Update: 21 December 2024
Simple Canine Nutrition
Author: Julie Casper, C. Ac.
Canine nutrition does not have to be complicated. You can simplify it by understanding the types of foods a particular species evolved eating. Carnivores mostly eat meat. Herbivores mostly eat plants. Omnivores eat pretty much everything.
Dog Food (don't be fooled)
Canines have evolved to function at their highest level of performance when eating a carnivore diet. While canines may be able to survive eating a typical commercial dog food diet (based on carbohydrates i.e., corn, wheat, soy), these diets are associated with a myriad of serious health consequences. In contrast, canine health flourishes when their diet is appropriate to their evolutionary biology.
That looks yummy... and fun to roll in.
Simply put, dogs are carnivores. There is some confusion about what we should, and should not, feed our animal companions. For example, you might be told, "Don't feed your dog a raw bone because it will splinter inside them, damaging their intestines and insides." But bones are part of a carnivore's diet. The person who advises against feeding raw bones may be confusing them with cooked bones. Because bones that have been cooked can indeed splinter — potentially causing harm.
Like conventional MD's, a veterinarian's medical education includes very little (if any) nutritional training. They are mostly trained in the use of pharmaceutical or surgical interventions. In fact, it is not unusual for a veterinarian's pet food sales rep to be their main provider for nutritional training after med school. It is important that you learn about proper canine nutrition, then you can provide th best protection for your dog by preventing most illness and disease in the first place.
Your dog's mouth is an evolutionary work of bioengineering excellence. The jaws are hinged and powerful, this design is specific to effectively tearing and crushing raw meat and bones. A canine's stomach is highly acidic and their saliva lacks amylase. The high acidity break down the raw meat, bones and bacteria. But the lack of amylase makes carbohydrate digestion very difficult to impossible.
Your dog is a carnivore. It's not hard to make the very best dog food yourself. We provide raw feeding guidelines and recipies with every hTMA package. When you start feeding a species appropriate diet, happy tail wagging will never stop! For those who do not have the time to put together their canine's meals, there are reputable commercial raw pet food vendors (such as, darwinspet.com and hare-today.com).
Ultimately, how to best feed your dog is with the time-tested evolutionary carnivore diet. Doing so will allow your canine to achieve their full performance potential. Not to mention help prevent and resolve many acute and chronic diseases as well as various forms of physical degeneration and mental dysfunction. Because degenerative problems are commonly the consequence of improper nutrition, the carnivore diet will help regenerate your canine instead. Your relationship will be even stronger, you will be able to connect on a deeper level and with a better understanding of one another.
Keep it Simple
Your dog is a carnivore, feed accordingly.
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