We all know that there are certain foods that dogs just can’t eat, including toxic options like chocolate. There are other foods, however, that while not lethal, can lead to a range of health and digestive issues for your canine friend. As a pet owner, you may be wondering what you can and can’t feed your dog. But you also might be wondering what foods you can feed them to protect against certain health conditions.
A team of researchers have discovered that there are certain dietary trends that, if followed from the puppy stage onward, could have a beneficial impact a dog’s gastrointestinal health, even offering protection against certain gastrointestinal disorders. Researchers describe this dietary approach in a recent article published in Scientific Reports.
Specifically, the team identified three key components of a diet that could offer protective benefits to dogs:
- Non-processed meat, which included raw red meat, animal organs, and eggs, as well as certain fruits and vegetables,
- Human/table food leftovers
- Raw bones
Data used to identify these dietary components was pulled from the DogRisk questionnaire, which began collecting data in 2009. The questionnaire collected two pieces of information: a dog’s diet throughout their life and owner-reported cases of chronic enteropathy, a gastrointestinal condition that causes diarrhea, vomiting, and other symptoms. The goal was to connect diet to incidence rates of chronic enteropathy later in dog’s life. Overall, researchers had a data on the diets of about 4,600 puppies and 3900 older dogs.
When compared to a more traditional, processed, kibble-based diet, researchers found that a non-processed meat diet contribute to a roughly 20% lower risk of dogs developing chronic enteropathy later in life.
Researchers also found that feeding a puppy raw bone occasionally decreased the risk of chronic enteropathy by nearly 33%.
More longitudinal studies examining the effects of diet over a dog’s lifetime are needed to confirm these results.
Sources: Eurekalert!; Scientific Reports