Introduction
Curiously I googled whether Dogs are Omnivores or Carnivores, I was genuinely shocked at the answer.
For years, the pet food industry has been telling us that canines are omnivores, and this is embraced as the truth.
But recent studies have shown that dogs are undeniably carnivores who have a somewhat adaptive metabolism.
The Dog is Undeniably a Carnivore
The proof is in the “pudding”
Just look at a Dogs sharp and pointed canine teeth, perfect for tearing and chewing meat. Unlike humans, who have molars designed for grinding plant matter, dogs have no molars at all.
Along with their lack of molars, dogs also produce different digestive enzymes to us two-legged omnivores. As you’d expect a dog's enzymes are aimed towards the quick digestion of meat and even the ability to dissolve some bone.
To be fair the ability to digest bone can vary from dog to dog and is often influenced by a dog's current diet. So, if you plan on adding bone (as a new addition) to your dog's diet, it’s best to consult your vet. Then if they agree, provide small amounts slowly, over the course of a few weeks to give the stomach's PH levels time to adjust.
Dogs have short digestive systems, depending on the breed three to six feet (91cm to 180cm - compared to a human's 9 metres). This is among the shortest of all mammals, taking around 8 hours to digest food. This is an adaptation that carnivores have to digest their diets efficiently and to minimise the time pathogenic bacteria or parasites have to establish themselves.
One more important difference between dogs and Omnivores is something called their “coefficient of fermentation”. The main process of digestion in both omnivores and herbivores is the ability to ferment plant matter through the digestive process.
Fermentation happening in our guts is how we extract many of the nutrients from plant foods that we eat.
Dogs have a very low coefficient of fermentation, for a start their short digestive tracts don't allow enough time for fermentation to occur, and that is combined with different digestive enzymes and gut bacteria compared to omnivores or herbivores.
It’s easy to see that dogs are carnivores. But what about the fact they can eat a variety of foods, including some plant matter?
Semi-Carnivorous
This is where the term “semi-carnivorous” comes in.
Picture a scale from herbivore to omnivore to carnivore, an animal can fall at any point along the scale between omnivore to carnivore.
Despite what some modern diet trends try to say (carnivore diets I’m looking at you!) - Us humans are omnivores, from our teeth to digestive length and ability to ferment foods as we digest them.
Cats on the other hand are what’s known as true carnivores, you can imagine dogs along the line being much closer to cats than we are but still able to process some plant matter.
Dogs evolved scavenging and hunting alongside humans, this has enabled them to digest and process a variety of foods, including some plant matter. This is because they have an adaptive metabolism, which to a limited level allows them to consume and absorb more than just meat.
This adaptive metabolism is believed to have evolved over time due to their long history of evolving alongside humans, scavenging and consuming whatever sources of sustenance they could find. This allowed dogs to expand their diets beyond just meat and to include some plants.
The key do a dogs adaptive metabolism involves just three genes and the
Did Canine Genes Evolve to Aid with Processing Carbs?
A study in 2013 identified around 19 sets of genes which separate modern dogs from the wolf. Just a couple of these genes are the key to why dog's can process some starches and carbohydrates.
These genes mainly give dogs the ability to produce certain digestive enzymes that enable them to break down starches and carbohydrates into sugars so they can use them for energy.
However just because they can digest some carbs for energy doesn’t mean they’re able to extract all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals they need from plant matter, we do this through longer fermentation times in our guts.
The first gene is related to the amylase enzyme, which helps the dog to break down and absorb carbohydrates. The second gene is related to the enzyme maltase, which helps the dog to absorb maltose, a type of sugar.
Two breeds were identified by the study as lacking at least one of these genes and they are the WestHighland White Terriers and the Chinese Crested dog.
My un-scientific opinion, or theory is that it's also important to consider the history of your dogs breed and it's evolutionary environment, the study identifying those genes was carried out on a limited number of unidentified dog breeds, it's possible that breeds such as the Siberian Husky and other arctic and spits breeds still have more in common with the wolf due to the available food sources in their evolutionary environment.
The Omnivore to Carnivore Scale
The omnivore to carnivore scale is a measure of how closely related an animal is to a carnivore or an omnivore. On this scale, dogs are closest to cats, which are considered to be true carnivores. This is due to the fact that cats and dogs both have sharp, pointed teeth and short digestive systems, which are adaptations that carnivores have to digest their diets efficiently.
It's clear that a dogs dietary needs are closer to a cats, yet unlike cats they do have some evolutionary adaptations that enable them to better process some plant matter and carbohydrates.
The Pet Food Industry Make Money Saying Dogs are Omnivores
Not only did dogs evolve alongside us but at some point we started capturing them and keeping them in confined quarters where they have to completely rely on us for their food and nutrition needs.
Unfortunately, this complete reliance on us for their food puts dogs at the mercy of the pet food industry. This industry has been making money telling people that dogs are omnivores.
That they should be fed a diet of both plant and animal food. This is simply not true.
Dogs are carnivores and should be fed an appropriate diet of meat and animal-based foods supplemented with some plant matter.
Feeding a dog a diet that is not reflective of their true nature can have serious health consequences.
So Many Diseases and Health Problems in Dogs Due to Commercial Diets
Commercial diets are filled with fillers, preservatives, artificial ingredients, and other unhealthy substances.
These substances can cause many health problems in dogs, including obesity, diabetes, cancer, joint and other inflammation, digestive issues, dental problems and allergies.
It’s important to feed your dog an appropriate diet that is reflective of their true nature.
Conclusion
It’s clear that dogs are undeniably carnivores, but unlike true carnivores such as cats they have a somewhat adaptive metabolism making them scavenger carnivores.
Dogs have sharp, pointed teeth and short digestive systems, which are adaptations that carnivores have to digest their diets efficiently.
Dogs have a lower coefficient of fermentation than humans, which means they can’t break down and absorb nutrients from plant matter very effectively. Yet they do have a couple of genes which enable them to process some starches and carbs into energy.
The pet food industry has been making money telling people that dogs are omnivores, that they should be fed a diet of both plant and animal food. This is simply not true.
Dogs are carnivores and should be fed an appropriate diet of mostly meat and animal-based foods and only supplemented with some plant based foods.
Feeding your dog a diet that is not reflective of their true nature can have serious health consequences including obesity, diabetes, cancer, joint and other inflammation, digestive issues, dental problems and allergies.
Do your own research, read further than what the big money making industries say and provide your dog with the nutrition they need to stay healthy and happy.
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