glucose. Supplementing with glucoamylase has shown improved starch digestibility in animal studies,² as well as enhancing starch handling in animals that are sucrase-deficient.³
Beta-glucanase, Cellulase, and Hemicellulase These three non-starch-polysaccharide (NSP) enzymes reduce viscosity in the intestinal tract, improving nutrient access. Extensive animal nutrition research shows NSP enzyme complexes improve feeding efficiency and shift fermentation toward beneficial short-chain fatty acids.⁶⁻⁸
Lipase Lipase promotes the normal digestion of fats. In veterinary medicine, lipase has been shown to be essential in enzyme replacement therapy for dogs with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI).⁹˒¹⁰
Protease and Peptidase These two potent enzymes expand the metabolism of proteins into smaller peptide chains and amino acids. Protease supplementation has been shown to be particularly helpful in pancreatic enzyme therapy in dogs with EPI by improving macronutrient digestibility and overall clinical outcomes.⁹˒¹⁰
Note: Because of their potency, in sensitive animals Digestive Enzyme Formula should be introduced gradually and always administered with food.
Suggested Use
Always give Digestive Enzyme Formula with food by mixing the measured amount thoroughly into the pet’s meal.
Dogs: Start with half scoop per 25 pounds of body weight per meal for the first 3–5 days. If well tolerated, increase to 1 scoop per 25 pounds per meal.
Cats: Start with a small pinch mixed into the cat’s food. If well tolerated over several days, increase toward half scoop per meal depending on the cat’s meal size and tolerance.
For pets with reflux, gastritis, or IBD history: Extend the gradual increase over 7–10 days.
When to Consider Digestive Enzyme Formula
This product is indicated when a pet:
- Consumes a diet high in legumes, cruciferous vegetables, or plant-based proteins and is prone to gas or loose stools
- Shows signs of poor fat digestion (greasy or voluminous stools)
- Is an older pet
- Has a history of pancreatitis (reduced digestive reserve)
- Has suboptimal stool quality on a high-starch diet
- Is transitioning to a new diet with a substantially different protein or carbohydrate profile
Expected Benefits
- Pets on legume- or vegetable-rich diets often experience reduced gas and improved post-meal comfort within several meals (consistent with the documented action of alpha-galactosidase on oligosaccharide fermentation).⁴
- Dogs or cats with fat maldigestion and soft, voluminous stools typically show improved stool consistency and volume thanks to better macronutrient hydrolysis by lipase and protease.
- Pets with reduced pancreatic reserve benefit from the same principle as established pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy — restoring luminal enzyme activity to improve digestibility and clinical wellbeing.⁹˒¹⁰
Cautions
ThorneVet animal health supplements are for animal use only. Discontinue use and consult your veterinarian if vomiting, persistent diarrhea, black tarry stools, or persistent signs of abdominal pain occur. Use cautiously in pets with active gastric ulceration. Always introduce slowly in pets with sensitive GI tracts and give with food.
