Stauntonvale Gundogs

High protein, medium fat, low carb? Whatever happened to 'virtually fat free'?!!... Laura Hill explores a biologically appropriate approach to feeding dogs.

Dogs have been a companion to humans for thousands of years. However, despite the dog's long association with humans and its domestication, it evolved as a hunter and still shares 99% of its DNA with the wolf. And, although we like to humanise our faithful companion, a dog's nutritional needs are fundamentally different to our own, based on anatomy and physiology.

Dogs evolved as carnivores, not omnivores. Although the domestic dog has changed dramatically in physical appearance from its wild ancestors, the basic physiology of the modern dog has altered very little with domestication. Dogs are not only capable of eating the food of their wild ancestors, they actually require it for optimum health. Their short digestive tracts and gastrointestinal systems are adapted to metabolise animal flesh and fat, not grains and carbohydrates. In fact, as long as enough protein is given, the dog has no requirement for carbohydrates.

You only get out what you put in
Dogs are very adaptable, but just because they can survive on an omnivorous diet doesn't mean that this is the best diet for them. There's a big difference between 'survive' and 'thrive'.

Running competitive gundogs requires a little more than just the ability to exist! We ask a lot from our dogs, expecting them to perform in all weathers, working in often demanding conditions. For that, they need to be at their peak in physical and mental fitness. I've always believed in putting the best in to get the very best out, and that philosophy runs not only throughout our training programme, but also in the way that we feed our dogs too.

However, most dry dog food manufacturers focus on cost and convenience, when formulating their feeds, at the expense of appropriate nutrition. Pet food makers are producing foods designed primarily for their appeal to consumers (after all, your dog never goes out shopping for itself...). This means focusing on lowest cost and highest convenience, rather than making a food that is most appropriate for the dog.

Dogs aren't designed to eat grain
Grains and carbohydrates are used in dry feeds as an inexpensive source of calories. They're readily available and easy to process, transport and store. The majority of complete dry dog foods contain more than 50% grain, and are high in carbohydrate and relatively low in protein. And, even the so-called 'super premium' and 'holistic' dry dog foods still contain over 40% grain and 40-50% carbohydrate.

Protein is of crucial importance for dogs. It is essential for basic body functions, cellular regeneration, tissue maintenance, hormone and enzyme production, as well as the provision of energy. High quality animal proteins, considered 'complete proteins', contain all of the amino acids essential to dogs, in quantities that match the requirements needed for their overall health, maintenance and growth.

And whilst plants also contain some proteins (eg. corn gluten), they don't contain all of the amino acids in the right proportions to meet a dog's needs. Protein also needs to be in a digestible form for dogs. The short digestive tracts of dogs mean that plant proteins are far less digestible than meat protein.

Yes, but isn't 'low fat' good?
We live in a culture where we are conditioned to think that fat is bad, and 'fat free' is good, right? Yes, for humans, but that simply doesn't apply to dogs. Unlike us, dogs don't suffer from cholesterol problems or heart disease caused by high levels of animal fats.

Fat is an extremely important part of dog nutrition, providing a concentrated supply of energy and essential fatty acids (EFAs) not otherwise synthesized in the body. Dogs metabolise fat just as we metabolise carbohydrates. Fat is their fuel, providing them with the ability to function at their peak. Dogs require a fairly high amount of fats in their diets, and this again, should be sourced from animals not plants.

So, what is the appropriate diet for a dog?
A biologically appropriate diet mirrors the same balance and variety of ingredients that would be eaten in the wild (including meat, bone, fat, organs and vegetables). Biologically appropriate foods are designed to match the digestive capability of dogs. Applied to dry foods, the concept means higher protein, moderate fat, low carbohydrate foods that contain a high proportion of animal ingredients that are processed as little as possible.

At Stauntonvale Gundogs we support the biologically appropriate concept and feed Orijen, which I believe is probably the best dry dog food in the world. Orijen avoids wheat and other grains that dogs are unable to digest (typically used as cheap filler in many other dry pet foods) and has an impressive 70% meat content.

Orijen has been awarded "Pet Food of the Year" by the Glycemic Research Institute, USA, for the second successive year. This global award, presented to the best overall healthiest pet food, is judged on strict criteria including in-depth analysis of the product and its suitability, based on ingredients, glycemic response, diabetic response, anti-aging factors, and biochemical requirements of the species.

Orijen is produced by the aptly named Champion pet foods, an award-winning, family-owned Canadian manufacturer, with a tradition of innovation and quality. They use only fresh regional ingredients (including free range chicken, turkey and eggs, with fish, fruit and vegetables) to produce biologically appropriate foods that promote the peak health of dogs.

For further information on Orijen and nutrition, please use the enquiry form on the Contact Us page, or visit www.orijenpetfoods.co.uk .