A dog’s ancestral diet looked very
different from the diet that has been made popular by pet-food manufacturers.
The composition of a Dog’s
Ancestral Diet looked like this…
- 56% Protein
- 25% to 30% Fat
- 14% Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are NOT
nutritionally necessary in a dog’s diet. Protein and fat ARE essential
components for a healthy canine diet.
Carbohydrates are NOT bad for dogs
– in fact, when provided in appropriate quantity and from an appropriate source
carbs can provide a useful source of energy and nutrients.
Grains are, however NOT an
appropriate source of carbohydrates for multiple reasons as you will see
further below.
Why Are Grains Included in Dog Kibble?
In the 1950’s dog food manufactures
began a love affair with carbohydrates because carbs are:
- Easily obtainable;
- Have a long shelf-life;
- Enable the formation of hard/compact
kibble;
- Are cheap to buy compared to the cost
of good-source protein.
The inclusion of grains in dog food is
not for the benefit of a dog’s health.
Highly processed grains are
a good way for the manufacturer to bulk-up food but the resulting product provides poor quality nutrition and is species inappropriate. A very bad situation if you consider that the
major ingredient in a lot of dog kibble is grain or grain by-products of one
sort or another. For example:
- Barley (pearled barley etc.);
- Brewers rice;
- Cereal food fines (leftovers from
human grade cereal production)
- Corn, Corn Bran, Corn Gluten Meal,
Corn Germ Meal;
- Corn Middlings;
- Grain fermentation soluble;
- Oats or Oatmeal;
- Oat Hulls;
- Rice;
- Soy, Soy Flour or Soy (Soybean)
Meal;
- Wheat Flour, Meal or Middlings
(wheat mill run)
Negative Impacts on Your Dog's Health
I will cover some of the impacts on your dog's health just below. The negative impacts of grains in your dog's diet are many, some are complicated. I will not cover all impacts here but will cover enough for you to see just how serious this issue is.
Unwanted Weight Gain and Obesity
Many of the grains used in commercially manufactured dog kibble are processed
grain (cereal) carbohydrates. These are
highly digestible, low nutrient, high bulk ingredients which the dog’s
digestive system quickly converts to sugar, which in-turn spikes the amount of
insulin in the dog’s system – over working the pancreas and resulting in a
feeling of constant hunger.
As the dog
is constantly hungry (due to high-insulin levels) the dog’s human may continue
to feed the dog more of the grain-heavy food which then results in excessive
weight gain – a condition on its own that can cause massive health issues…stress
on joints, diabetes, inflammation leading to cancer, etc. Unfortunately all too
often a veterinarian will then recommend a low calorie high fibre kibble
(invariably grain based but expensive i.e. Royal Canine or Hill’s Science Diet)
which further exacerbates the problem.
Carcinogens and Toxins in Grain and Grain By-Products
The Proof is In The Numbers
Statistics recorded by veterinary organizations from the 1950's up to present day are very telling.
- The life-span of a companion dog in North America is now half of what it was in the 1950's;
- In the 1950's the average life-span of a golden retriever was 15 to 16 years, today the average is in the range of 8 to12 years;
- In 2005, 50% of older dogs dies from cancer, and the number is on the rise.
Cereal By-Products
The cereal by products used in the manufacturing of many dog foods are derived
from the leftovers of human food processing. It is important to understand that these are remaindered
end of the line substances and as such, they can be full of chemicals.
Aflatoxins
If the grains/grain derivatives
are not from human grade sources they are very likely to contain aflatoxins. Aflatoxins cause liver cancer.
Aflatoxins grow mainly on grains
but they also grow on legumes - like peanuts, walnuts and pecans. This is one reason
why you will hear some people say do not give your dogs peanuts. Actually it is
fine to give your dog peanuts or natural peanut butter – as long as you are
using human grade product. Other nuts such as walnuts and pecans are toxic to
dogs, regardless of whether they are human or animal grade.
Aflatoxins can also be found in
cottonseed oil, fish meal and peanut oil. Human grade foods are monitored
closely for aflatoxins - if present the raw product (i.e. grain) is not allowed
to be used in human grade food production. There are no such regulations for
animal grade foods so most commercially manufactured animal food (dog, cat,
bird, etc.) will contain aflatoxins. While the body can usually detoxify small
amounts, constant ingestion of aflatoxins is not manageable and therefore
causes toxic loading.
The majority of corn and soy grown
in North America are from Genetically Modified Round-up Ready seeds. GM corn has now been proven to cause the growth
of massive tumours, organ damage and death.
All of the long-term effects of eating GM food is not known. In
addition, large factory farms in North America use a method to process soy that
creates very high levels of photoestrogens and phytates in the resulting
product.
- Photoestrogens have been proven to
interfere with reproduction and thyroid function;
- Phytates prevent mineral
absorption (further exacerbation of poor nutrient intake);
- Phytates interfere with the normal
function of enzymes required to digest protein.
Herbicides and pesticides - another thing to keep in mind , the grains used in many pet foods are purchased for their low cost not for their quality. Crops for this market sector are grown based on high yield and that is usually accomplished with the profuse use of pesticides and herbicides - resulting in more toxins and carcinogens ingested by your dog.
Gluten Hypersensitivity
Grain is the harvested seeds of
grasses. Large amounts of grains are not part of a dog’s ancestral diet. Yes our dog’s ancestors did eat small amounts
of grasses – as do present day domesticated dogs; but they (our dog’s
ancestors) did not consume large amounts of the seed of the grass – the grain.
The number of dogs today
developing and living with gluten hypersensitivity is epidemic. One of the
ailments of gluten hypersensitivity is Candida (overgrowth of bad bacteria in
the GI Tract). Overgrowth of bad bacteria
is an assault on the dog’s immune system and is a common cause of yeast-based
ear infections – that can become chronic and debilitating; yeast-based skin
infections located at the paws; leaky gut syndrome, chronic diarrhea and more.
Lack of Nutrients
High grain content is used when making kibble - to create volume at the lowest
possible cost to the manufacturer, which serves profit while creating serious
gaps in a dog’s nutrient intake. Compound this with the many other ‘indiscretions’
(i.e. fish meal, low levels of Omega-3 fatty acids, poor source protein)
adopted by pet food manufacturers in the production of dog food and your dog’s
health is in serious trouble. Did
you know that 10 of the top 10 reasons for a veterinarian visit can be directly
related to inappropriate diet and exposure to ingested, inhaled and topically
absorbed toxins – plenty of which are found in commercially manufactured dog
foods and treats.
What Are Appropriate Sources Of Carbohydrates
For Dogs?
- For a comprehensive list go here.
It is important to note that even these better forms of carbohydrate can become a problem if used in inappropriate quantities.
If you would like to try making a homemade dog food that is rich in nutrients you can read more here.
If your dog is suffering from
renal issues you need to avoid phosphorous in his/her diet, so no legumes (as
legumes are high in phosphorous), use squash and sweet potato for carbs.
Holistic Support
Holistic Wellness Services and Holistic Behaviorist Services
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Article and graphics by Karen Rosenfeld
