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The Problem with Carbohydrates & Dogs

Author: ProDog Raw

The Problem with Carbohydrates & Dogs

The problem with carbohydrates

Unlike humans, dogs are primarily carnivorous, meaning that they have evolved to eat meat as a
main foodstuff. Whereas humans have multiple teeth for grinding, dogs natural anatomies seem to
place less importance on this function. Rather dogs teeth are for ripping meat off of bones, holding
onto a piece of meat that they are biting into, shearing, and – to a far lesser extent – grinding. With
regards to diets and dietary requirements, this means that the food group dogs require the most of
is protein. Dogs have evolved to extract their nutritional requirements primarily from meat alone. To
this end, they should be fed a biologically appropriate protein-rich diet, which largely avoids
carbohydrates, as these can be rather problematic.

Dogs can’t convert carbs like humans can

Carbohydrate consumption in dogs should always be limited. A dog can occasionally and healthily
eat food which contains a small portion of carbohydrates, but this should not be allowed to become
a regular occurrence. When dogs eat excessive amounts of carbohydrates, they become unable to
extract the relevant nutrients which results in consuming “empty” calories of little to no real
nutritional value. Commercial dog foods are often viewed by their manufacturers as high-yield
money-making schemes, and as such, expensive nutritionally valuable products such as meat are
often minimised, and substituted for cheaper carbohydrates. Although dogs will often happily eat
such processed foods, in a way it is the equivalent to junk food or takeaways for humans. It may be
enjoyable to them, but is far from healthy, or nutritionally valuable. Humans may be able to convert
carbohydrates into storable energy, but dogs cannot.

Excessive carbohydrate consumption poses a threat to health

As with humans, excessive carbohydrate consumption in dogs can easily lead to them becoming
overweight and obese, as well as a multitude of further associated health problems. Obesity can
lead to cardiovascular complaints, diabetes, and significant joint strain. In breeds prone to conditions
such as hip dysplasia, this poses a particularly high risk. In fact, scientific studies have suggested that
carbohydrates are essentially toxic to dogs digestive systems, oftern causing gut issues as well as
increasing blood sugar, stimulating pre-inflammatory hormone production, and pressuring the dogs
immune system. High fiberous carbs like brown rice for example, may sound more appealing to dog
owners, yet even these can’t be digested due to the cellulose levels and so basically go in one end
and out the other. These starchy carbs also effect a dog’s ability to absorb necessary vitamins and
minerals from their food meaning they are perhaps more susceptible to illness.

Raw dog food is the diet that your dog is anatomically designed to eat

Given how problematic carbohydrates are for a dog’s diet, what can a responsible owner do? The
simple answer is ensure that you regulate what your dog eats, and ensure that it follows a nutrientrich diet. Perhaps the best way of achieving of this is feeding it raw dog food. Raw dog food is the
diet your dog is anatomically designed to eat and digest and the diet a dog would naturally select if
given choice. Raw dog food is generally labelled in significantly more detail than processed food
(ProDog Raw offers customers extremely detailed labelling), and specifically formulated to ensure
nutritional maximisation. ProDog Raw specialises in providing this sort of food, as clean and close to
nature as it gets, and looks forward to supporting you in helping your dog transitioning to a healthier
diet.

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