Meyer, H., Zentek, J.: Ernährung des Hundes: Grundlagen – Fütterung – Diätetik. 6. Auflage, Enke 2010
Common-feeding-mistakes
Common feeding mistakes
You always want the best for your dog – and of course that also applies to their food.
The closer you look at the topic of healthy dog nutrition, the more often you will probably encounter different and sometimes contradictory opinions, often including nutritional errors. We will take you through the minefield of pet nutrition and reveal the most common mistakes.
Myth No. 1: 'Dogs need mainly meat because they are descended from wolves.'
It is true that today’s pet dogs are descended from wolves, and that wolves are primarily carnivorous. It is also true that dogs need meat for their proper diet. But feeding your dog only meat is not appropriate and is one of the most common mistakes. Domestic dogs have adapted to different feeding habits over thousands of years of living with humans, as evidenced by the fact that dogs, for example, can metabolise carbohydrates much better than a wolf.
Your dog’s daily life is very different from that of a wolf. Your dog doesn’t have to hunt its prey, and it does much less physical activity than its wild ancestors. Therefore, it requires much less protein, fat, and energy. So your dog’s food should contain meat, but a diet too high in meat may pose health risks to your dog’s kidneys and liver. It’s also about achieving the right mix/mix of protein, carbohydrates, fats, fiber, minerals and vitamins.
Common-feeding-mistakes
Myth No. 2: ‘Grain is a cheap filler in food and triggers allergies.’
Grain often gets bad press when it comes to nutrition. Some people claim grain has properties that trigger allergies, while others think it has a negative effect on conditions such as diabetes or arthritis. But in fact there is no scientific evidence for these claims. Furthermore, only 5 per cent of allergies are attributed to food ingredients. Grains are an important source of nutrients – in addition to carbohydrates as an energy source, they also contain protein, fibre and important trace elements and vitamins. Fibre forms the basis for optimal functioning of the intestines and healthy intestinal flora.
Myth No. 3: ‘High meat content in the food means high quality.’
Why High meat content is not a criterion for quality dog food? First, there are special formulas, such as renal diets or pet food for elderly dogs. Which should not contain high levels of protein. Secondly, the term meat is not clearly defined. Each pet food manufacturer can interpret it differently. While we may understand meat as pure meat or muscle meat. A butcher considers meat to be any part of a slaughtered animal that is fit for human consumption. E.g. the skin, bacon fat, soup bones, oxtail, and organs such as the tongue, heart, or liver.
In terms of dog nutrition, it makes sense that it’s not just muscle meat, but also other items. Wolves, compared to dogs today, eat almost every part of their prey, so pure muscle meat is only a small part of their diet. There is also an important difference in whether the meat content mentioned refers to fresh or dried ingredients (e.g., lamb or dried lamb). Fresh ingredients contain higher levels of water, so the meat content may appear higher at first glance. The best way to determine the animal protein percentage is the total animal protein percentage of total protein to compare different products. This is often used and mentioned by manufacturers as a quality standard. Keep in mind that this crude protein content includes plant protein as well as animal protein.
Common-feeding-mistakes
Myth No. 4: ‘BARF is healthier for dogs’
There is no scientific evidence that BARF (Bones And Raw Food or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) is healthier in general terms for dogs. As with any diet, not all dogs can tolerate a raw food diet. Also, not every dog likes to eat their food raw. There is also the risk of overburdening the kidneys and liver if the diet contains too much protein. In fact, research has shown that 9 out of 10 home-prepared BARF rations have varying degrees of nutritional deficiencies. Your dog can only get the nutrients it needs (adjusted according to age, breed, gender, etc), if the ratio of meat, offal, vegetables, fruit and oils are tailored to its exact needs. If you want to work out the suitable BARF ration for your dog, it is advisable to consult an expert, to avoid making mistakes with your dog’s nutrition.
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Myth No. 5: ‘By giving the right food you can avoid allergies in your dog.’
In principle, your dog could develop an allergy to any ingredient in the food or to almost any other substance in its environment. Looking at all cases of allergic reactions, dog allergies to food ingredients are fairly rare. For an allergy to develop, the system must have had contact with the allergen at least once, that is, the dog can only have an allergic reaction to an ingredient that it has eaten. If you avoid a specific ingredient from the start, your dog may not develop an allergy to that ingredient, but it may do to all the other ingredients in the food. It therefore doesn’t make sense to avoid a specific food ingredient, without a specific (medical) reason.
Myth No. 6: ‘Beet pulp is an indication that the food is high in sugar’
Beet molasses. Dissolved beet molasses must be distinguished from undissolved beet molasses. After the sugar is removed, soluble fibre remains, which supports the growth of stable intestinal flora and stool consistency. What does low-sugar beet molasses mean? To illustrate the answer, here’s an example: A 100g portion of dry dog food contains only 0.2g of sugar. In other words, the sugar content is so low that it is often included in diabetic diets.
Myth No. 7: ‘Cold pressed food is better, because the nutrients are not heated to such high temperatures.’
With cold press processes, temperatures about of up to 82°C are used. Finely ground raw materials are pressed using pressure. This results in hard and heavy feed balls. An obvious disadvantage of this process is that the choice of raw material for this process is technically limited. In addition, the raw material must be heated to a high temperature before the cold pressing process to ensure the destruction of germs. When croquettes are produced using higher temperatures (hot extrusion), the ingredients are heated to around 130°C for a short time.
This makes the process not only characterised by the selection of suitable raw materials but also by the fact, that the carbohydrates in the food are very well degraded, so your dog can optimally benefit from them. You can recognise the shape of a croquette by its bulge and pores. These pores also facilitate the penetration of digestive juices. Thanks to this heating process, food can be stored for a longer period of time, as any germs are killed by the heating. Vitamins, trace elements and minerals that are not sufficiently contained in the raw materials, must be supplemented in both production processes.
Common-feeding-mistakes
Myth No. 8: ‘Animal by-products are sub-standard waste.’
Any animal products processed during the manufacture of pet foods are strictly regulated by food legislation. And consist mainly of muscle meat, internal organs, skin, connective tissue, gristle and bone. This means they are much more in line with your dog’s natural diet than pure meat. Furthermore, the use of animal products according to food legislation makes sense from an ethical and ecological point of view. Since as much of the slaughtered animal as possible is used. As a matter of principle, any parts of a slaughtered animal which are hazardous to health are not permitted to be used in animal feed.
Mythos 9: „Hunde müssen sich nicht die Zähne putzen.“
It is advisable to take care of your dog’s teeth. This is because dental issues and tartar in dogs can have serious consequences. Bacteria in dental tartar leads to gingivitis and over time in the long term, the gums recede, leading to the risk of tooth loss. However, bacteria in the oral cavity are not only locally harmful, but can also reach other body organs such as the liver, kidneys, heart and lungs via the blood, causing damage to them.
So what can you do to prevent dental issues in your dog? Ideally, you should get your dog used to dental care right from the start. For example, you can use a finger or brush your dog’s teeth with a brush and special toothpaste for dogs. However, tartar may build up over time. For more, consult your vet when it’s time for a proper dental cleaning.
Common-feeding-mistakes
Sources
Kohn, B., Schwarz G.: Praktikum der Hundeklinik. 12. Ausgabe, Thieme 2017
Happy Dog Dry Food– Made in Germany
Common-feeding-mistakes
