More than half of pet dogs in the United States are overweight or obese, according to the most recent annual survey by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. A comparison of that data with previous surveys suggests that obesity in dogs, as in people, is getting worse.
“We do believe dogs have become heavier over the last decade, and that it’s an epidemic,” says Johnny Li, a computational biologist at Nestle Purina, in St. Louis, Missouri, who led the new study. Li says he launched the study because only a handful of previous studies have explored the gut microbiome of canines, and the effect of diet on gut microbes hasn’t been well documented.
(source: How a dog’s diet shapes its gut microbiomes)
When convenience foods became popular for humans the pet food industry picked up on that trend and started producing instant and so-called “complete extruded and processed” foods for animals because they saw a huge business opportunity. Then we heard the myth propagated that “human food” is not good for our dogs. While I agree that feeding a dog McDonald’s is a very bad idea I do believe that living beings should be fed real food. Also the idea that every meal needs to contain every nutritional requirement is absurd. The need for that happens over time. I am sure that even if you are on a very healthy diet yourself you are not getting every amino acid, every vitamin and exact amount of minerals in each and every meal.
Why are processed foods inferior?
Even though some companies have attempted to improve the quality of ingredients and managed processing procedures to leave more of the important nutrients intact, the result is still a food product as opposed to a fresh meal such as muscle meat, organ meat, bones or bone meal, cartilage and some seeds, fruits and/or vegetables.
Just like in humans, starchy carbohydrates (corn, rice and soy) produce gas and sugar imbalances that affect not only dogs’ weight but also their behavior.
In the last couple of years we have heard a lot about the “gut” brain and the “microbiome” – the universe of bacteria that we are all made of. There is a strong argument that the increase of disease and inflammation as well as well balanced behavior is greatly influenced by how we nourish ourselves and makes me think of the old adage: You are what you eat.
This is true for our canine companions as well.
If your dog seems less than vibrant, is having behavior issues, or is getting a bit chubby please look at what you are feeding your dog. Read the labels. You will be surprised how cleverly some foods insert cheap filler ingredients just to be able to put the buzzword “grain free” on the label. Your dog does not need to eat food colorings, preservatives, chickpea or pea meal, glycerin or maltodextrin to name a few.
Getting results
If you need help with portion control, help upgrading the diet and implementing a healthier exercise routine please do not hesitate to contact DogRelations NYC for a brief health improvement consultation.
Elisabeth Weiss is a highly certified, experienced dog trainer in Manhattan, NYC. To learn more about dog training, rehabilitation & wellness services, contact us by phone at (917) 783-1473 or our contact form.
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