Dogs evolved directly from the timber wolf somewhere around 15,000 years ago and have recently been reclassified as Canis lupus familaris placing it in the same species as the grey wolf, Canis lupus. This means that by all scientific and evolutionary history, a dog is simply a domesticated wolf. Wolves, are carnivores, and by their genetic pedigree dogs also have carnivorous traits such as their teeth and digestive system. However in spite of this natural carnivorous design dogs have managed to continue evolving over the years sometimes surviving on nothing but the scraps they find which can be meat or non-meat products thus overtime it has been proven that canines are fully capable of thriving on a variety of foods and still staying healthy. It is important for pet owners to understand that dogs have the ability to eat an extremely diverse diet and such should be practiced. They have significant omnivorous ability however their bodies are also optimized to eat and digest meat.
A dog’s teeth or fangs as many people like to call them are narrow and pointy and meant for grabbing and puncturing, incisors are for nibbling, premolars for tearing, molars for crushing bone, and their jaws can only move up and down in a chopping motion, which is a helpful combination for cutting meat into smaller chunks to digest it properly. Simply put dogs do not really chew or grind, they chop or shred. Whereas if you think of your typical herbivore such as a cow, they chew their cud from side to side and have broad, flat teeth in the back which are ideal for grinding grains and plant material into finer particles. True omnivores (humans) share this combination of boxy back teeth and the sideways grinding motion that herbivores have.
Something to keep in mind is that dogs do not digest carbohydrates very well. This is due to the fact that their enzymes unlike herbivores and omnivores are produced further down the digestive track in the small intestine. Without Amylase, (the enzyme plant eating animals produce in their saliva that is needed to initiate the breakdown of starchy carbohydrates) a carnivore’s digestion of carbohydrates is more difficult. Thus feeding a dog starchy carbohydrates can place a lot of unnecessary strain on the pancreas.
Since carnivores consume fewer but larger meals they have bigger and highly elastic stomachs designed to hold large quantities of meat, bone, organs and hide. Having this kind of stomach also means that they exhibit a higher concentration of stomach acid than herbivores or omnivores do. This allows for faster digestion of animal protein. The stronger acid kills the disease causing bacteria in decaying meat and also allows for digesting large chunks of meat and even pieces of raw bone.
Today’s dog food marketplace only does more to prove the dog’s adaptive ability when it comes to their diet. Some foods feature meat while others feature only vegetables, while some foods feature both. A variety of dog foods are even made entirely of cereal grains and beans. The large variety of options available can often make it difficult for pet owners to decide on a product however taking a few things into consideration can be helpful. First of all meat-based products are closer to a dog’s natural ancestral diet.
Some pet owners prefer not to feed their dog kibble or raw food scraps and instead like to “spoil” their dog by cooking them special meals. Some may even be under the impression that this is the healthier choice in feeding their beloved Fido. However what many don’t realize and something that is extremely important to know is that when cooking these meals the heat breaks down vitamins and amino acids in the food and also can produce undesirable cross-linkages in proteins especially meat proteins. In fact at one hundred and ten degrees Fahrenheit two of the eight essential amino acids, tryptophan, and lysine are destroyed. Raw food is better for dogs as it does not lack the proper vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Bones are also a good raw food for dogs to have as they help clean the teeth and scrape away bacteria remaining that can cause disease.
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