As so many studies have already shown, dogs can easily digest starch (i.e. the plant-based carbohydrate storage unit). They even produce the enzyme in their mouths to begin the digestive process – we are quite sure that many of you have seen the long strings of saliva hanging from your dog’s mouth when they smell something irresistible?
The rest of the starches can then be processed in your dog’s small intestine. Calculations have revealed that they can digest about 99 % of plant-based starch if provided to them in a suitable form.
It is so important to blend or carefully mash any homemade food that is fed to your dog to ensure that all valuable nutrients can be absorbed adequately.
A fascinating study proved how mutations in key genes occurred allowing increased starch digestion in dogs relative to wolves. These results indicate that early ancestors of modern dogs could thrive on a diet rich in starch which was a crucial step in the early domestication of dogs (interesting reading if you required further proof that dogs digest starches).
So please don’t worry about feeding your dog a purely plant-based. As always, the key is a balance of nutrients and taste to keep your dogs healthy and happy!
We did it!
We gathered enough support to finally get our food nutritionally analysed by an expert!
Raw meat dog foods pose an ‘international public health risk’
This antibiotic resistance concern could pose a huge threat to the owners and any family members who may fall ill with a bacterial infection of any sort – what a time bomb waiting to explode!
Sue’s strength to feed Bea a plant-based diet
I was listening to too many people who were telling me how cruel I was being
Coco moves to her third country
After a very quick year of living in Germany, we were posted back to the UK
What are they sniffing?
Our dogs become even more important to us during this time of self-isolation
Jumble loves our food!
“The recipe was really easy and so we want to continue this new healthy and tasty habit so we can have him as long as we can”
Why is Vitamin B12 so important in a dog’s diet?
Is a Vitamin B12 deficiency the reason why your dog eats soil?
Veterinary work during the lockdown
The day proved to be emotionally draining as we all adapted to this very different way of doing veterinary work
It all started with a chicken called Coco…….
How one chicken we loved could turn a vet vegan
Let’s each plant a vegetable patch
With schools and universities now shut, this is the perfect time to plan your vegetable garden as a family and spend some quality, valuable moments together
Am I alone wanting to feed a vegan diet to my dog?
An online survey in 2019 revealed that around one in three owners may be willing to consider switching to a vegan diet for their pet in the future
STOP using FLEA DROPS on your pets!
It has been shown very recently that the use of regular flea drops on our pets is having a disastruous effect on our fragile ecosystem – killing off bees, our riverlife and our insects!
