4 Facts You Must Know About Your Pet

Before I attempt to provide an explanation to how your dog or cat's digestive capabilities change based upon foods all pet owners should first realize that all dogs and cats do not have the same digestive capabilities in regards to their species. Did you know over the many years the mainstream focus on foods that are classified” the best dry dog and cat food” is truly suspect, to say the least. Times have changed but despite this the fact still remains…in most households it is believed that over 90% of those who own a dog and/or cat still feed their pet(s) subpar pet foods.  

Fact #1-Your best friend needs roughly 60% of all of the energy his/her’s body can muster to break down and utilize the so called best of the best dog & cat foods!

Please note there are 11 systems in your dog or cat’s body. Using 60% (+/-} just for digestion & the remaining 40 %(+/-) is all that is available for the remaining 10! Something is going to give.

Another stark fact is to those foods considered  normal/average, these foods further strain your pets health by increasing the energy needed for your dog cat to digest/utilize those foods to approximately 75% !

Fact #2-The % of energy needed to breakdown/utilize  the best of the best “canned” foods (remember...digestive capabilities differ due to many factors age, weight or overall health etc) is about 50%. Again… ask yourself what about the other 10 systems?

Fact #3-Finally, that same dog or cat needs only approximately10% of all of its energy in the body to break down and utilize quality raw food(s). Understanding these diescrepancies should make one's consideration to using a raw diet somewhat easier.

The demand for raw dog and cat food has, thankfully, increased dramatically over the last five years. In my business alone, sales of raw food has increased from 9% of my company's business in 2004 to nearly 39% as of 2015. So as you can see raw food is not just a ship passing thru the night…it is a strong viable alternative to feeding the cereal-based dry foods or canned foods for our pets that are available today. The digestive abilities in all dogs and in all cats are similar in some ways but different in many others.

Fact#4-Did you know the human digestive tract ( which qualifies us to be called omnivores) is approximately 30 feet long while your dog's digestive tract is approximately 18 feet in length …and your cat’s is only about 1.5 feet! This dissimilarity in length of digestive tracts tells you that although your dog is capable of handling or digesting some carbohydrates, they can do it with limited abilities. On the other hand, your cat has a very short digestive and can handle none ( which classifies them as obligate carnivores).

This knowledge proves to you that your cat cannot utilize any carbohydrates in their diet. As humans we obviously consume a large quantity of carbohydrates on a daily basis, dogs are pushed to handle 5 to 7% intake of carbohydrates on a daily basis. So next time you feed your dog and/or cat those cereal based foods ask yourself, “Is this best for my pet”? Then research/confirm the food you are feeding is highly a digestible/absorbable diet, or is his/her dry food basically producing a little more than a exorbitant amount of feces? Uderstanding these facts previous stated  will help you choose a more beneficial dog or cat foods.Remember any diets above the 5 to 7% carbohydrates in your dog’s diet simply does a little more than an increase the volume of the stool ,not to mention the texture! 

Please consider the many different types all foods that are out there, & realize deciding which to choose can be very difficult for any pet owner.