What Dogs Are Designed To Eat
Historically, cooked foods have never been a part of the canine and feline diet, rather they have subsisted and thrived off live prey, fermented carrion, and they foraged for any scraps they could obtain. They have only been introduced to cooked and processed foods within the last 80 years.
Looking back at the historical diets of dogs and their wolf ancestors, it is clearly evident that they are carnivores. Their teeth, gut and digestive physiology strongly support this.
Dogs have hinged, powerful jaws along with canines and triangular shaped carnassial teeth for the ripping and tearing of flesh and crushing of bone. (While they may snack on the occasional wild berry here and there!)
They don’t have the typical molars for the grinding of plant material or a four chamber stomach for the slow digestion and fermentation of complex carbohydrates (starches from plants and grains).
They have a large stomach, short digestive tract and very small cecum, indicative of consuming large amounts of high protein food in a short time period and for fast digestion and rapid absorption of nutrients. 1 In the wild, these canines could typically go many days between their meals.
So, is kibble bad for dogs? Let’s take a look …
What is ‘kibble’?
In simple terms, ‘kibble’ is ground up ingredients shaped into pellets, of all different shapes and sizes. These ingredients are usually composed of meats/fish, grains, cereals, vegetables, vitamins and minerals. Kibble sizes are usually breed and age dependant, for example, small breed dogs such as Chihuahuas usually have smaller kibble sizes compared to Great Danes!
Kibble is traditionally sold in bags and it has a low moisture content (approximately 10% water), unlike tinned dog food. This lower moisture content usually leads to your dog drinking more water to stay hydrated, which is acceptably fine.
Which kibble should I feed my dog?
There is no such thing as a ‘one diet fits all.’ If there was it would definitely make everyone’s lives simpler! There are definite variabilities between the quality of kibble and the higher value (generally a bit more expensive) brands often use higher quality ingredients and grains, this may in some cases add nutritional value (although that isn’t proven). However, some of the more expensive brands employ more nutritionists (especially those who also offer prescription diets), and in these cases, you may be paying extra for the additional research work that has gone into formulating the diet in the first place.
Is Kibble Bad For Dogs? (Stop feeding kibble to dogs!)
Dry kibble is the predominant way people feed their dogs and is among the worst choices. Here are reasons why dry kibble is bad for dogs.