Stinky stools? Scratchy Skin? Pink Paws? Wired Woofer?
The History:
Today's blog will cover feeding your furry friend and the impact diet can have on not just condition but behaviour. We will be discussing this in an accessible manner with as little jargon as possible.
The logical place for many discussing nutrition is to start at the beginning-that is the place and time where dogs came to us and we began feeding them. It's hotly debated exactly what the first domestic dogs ate, but largely the view is meat scraps and prey animals they killed with other leavings from their newly acquired human companions. So simply speaking, a mostly meat based diet with other veg and plant matter cast off or purposefully given by humans.
This diet was largely unchanged for the majority of their domestication and into more recent times. They consumed more starches as our diet began changing with novel grains and means to process different cereals came to exist, but the majority was still largely meat, be it cooked or raw. Often they were given a stew like meal, and some dogs such as working huskies in colder climes are still fed similarly. Poorer households in this period would often feed higher quantities of starches such as bread and potato peelings, but these dogs were typically in poor condition and had short life spans.
Kibble and tinned food is a much more recent invention. A man named Spratt observed sailors throwing hard tack or "ship's biscuits" (A ration provision for when food stores ran dry on ship) onto the dock on arrival in England and the local strays flocking to eat them. This prompted a clever money maker-dog food that was dry, cheap and easy to store for months like hard tack for sailors. Meal Fibrine Dog Cakes came to the British market in 1860 and the beginning of modern day kibble started here, only 158 years ago. In the 1940s wet tinned food took over and dominated the market. Horse meat was the biggest component and horses were being bred and sold just for dog meat, but the looming war and rationing meant fresh meat was once more for humans only.
Post war recovery meant meat was back on Fido's menu but in 1964 the Pet Food Institute, a lobbying group for the now gigantic pet food industry, paid for questionable reports to be published showing that dogs should only be fed packaged food meant for dogs. An action that carries on to this day.
The Science:
Next we'll take a look at biology. What is a dog actually MEANT to eat? Dogs are from the family canidae and order carnivora. By definition they are considered one of the carnivorous species but what evidence supports this?
Let's look tooth to tail: Their dental shape, movement and position is tailored to ripping, tearing and biting chunks. They lack any side to side movement or large flat molars for grinding and chewing. Also within their mouth; they lack salivary amylase-an enzyme to break down plant matter. Next the gastrointestinal tract. It's short with highly acidic pH. The amylase we mentioned before is much lower in the digestive tract which means they can process plant matter but with less efficiency than a true omnivore or herbivore where breakdown begins in the mouth. Grain and cereal lead to larger stools due to this inefficient digestion which removes only some of the nutritional value for use.
So what does this all mean? In short, it tells us that dogs are carnivorous with a slight ability
to digest plant matter. This specific ability means the dog is known as a facultative carnivore. They can in times of need, process plant matter and survive upon it, but it shouldn't be the major component of their diet and indeed for many grain and cereal are irritants and should be completely avoided.
What does Fido find favourable then? A diet high in meat (Not necessarily protein, as the two are not synonymous) and low or completely void of cereal or grain, possibly with a small portion (5% approx) beneficial plant matter is what most nutritionists suggest. Many are returning to a more "natural" diet based on feeding close to what dogs would naturally predate. Raw or Biologically Appropriate feeding is rising massively in popularity, and many report significant improvement in condition and health. Indeed with proper balance, the raw diet is a very good choice. If you prefer a packaged food, kibble should be as high meat content as possible. 70% as a minimum with named sources and grain and cereal free. Wet food in trays or tins are often very high in water and costly to feed as the actual nutrition content is surprisingly low. There are a few better types, and again, it's advised to seek out high percentage meat content and avoid fillers.
So How Does Food Impact Behaviour and Condition?
So what about condition and behaviour then? Ever notice your dog does massive, soft and really pungent poops? Ever find they're inconsistently coloured or slimy? Unpleasant as it is, stools are a wonderful indicator of overall digestive health. Colour, form and ability to pass stools can tell a lot.
So what should it look like? (This bit gets a bit grim I'm afraid, but informative!) Well a healthy stool from a Kibble or Packaged diet food will aim to be dark brown or chestnut coloured. It should be a firm, lumpy sausage shape, without leaving any trace on surface or bag when picking up. It should be shiny but not greasy or gooey looking. That shine is a dog naturally expressing the anal glands which often doesnt happen if stools are too soft, requoring the vet to manually express them. Importantly, good stools shouldn't make you gag! Smell can often be tell tale of poor nutrition or absorption. Poop should also pretty much never be more than a handful, even in large breeds. Small breeds should be leaving tiny poops behind. The more they excrete, the more poor or wasted nutrition and that's a guide that your food isn't getting used well by your dog.
The Poop Colour Wheel:
Yellow or orange stools can indicate food moved too quickly through the gut, or liver issues or enzymatic issues such as EPI. Black can be too much liver or upper GI bleeding. Green could be too much greens or call bladder concern. Grey can indicate pancreatic issues. One of the most worrisome looking but typically least concerning is streaks or drops of blood. If they strain a little too hard, a few drops of blood may be present. It's usually completely harmless but if it continues check it out. The other issues are more important go get checked quickly. Be aware that colourful food can cause colourful stools. This isn't necessarily an indicator of I'll health but shows that it's perhaps not the best nutrition as pollutants have the same effect on dogs as children.
Skin Stories:
Does your dog have flaky skin/dandruff? Do They itch often or chew and lick their feet (this often turns pale coats pinkish red)? Is it thin and dusty? Do your fingers have a coating after scratching or petting? Are their gums, ears or skin around eyes red? Do they get regular yeast infections? All of these can be indicators of food related issues. Generally a higher quantity of oily fish, fattier meats and ridding the diet of cereals and grain can help alleviate these (although specific allergies may be present which may require tailored diet if food related) Slightly off topic but too regular bathing or using too harsh cleansers on the dog can also cause skin and coat issues as dogs will produce excess oils if the coat is washed of them. Regular daily brushing even in short coats can also help. Ear infections and yeast issues are often caused by beet products in food and again, excess carbs as sugars feed yeast.
And finally, behaviour:
Behaviourally, like mentioned before, dogs are affected by colouring and additives just as children are. It can make them hyperactive, neurotic or more likely to respond aggressively. Food with high protein used to be blamed for excess energy and often still is, however, unless artificially enhanced (which some are) then any excess protein is more likely to make for larger stools as unused protein is excreted. This may however put strain on kidneys. The carbohydrate aspect is of larger concern behaviourally as it is turned into sugars and sugars mean energy. A large portion of hyperactive dogs I encounter are fed high carb diets and although this may not fix the issue, it's often a big step in the right direction.
This discussion is not exhaustive, and many more things are there to discuss. We will revisit the topic in a later blog.
But for now, if you have any questions about diet, skin, coat or behaviour, just call on 01738 623299 or email training@perthpetcare.co.uk