How Your Dog's Food Impacts His Gut

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How Your Dog's Food Impacts His Gut​

How Your Dog's Food Impacts His Gut​

Analysis by Dr. Karen Shaw Becker

• January 21, 2022

STORY AT-A-GLANCE​

• A growing body of scientific research shows that raw and lightly cooked diets are easier for dogs to digest than extruded diets (kibble)
• Studies show positive changes in the microbiome of dogs on fresh food diets, and improved overall gut function
• A nutritionally optimal, excellent quality fresh raw or gently cooked diet is always a better choice for pets than highly processed extruded diets
• As with all food categories, there are poor, better and excellent quality lightly cooked brands, so it’s important to thoroughly research the company, ingredients and additives in each product

A 2017 study conducted at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign looked at the effect of 4 different types of diets on the gut microbiome of 8 adult dogs.1 The diets used in the experiment were:

1. Freshpet Vital Balanced Complete Nutrition (CO) – a lightly cooked diet
2. Freshpet Roasted Meals (RM) – also lightly cooked
3. Freshpet Vital Raw (VR) – a raw diet
4. Purina Dog Chow (DC) – an extruded diet (kibble)

The study ran 28 days and the objective was to determine fecal microbiota and metabolite concentrations in each of the dogs. Unsurprisingly, the study results demonstrated that there are indeed differences in gut bacteria depending on what diet dogs are fed.

Fresh, Raw Diets Perform Better Than Kibble​

Study co-author Kelly Swanson, professor of animal and nutritional sciences at the University of Illinois, accurately states that the food dogs eat has a significant affect on the types of microorganisms found in their intestines.

“The quality and chemical composition of the ingredients and nutrient digestibility are key factors,” Kelly told PetfoodIndustry.com.

“That is an important factor in our study because the ingredient list, chemical composition (nutrient profile), and nutrient digestibility was quite different among diets. The mildly cooked and raw diets were generally higher in protein and/or fat and were more digestible than the extruded diet.”2

Based on Swanson’s statement, it appears the lightly cooked and raw diets performed as I would expect them to — they proved easier for the dogs to digest than the ultraprocessed extruded diet. And the PetfoodIndustry.com article makes this observation:

“… despite having a higher fat content than extruded dog food, both lightly cooked and raw diets seemed to reduce blood triglyceride concentration, which would be considered beneficial long term. The biological reason for this is unknown.”

My guess is the lightly cooked and raw diets provide a better balance of biologically assimilable nutrients than the Purina Dog Chow, which is one of the lowest quality, grain-based kibbles on the market, not to mention the reduction of oxidized (heat damaged) fats in less-processed foods, which may contribute to the reduction in the dogs’ blood triglyceride values.

More https://healthypets.mercola.com/sit...e&cid=20220121Z1&mid=DM1086399&rid=1385215113