These days more and more gun dog owners are asking questions about proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and other dog food nutrients. It is reassuring to know people want straight answers and are serious about supplying their hunting partners with the best nutrition possible. It is a confusing retail world out there with hundreds of dog foods to choose from. It is also long overdue that I put together a sort of "cliff's notes" or pocket guide to better help the dog food consumer.
Proteins are the basic building blocks of life. Protein intake ensures cells, tissues, organs, enzymes, hormones and antibodies are digested for growth, maintenance, reproduction, repair and energy. Meat proteins such as chicken, lamb, turkey, beef, bison, venison, duck, and fish have complete amino acid profiles. That simple means they contain all of the amino acids your dog needs. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, and are divided into essential and non-essential amino acids. Essential amino acids are ones that cannot be manufactured by the body in sufficient quantities and must be supplied in the working dogs diet. Examples of essential amino acids are carnitine, arginine and lysine. Non-essential amino acids are ones that your dog can produce naturally in sufficient quantities. Protein levels for working gun dogs should be right around 30% give or take the amount of activity. That percentage can be found right on the bag in the guaranteed analysis. But buyer beware! An advertised 30% protein rating can be misleading. Some manufacturers use vegetable based protein gluten, a.k.a. "corn gluten" to boost the protein rating. Because of vegetable gluten's composition it leads to an inherent lack of digestibility. Most of the "advertised" protein content will be eaten and excreted by your dog with very little nutritional protein absorption ever taking place.
Fats are the most concentrated form of food energy for dogs. Fats provide your gun dog with more than twice the energy of proteins or carbohydrates! Fats are essential in the structure of cells and are needed for the production of some hormones. They are also required for absorption and utilization of fat-soluble vitamins like vitamins A, D, and E. The correct balance of fats can be found in top rated healthy dog food. Importantly, fats supply fatty acids which dogs need for a multitude of reasons—from helping to provide healthier skin and coat to reducing inflammation in joints. Dogs can produce some of the fatty acids they need, but not all of them so these "essential" fatty acids must be supplied by their diet. Essential fatty acids are divided into two groups—Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. Ingredients like chicken fat and sunflower oil are great sources of Omega-6 fatty acids while flax seed, herring oil and salmon oil are key sources of Omega-3 fatty acids. Fats should range around 20% and like Protein, can be found right on the guaranteed analysis portion normally located on the back or side of the bag. Again, like protein, this can be a higher or lower percentage given your dogs needs. It all depends on what you feel your dog must intake given their active level. The base range for a highly active sporting breed is around a 30% Protein/20% Fat mix diet so use that as your base line in judgement.
Carbohydrates are another source of energy for dogs. Unlike human marathon runners who scarf down plates of pasta before a big race, dogs rely on carb's as only a minor source of "boost" energy. Think of your dogs gas tank burning like this; fat first, protein second(unused protein gets stored as fat so the cycle continues). Carb's role in a dog's metabolism is to covert it to Glucose and pack a quick, immediate energy source that is very rapidly burned off. Whole grains such as, brown rice, barley and oats, are all low-fat sources of highly-digestible complex carbohydrates. Whole grains are also a rich source of dietary fiber which is crucial for healthy intestinal function. Whole grains are also helpful with the common problems of constipation in dogs, which can be caused by a diet that is lacking in fiber. Notice how we did not mention whole corn, wheat or soy? These are all low grade grains and contribute as only a minor source of glucose conversion.
Vitamin A helps promote healthy bones, teeth, coat, skin, eyes, and mucous membranes. Vitamin A is important to the immune system and has been known to help ward off or fight respiratory infections
Vitamin B12 is necessary for proper growth and used to treat some types of nerve damage and pernicious anemia. B12 is also helpful in the recovery process our canine athletes endure during times of hunting or sporting related exercise.
Vitamin C is the world's most potent antioxidant immune booster. It is known to help prevent bacterial, viral and degenerative diseases such as arthritis, diabetes, auto immune disease and cancer. Vitamin C is water soluble and can lose potency when exposed to high temperatures. A favorite dog treats is baby carrots. I highly suggest trying them as a low cost/ great source of Vitamin C, Vitamin B, Potassium, and Calcium for your own dog(s). I would further suggest buying the organic/no preservative version as they are free of pesticides.
Vitamin D promotes skin, bone, connective tissue and heart health. It is necessary for the proper absorption and utilization of calcium and phosphorus. Just like your mother always said...drink your milk for strong bones...a strong supply of the Big "D" is an essential for your working gun dog.
Vitamin E is another valuable antioxidant that helps improve circulation and cardiac output.
Mixed Tocopherols are a natural preservative made from Vitamin E and found in all premium foods. Tocopherols are a good thing to see on an ingredient list. Watch out for harmful synthetic preservatives such as BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin, or propylene glycol that provide no nutritional value and have been associated with possible toxic side effects. FYI, synthetic preservative are used by low grade dog food companies because they are cheap!
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| Dempsey at 8 week old. Jan 2010. Started on a super premium, natural high performance food. |
Ingredients to look for...
There are not many dog food companies who add true Probiotics(healthy bacteria cultures to aid in digestion) Think of it like Actevia yogurt for dogs(you know the Jaime Lee Curtis commercials!) There are a few companies out there that add Probiotic cultures so when researching look for ingredients like Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Bacillus Subtilis, Bifidobacterium Thermophilum, Bifidobacterium Longum and Enterococcus Faecium. Each of these are active dehydrated cultures added after processing. They are activated on ingesting the food and help to maintain normal bacteria balance in the lower intestine. They aid in digestion and reduce the occurrence of diarrhea, contributing to colon and rectum health. The dog food companies who add active bacteria cultures for healthy digestion are the companies who truly separate themselves from the pack. Rest assured, their first concern is your dogs health, not their profit margin!
Many manufactures now add Prebiotics. Prebiotics are, in layman's terms, health food to help boost naturally preexisting Probiotic cultures already active in your dog's digestive system. Natural prebiotics are complex carbohydrates added to the ingredients of the food during the manufacturing process. The food is then eaten by your dog releasing the prebiotics or their technical term Fructo Oligo Sacharides(FOS). Finding a food with either(pre or probiotics) is a step in the right direction to a healthy dog! Please note, both Probiotic and Prebiotic ingredients are very low in actual volume so on the foods ingredient they are normally found towards the bottom.
It would be also helpful to look for foods that include high levels of potent Antioxidants such as cranberries and blueberries or other known anitoxidents. Why? Some free radicals arise normally during metabolism. The canine’s body’ immune system cells purposefully create them to neutralize and help ward off viruses and bacteria. Environmental factors such as pollution, radiation, cigarette smoke and herbicides can also spawn free radicals. Normally, the canine body can handle free radicals, but if antioxidants are unavailable, or if the free-radical production becomes excessive, damage can occur over time to your dog's health and well being. If the food you currently feed doesn't contain any antioxidents is also possible to supplement with fresh the fresh fruits listed above. Funny side story; Many years ago I had a Gordon Setter named Rocky. He would walk around our picking and eat blackberries right off the vine. I guess he was way a head of his time!
Chelated Minerals. Do your research by manufacturer to find out if this very important factor is included in the formula of their food. Important minerals such as zinc, copper, and iron in your dogs diet are obviously needed. Those minerals "alone" are very hard for a dog to digest, therefore they do not absorb them completely. If they are "chelated", which means they are chemically attached to a protein molecule it "magically" makes them much easier for a dog to digest more effeciently. And that my friends...is how magic happens in the molecular world of canine nutrition!
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| Dempsey(foreground) Today! |
When shopping for a new dog food keep these helpful hints in mind...
The top 10 ingredients usually comprise 80% or more of a dry pet food’s entire formula and give you a great perspective of its ingredient quality.
All pet foods must list the ingredients present in their food, in order of weight. But understand, moisture content can lessen the volume in the ingredients. FYI. Ingredients are listed as "before cooking" weights and high moisture proteins can "shrink" greatly during the kibble cooking process.
Whole meat protein based "meals"(previously ground dehydrated meat before cooking) are 300% more potent as a protein source than a pure meat source!
Super premium pet foods have whole chicken, duck, venison, bison, lamb, turkey, beef, fish or other known quality meat protein sources in whole form or meal form as the first ingredient and a combination of at least 2-3 meat protein sources in the top 5 ingredients.
"Animal By-Product" is by ingredient classification: "Animal by-products are ground, rendered, and cleaned slaughtered meat carcass parts such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, bones, heads, and intestines (and a small amount of feathers in the case of chicken) It is also known that the quality of animal by-products is very inconsistent between batches(sometimes more beaks and feats than quality organ meat etc). If you do choose a food that contains any "by-products" at minimum make sure they are a "named" protein. Aka, "Chicken" by-product etc. A compnay that just says "meat" by-product is probably hiding something even more disgusting than I would like to think about!
If you pick up a bag of dog food and the A#1 very first ingredient is a grain source the red flags and sirens should go off in your head! I advise dropping the bag where your stand and moving on quickly!
Some pet food brands list their ingredients in several different ways so that the ones of lower quality appear farther down the ingredient list. For example, a product list could contain chicken, ground corn, corn gluten, ground wheat and corn bran. And, if you were to group all of the corn ingredients as one, they would probably far out-weigh the amount of chicken in that food. This is a manufacturer's trick and a nonregulated loop hole when listing ingedient evidence!
Starting your new puppy or switching an adult dog to a super premium food will not only prove it's worth to his or her energy in the field but in the overall health of their lives. It is never to late to switch your dog, regardless of age, to a food with premium ingredients. Remember, as humans we have the luxury of choosing our own diets. Your trusty four legged athlete does not! Feeding them right will prolong your time in the field as well as their life as your best friend.
Best of luck out there. -Mark
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