Canada’s Food Guide.
Good enough for a dog?
Well Canada has finally revealed the revised food guide. A step in the right direction but it will be a long road. There is no one diet or way of eating which suits all individuals let alone organisms. Different species have different nutritional requirements.
For instance, canines have no nutritional requirement for carbohydrates. Most dogs eat a high carbohydrate diet because that is all they are given. It is not as though they can open the fridge and help themselves, well most can’t. Grains are cheap to produce and the parts of plants that are unfit for human consumption go into pet feed. These are stems, stalks, husks, decayed, diseased or other undesirable plant by-products. Don’t let those pretty pictures on the bag fool you.
Unless a pet feed states specifically that it is made from human grade products… IT ISN’T! Feeding Canada’s food guide would certainly be an improvement on feeding toxically and chemically laden kibble, but it does not end there. Canines have specific nutritional requirements that are not fulfilled by the food guide. Thus the NRC ( National Research Council) publishes these requirements. Even Cronometer has a free app for calculating your dog’s balanced dinners.
Canines require high amounts of protein from which they metabolize carbohydrates through gluconeogenesis. Unless a dog is eating a prey model diet, they then need to supplement their vitamin and mineral needs through consuming some vegetables, fruits and carbs. An upcoming post will show you exactly how to do this.
Variety will not give your dog all of their required nutrients, but it is a start. Even if you feed 25% of your dog’s meals in fresh, whole foods (preferably organic) then you are well on your way to a healthier, more vibrant and long-lived best dog friend.