Carbohydrates in our dog's feeding

The Carbohydrates They are present in the composition of almost all the foods for dogs that exist in the market. Although in general, pet owners usually focus on the amount of food protein, the truth is that carbohydrates and fats are two equally important factors For a quality diet and that favors the health and vitality of our dogs.

Function of carbohydrates in canine feeding

There is an intense debate when function and the need real that dogs have in carbohydrates. But despite the debate among nutritionists, the reality is that the vast majority of food available in the market contain between 30% and 70% of carbohydrates.

When analyzing the diet of the closest relative of the domestic pets that is the wild dog, we do not find that they consume carbohydrates from berries, fruits and intestinal content of their prey, but in general, Consumption does not usually exceed 30% of the diet.

The dog's body has the ability to convert protein into energy that they use for the fulfillment of their vital functions, nourish their muscles and other actions that allow optimal health. The same goes for carbohydrates, which can make them the same type of energy and use that energy to fulfill the same functions.

The ability of dogs to use both protein and carbohydrates and energy sources is a quality that explains why we are capable of feeding them with a diet with high carbohydrate content, especially carbohydrates of dog foods that are easy to process and digest.

In this sense, there are two kinds of carbohydrates, both have a plant origin and have specific functions within the animal body.

• Digestible carbohydrates: They are digestible carbohydrates and are used by the animal body, namely there are two:
  • Lactose: It is the one in milk and must be offered prudence, since an excess can cause alterations in the digestive system and it is necessary to know that adult animals have a predisposition to develop intolerance to this compound.
  • Starch: It is the vehicle for the transformation of glucose. It serves to contribute energy to the most important organs such as brain and heart. Within the body, enzymes such as pancreatic amylase make the starch release glucose.
• Non -digestible carbohydrates: This type of carbohydrates has the particular function of regulating and directing the intestinal transit of the animal, this kind of carbohydrates does not remain within the body but it is very useful because it helps the dog to expel intestinal waste and do so much easier.

Digestible carbohydrates are available in rice, barley, corn and oatmeal, all foods that have 60% starches.

Something that is necessary to take into consideration is that excess energy caused by a poorly balanced diet in terms of nutrients can have undesirable consequences in our pet, mainly:

• Obesity
• Cardiovascular problems
• Decrease in defenses
• Joint problems
• Bone problems
• Predisposition to overweight in puppies

As you can see, Carbohydrates excessively provided in the canine diet can become responsible for health damage of the animal and that we can avoid by choosing the most appropriate food for its requirements.

Importance of carbohydrates in canine feeding

The use of carbohydrates as an energy source represents an advantage for both the food manufacturer and the consumer, mainly associated with the cost. It is much cheaper to use carbohydrates as a source of energy than what would use energy sources of animal origin.

It is for that reason that carbohydrates are so common in dog feed, because they allow to add texture and shape food and therefore allow them to be much easier to consume and digest. Carbohydrates are important in the diet but they cannot abuse them, the concentration in food should not overcome the 30%, otherwise the animal will be prone to suffering various complications, so in general the intake of them must be balanced.

Carbohydrates are important in canine food For the reasons that we have explained above, But they cannot be the base with which a dog feeds, they should only be a balanced part of the daily diet. That is why it is necessary feed our pets with premium quality feed, that in their nutritional table show a percentage of carbohydrates that are around the 30% and that the amount of proteins is higher than that of carbohydrates.

It is always necessary to take into account that dogs are carnivorous animals and therefore, or organism is prepared to function by transforming protein into energy. Although they have the ability to transform carbohydrates, it is really not the type of energy source that must be preferred, due to the potential negative health consequences.

The main consequence of carbohydrates is that they become very easily glucose, a simple sugar that circulates in excess in the blood can lead to diabetes, a condition that puts the quality and expectation of the life of the dog at risk. In addition to that, excess carbohydrates can cause digestion problems that are often manifested in excess of gases, stomach torsion, vomiting and diarrhea, product of excess bacteria caused by excess carbohydrates in the diet.

It is necessary to select the food that possesses the best balance between proteins and carbohydrates as a source of energy. Here you can see how our feed fulfill the required and appropriate characteristics for the correct dog feed.