What You Need To Know About The Canine Diet
Dogs And Cats Have Physiological Differences That Are Relevant To Their Diet:
Both dogs and cats have sharp teeth, and the teeth of both types of pets are built to capture and eat prey in the wild. They are called canine teeth. All of the teeth in a cat’s mouth are exceptionally sharp. This is because they have no need to chew plant material.
However, dogs have a number of teeth that are somewhat like human molars. Human molars are perfect for chewing plant material. Humans are omnivorous.
While dog molars are sharper than human molars, they combine features of cat teeth and human molars. Despite being sharper than human molars, they are quite effective at chewing a variety of different plant materials.
Amylase:
Amylase is required to process carbohydrates. Humans have this enzyme in their saliva. However, it isn’t in cat or dog saliva. While cats produce relatively small amounts of this enzyme in their pancreas, dogs produce significant amounts of it in the pancreas. This allows them to digest plant material effectively. Dogs are able to digest 99 percent of processed starches and 90 percent of natural starches.
The length of the digestive tract in humans is around 30 feet. The length of the digestive tract in dogs is around 2 feet. Cats have a digestive tract that is around 13 inches long. This means that there are additional differences in the types of foods that dogs and cats can eat.
Dogs are able to manufacture taurine. This essential nutrient is found in meat. However, cats are not able to manufacture this essential nutrient. Therefore, they have to incorporate taurine into their diet.
Dogs Can Consume Significant Amounts Of Plant Matter:
It is okay if your dog eats certain types of fruits, vegetables, and grains. However, it’s important to keep in mind that there are differences in the way that dogs digest plant materials. For instance, humans are able to use a form of omega-3 fatty acids that are found in plants, but dogs are not able to do this as effectively.
Wolves often eat plant matter. In fact, most wolves eat a diet that is around 8% plant matter during the summer months. Some studies have found that wolves consume a diet that is about 20% plant matter. Around 75% of wolves eat some plant matter during the summer. In some regions, wolves are known to eat a variety of fruits. Some experts believe that they seek out plant material due to the vitamins contained in it.
Dogs are classified as facultative carnivores. This means that they have omnivorous tendencies. However, cats are classified as obligate carnivores. It is essential to feed your dog a diet that is similar to the diet of wild dogs.
Some Common Raw Food Diets For Protection Dogs Are More Suited To Cats Than Dogs:
Many raw food diets that are marketed as being an ideal diet for dogs involve only feeding your dog meat. These diets often are referred to as “prey diets”. One example of such a diet is BARF. However, all appropriate diets for dogs include a small amount of plant material and berries.
However, you should not feed your dog a diet that contains a large number of carbohydrates. This means that most forms of kibble aren’t good for your dog. On average, kibble and cooked diets are 30-60% carbohydrates. Wild canines do not consume starches. Here are some examples of ingredients that do not belong in your dog’s diet:
- Rice
- Corn
- Potatoes
Wolves eat a diet that is between four and seven percent carbohydrates. These carbohydrates are found in plants that aren’t grains, such as fruits. Carbohydrates raise the blood sugar of dogs and humans. Dogs and humans have eight hormones that raise blood sugar, but there is only one hormone that can reduce it. If your dog eats a diet that is rich in carbohydrates, he or she has a limited ability to lower his or her blood sugar levels. This can result in significant health problems.
What Types Of Meat Do Protection Dogs Need?
Dogs get many essential vitamins and minerals from forms of meat that most people would consider to be quite unappetizing. There actually are nutrients that dogs need in feathers, hair, eyes, and brains. Here are some examples of nutrients that dogs need to get from the more revolting types of meat:
- Skin: Dogs need to eat the skin to get enough vitamin D.
- Wool, Feathers, and Hairs: These materials are necessary for your protection dog to get an adequate amount of manganese.
Luckily, there are a few commercial raw diets that include these items in dog food. If you aren’t feeding your dog one of these diets, it is even more important to make sure that he or she gets enough of his or her daily requirement of plant matter.
Are Raw Food Diets Always Better Than Kibble?
Raw food diets are always far better than kibble. While some raw food diets may lack certain essential nutrients, they always include more nutrients than kibble. This is because the goal of all raw food diets is to feed your dog the types of foods that are similar to the diet that dogs would eat in the wild.
