Your dog's pancreas produces vital digestive enzymes. These enzymes have the job of breaking down foods for efficient nutrient absorption. If your dog is the type of pet that swallows its food within seconds, its digestive enzymes have a large job ahead of them. After some pre-digestion in stomach acid, food particles travel through the small intestine. At this point, the pancreas releases digestive enzymes to attach to the food and break it down even further. There are three main enzymes that your dog needs for good digestion: Protease breaks down proteins into amino acids. Amino acids are needed for energy, growth, body tissue support, and more. Amylase breaks down starches or carbohydrates in food. Because dogs and cats are carnivores by nature, they have less of this protein enzyme than humans. Lipases help the canine body to digest fat molecules. For humans and dogs, these enzymes are essential for survival.