About Proteins
Protein is one of the most crucial building blocks of your dog’s life. All dogs need protein for growth, tissue repair, and the regulating of biological functions.
Without protein, muscle tissue and internal organs would soon breakdown and die. Like humans, dogs are capable of producing particular amino acids (the building blocks of protein) on their own. Additional amino acids must be gotten from the dog’s diet.
That’s one reason why it’s not a good idea to feed dogs exclusively carbohydrate-based treats and kibble. Too many carbohydrates and too little or zero protein can do more harm than good in the long term. That’s why, after the late 1800′s, pet food manufacturers started using the byproducts of meat processing plants to get cheap sources of animal protein to add to kibble, semi-moist, and canned pet foods.
A diet abundant in protein is highly suggested for young pups that have already been weaned from their mother, and for young, developing dogs. Hunting dogs and other working dogs should also have a healthy serving of protein at each mealtime to keep their muscles and organs working well.
Even so, giving a dog too much protein can produce its own problems. Increase protein consumption damages the dogs’ kidneys, which can lead to fatal kidney failure. I’ll bet you didn’t know that too much protein has also been related to sudden changes in a dog’s disposition.
Are Fats Bad?
Nowadays, fats are the most loathed of the macro nutrients because there’s a general belief that any form of fat can cause obesity and other health troubles in dogs. There is a little of truth to this: excessive fat consumption in dogs can cause obesity, particularly if the dog doesn’t get enough exercise to expend the extra calories on a daily basis.
This does not mean that you should cut out all fats from your pet’s diet. Fat is needed for normal kidney functions and muscle tissue repair. Your dog also needs fat to maintain a healthy coat and skin.
With too little fat, your dog can suffer, too.
If you’re feeding your dog very lean dog food, an easy way to add healthy fat to your dog’s diet is by adding food items with omega fatty acids. Fish is the most abundant source of omega fatty acids. But, if this isn’t a workable option for you, you can buy a dog supplement that has omega fatty acids.
Supplementation will provide the extra needed amounts of omega fatty acids and will help your dog maintain a healthy coat.
Carbohydrates, Your Dog’s Fuel
Since dogs are usually active, they need a good source of carbohydrates that can be easily burned for energy. There is a general consensus amongst veterinarians that dogs need 40 to 50 percent carbohydrates in their daily diet. The problem is that dog food companies use a variety of cheap sources of starchy carbohydrates.
If your dog is having a difficulty digesting a new brand of dog food, check the ingredients label. Food allergies can sometimes come about when the dog’s chief source of carbohydrates is soybeans. Allergies surface as excessive flatulence, a growling stomach and soft stools.
If your dog is allergic to soybean-based dog food (or any other source of carbohydrates or starch), try changing over to another brand of dog food that has been made up with regular flour, like wheat flour. Or even better yet, prepare your dog’s food yourself.
Recent Comments