Does My Dog Need Carbohydrates?

June 28, 2023By Sally Hayler

Carbohydrates are often referred to as the enemy when it comes to canine nutrition... but are they all bad?

The topic of carbs and whether they should be included in our dogs diet can split a room. Should we be feeding a strictly ancestral diet with no plant matter, or can we facilitate our dog's ingesting beneficial plant-based materials? In search of the answer, we have to dive into some history and biology lessons!

Omnivore, Obligate or Facultative Carnivore?

It can all get a little bit confusing when trying to establish where our dogs sit in classification.

The Taxonomy System was established by Linnaeus, grouping animals together based on similar characteristics. Dogs, also known as Canis Lupus Familiaris, reside in the Order - Carnivora. Also grouped in this classification would be bears, racoons, wolves etc. Now the Carnivora can be identified as Omnivores, we have everything from pandas who predominantly eat plant-based food, through to meat-eating wolves.

The term omnivore doesn’t apply to specific species, but to the Order as a whole.

Obligate Carnivores have no ability to digest plant matter and thrive on a meat-only diet, so this is our domestic cats and lions.

Facultative Carnivores do have the ability to digest some plant matter and thrive on a predominantly meat-based diet, and this is where dogs and wolves sit.

Anatomy

One sleepy yawn from your dog and it’s hard to miss those brilliant white sharp teeth, 42 to be exact or 44 for Chow Chows.

The scissor-chewing motion, the short digestive tract, and the acidic PH of the stomach all point towards a body designed for catching and eating prey. Dogs have been by our sides for many many years, through a process called domestication. There are different schools of thought on this process. Did ancestral wolves start hanging around humans for scraps of food, or did we work as a team to hunt? Whatever the reason, it eventually led to the dogs we share our home and sofa with.

This history of domestication links in with gene expression of a digestive enzyme called Amylase (AMY2B), used to break down carbohydrates. Amylase can be present in the salvia... now depending on our dog's breed will determine how many copies of this amylase gene are present.

The Siberian Husky has around 3-4 copies of the AMY2B gene (Freedman, A et al. 2014). Compared to that of the Beagle with around 11 copies of the AMY2B gene, (Arendt, M et al. 2014).

Amylase is more prominent further down the GI tract to handle small amounts of carbohydrates. Just because dogs have the ability to digest some plant matter, doesn’t mean that we should be feeding huge amounts if we are wanting them to thrive, not just survive.

Simple & Complex Carbohydrates

There are 3 macronutrients that create the basis of nutrition.

Protein
Fat
Carbohydrates

What are Simple Carbohydrates?

It's in the name, these are easier for the body to break down into sugars. Foods such as s bananas and natural yoghurt would fall into this category, yes they have their health benefits but should be fed in moderation due to their high sugar content.

What are Complex Carbohydrates?

Complex Carbohydrates are where the magic happens. These take longer to break down so instead of a spike in sugar (blood glucose) it is more of a steady trickle. This means that energy is sustained for a longer period of time.

Does Raw Food Include Carbohydrates?

At Benyfit Natural we offer two ranges of raw dog food. Our complete range includes seasonal vegetables and a herbal mix. All of these are complex carbohydrates, which your dog is able to pull nutraceuticals from but also stimulate the GI tract with insoluble fibre. In particular, our root vegetable blend includes Carrots, Parsnips & Broccoli. This plant matter makes up a small percentage of the overall meal (10%) but provides additional roughage to encourage intestinal villi to regenerate and the gut microbiome to flourish with good bacteria.

Are Carbohydrates Bad For Dogs?

In short, no!

We know that our dogs are built to thrive on a predominantly meat-based diet. They can however tolerate a small portion of carbohydrates in their diet, we just have to give a helping hand.

This can be through chopping, steaming or boiling to begin that breakdown process, making it a bit easier for our dogs to draw out the good stuff. Complex Carbohydrates are favourable for their fibre content, and will release energy slowly throughout the day, as opposed to spiking sugars.

Dogs have not lost the instinctive ability to self-select plant material for medicinal purposes, why do you think some dogs munch on fresh spring grass? This doesn’t mean we should serve them a salad for tea, but a little bit of Complex Carbohydrates absolutely has its health benefits.

At Benyfit Natural we believe that a complete and balanced raw food diet is best for our dogs, with the perfect balance between protein, fat and carbohydrates. If you are feeding a dry or wet food make sure to check the ingredients, as often these will contain high percentages of carbohydrates as the main ingredient. These can cause on-going issues with weight management, energy levels, nutritional deficiencies and gut health.

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