What Does Animal Fat Do For Dogs?
In short, it gives them healthy energy! Since household (non-working) dogs are such couch potatoes and spend a lot of time resting as compared to their ancestors (the Timber Wolf), they don’t require quite as much fat and protein in their diet as a wolf does. A good range of animal fat in dog food is about 15 percent to 20 percent. If the food meets AAFCO’s (Association of American Feed Control Official) minimum requirements for food labeling (and you should not buy a food which does not meet these minimum requirements), it will show a guaranteed analysis on the label. This analysis will provide the percentage of each of the nutrients in the food, including the minimum percent of crude protein and crude fat, and the maximum percent of crude fiber and moisture. (“Crude” refers to a testing method used and is not a comment on the ingredients.) This information should always be found on the dog food label. If you have any questions about the analysis, most companies also provide this information on their company web site. The fat percentage given in the analysis is included in the food. It does not cook off during the preparation of the food.
Finally, dogs require what are known as essential fatty acids which a dog is unable to naturally produce. The only way a dog can acquire essential fatty acids is to consume them, and they are mostly found in meat or fish-based food. The most important of all the essential fatty acids includes DHA and EPA (Omega-3) as well as Linoleic and Arachidonic (Omega-6). It is very important that there is a good balance between Omega-3 and Omega-6. Some dog food brands include these essential fatty acids. I’ll once again shamelessly link to my dog food reviews to help you sort out the good brands from the bad. The reason why essential fatty acids are important with regard to the fat in your dog’s diet is that without the fat, your dog is not able to consume or digest these fatty acids. In addition, there are a number of vitamins that your dog needs which are only soluble in fat. Without good sources of fat in his food, your dog won’t be able to metabolize the vitamins he needs for good health.
So where does Omega-3 come from? Well, the best source for a dog is in fish. Fish is high in what is known as EPA or Epicosapentaenoic Acid (try saying that 5 times fast!). EPA is a requirement for a healthy dog. Fish also contains DHA or Docosahexaenoic Acid (I’m not making these words up, honest!). Plants, on the other hand, contain ALA or Alpha-Linolenic Acid. While ALA is a form of Omega 3, it is not a requirement for dogs! So once again, a high meat-based food, perhaps mixed with some Omega-3 from fish, should lead to healthier digestion.
Although it’s true that the ancestors of our modern dogs didn’t eat grain (modern agricultural grains didn’t exist 15,000 years ago), many dog foods today include grains in their ingredients. Contrary to popular belief, this is not done merely to add a cheap filler to food. Grains such as corn, wheat, rice, and others do add plant protein to a dog’s diet. And, in the case of corn, this is no longer a cheaper source of protein. Crop prices for corn to feed cows for milk, cattle for beef, and to provide ethanol for our vehicles are constantly rising which partly explains the rising cost of dog food, along with transportation costs related to the price of gasoline. In other words, corn is no longer cheap. If you feed a dog food that contains corn, you may find that the dog food manufacturer is making changes to utilize some other plant proteins such as peas or soybeans that cost them less.
As already discussed, plant proteins are not as easy for a dog to digest as meat proteins, but they are not quite the garbage that they have been labeled in some quarters. Although some people have advocated that you should not feed your dog any grains at all, there are no scientific studies that show feeding a grain-free diet is healthier for a typical dog. If your dog has any kind of allergy or food intolerance to a grain they you should obviously avoid feeding a food with that grain. Otherwise, there is no proven health reason to avoid grains in your dog’s food. Some people have suggested that feeding dog food containing grain can lead to obesity in dogs, but obesity in dogs depends on over feeding and lack of exercise. Dogs can become overweight eating any kind of food if they are not fed in moderation. Always measure your dog’s food and monitor his intake, no matter what kind of food you feed.
There’s More To High Quality Dog Food Than Ingredients
In many cases there are also intangibles with dog food that are hard to measure in the guaranteed analysis or even the ingredient list. A company’s reputation, their quality control, and other matters can have an important impact on your dog’s nutrition. Sometimes you don’t know when a respected company has been purchased by a lesser manufacturer and their manufacturing processes have changed. Sometimes there are changes in the formula that are not required by law to be noted on the packaging for six months. Always pay close attention to your dog’s condition and how he is doing on the food. That will tell you more about the food than anything you can read about it.
What is the Most Digestible Protein for Dogs?
Out of all whole foods, eggs have the highest Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS). On a scale of 0 to 1, the whole egg exceeds the scale with a score of 1.21. The score is a measure of a protein’s digestibility and quality.
The humble egg also contains the full range of essential amino acids: arginine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, threonine, tryptophan, histidine, phenylalanine and valine. Eggs alone can’t fulfill all of a dog’s nutritional requirements, but in the context of protein, eggs excel at providing the essentials.
Dogs should never be given raw or undercooked eggs. Raw eggs are unsafe because they are a source of Salmonella. Prolonged feeding of raw egg whites leads to biotin deficiency in dogs. Fortunately, eggs don’t lose nutrients when cooked, and cooking even makes them more digestible – as long as the egg is cooked or boiled plain without additives, an egg is a safe treat for your pet. As a general rule, a dog should not eat more than one egg per day.
Which Type of Meat Is Best For Dogs? Ask A Veterinarian
Protein digestibility in dogs is coming to the attention of more pet owners. Digestibility refers to the percentage of nutrients that a dog absorbs into their body during the process of digestion.
The digestibility of proteins in dogs is not a required label on pet food packaging, so being aware of which proteins are most appropriate for your dog is important, especially when your dog is sensitive to specific proteins.
Proteins are large molecules made up of 20 amino acids. While dogs produce about half of these amino acids themselves, the other half, called essential amino acids, must be provided through the diet.
One of the biggest demands for protein digestibility in dogs is in the maintenance of fur growth. The process uses up to 30% of a dog’s daily protein intake. Bioavailability of amino acids influences the production of hormones as well as neurotransmitters which affect a dog’s behavior. Amino acid deficiencies result in a range of debilitating disease states. These include decreased immunity, nutritional deficiencies, fatigue, and even premature death.