Dogs that consume raw food instead of kibble have much better gut health

According to studies of 7000 owners, dogs that consumed primarily fed dog food were 29 percent most likely to establish intestinal issues compared to dogs that primarily consumed raw foods

By Jason Arunn Murugesu

Puppies that primarily consume dog food are most likely to have issues with their gut health in later life compared to those provided a diet plan of leftovers or raw meat.

Anna Hielm-Björkman at the University of Helsinki, Finland, and her coworkers surveyed over 7000 dog owners in Finland about what they fed their family pets in between 2009 and 2019.

The scientists surveyed each dog owner numerous times in this duration and likewise asked whether their dog had actually experienced any intestinal issues that lasted 3 weeks or more – likewise called persistent enteropathy (CE).

The group wished to identify what result a dog’s diet plan at an early age had on its gut health in the adult years. Dog diet plans in Finland can mostly be divided into 3 classifications, says Hielm-Björkman: dog food, their owners’ prepared leftovers and non-processed food such as raw meat, fish and berries.

The scientists discovered that 22 percent of dogs established persistent enteropathy in the adult years, normally at age one and a half.

Their diet plan as a puppy, in between 2 and 6 months, was discovered to associate highly with whether it established persistent enteropathy in later life or not. Dogs that were primarily fed dog food were 29 percent most likely to establish the condition compared to dogs that primarily consumed raw foods. However, this kind of research study cannot develop whether the dogs’ diet plans was accountable for the greater rates of health problem.

Hielm-Björkman says it’s uncertain why dog food may cause gut health issue. Dog food consists primarily of carbs, says Hielm-Björkman, which dogs do not require a big quantity of. “It might have the same effect that eating plain sugar has on humans – it causes low grade inflammation,” she says.

“A lot of people are taught that dog food constitutes a balanced diet but when you start using other foods in a dog’s diet – you see that a lot of diseases disappear,” she includes.

A dog’s microbiome might merely be much better matched to consuming non-processed food, says Hielm-Björkman.

She encourages owners to attempt and guarantee that their dog’s diet plan is as differed as possible, with a minimum of 20 percent comprised of raw food.