Our domestic predators have lived side by side with a man for a long time and, as a result of artificial selection and changed conditions of detention, have adapted to the new diet regime. Practically, dogs have become omnivores, in addition to meat products, they need vegetables, porridges, and dairy products. In principle, no matter how painful the owners are with the composition of the ration, dogs can eat everything, but how will this affect their health? Even after learning the taste of “human” food and eating it with pleasure, the dogs remain predators, the anatomy and physiology of their digestive system remained the same, adapted to digesting and assimilating mainly animal feed with a high protein content.
This means that meat products are an important component of their diet. If the diet is inadequate in the quantity and quality of nutrients, the dog’s body can compensate for a while with a shortage from its reserves. But in the future such feeding will lead to deterioration of health and illnesses.
Strictly speaking, categorical prohibitions on the use of certain foods by dogs for food are unjustified. The vast majority of food “taboos” are nothing more than stereotypes. From year to year, they roam in popular cynological publications, are supported by veterinarians, are passed from mouth to mouth by breeders and “seasoned” dog breeders, but are by no means confirmed by the results of serious scientific research.
For example, in many popular manuals there is a prohibition on the use of potatoes. But this is only valid for those animals who are deficient in the enzyme amylase. The rest of the dogs with great pleasure absorb the boiled potatoes without any sad consequences for the stomach. Potato is also the basis of the diet when prescribing an exclusive diet to confirm the diagnosis of food allergy. The ban on the consumption of corn and beans is motivated by the fact that these products are allegedly not digested by animals and can even cause vomiting. However, most dry feeds include ground maize, soy concentrate or soybeans. These mixtures were developed by specialists on the basis of studying the assimilation of various products.
Milk, causing indigestion in some dogs, is well assimilated by many others. Well, the horror story of all times and peoples: dry food can not be confused with the natural. There are no biochemical or physiological reasons for such a ban, and this is confirmed by thousands and thousands of dogs of all breeds successfully grown on such a “criminal” diet. Examples can continue indefinitely.
