Quote:
Originally Posted by Ellie May  Wolves do eat intestinal contents which do contain carbs. I'm not saying they aren't carnivores, but that they can process carbs and do in the wild. The feeding behavior of some is that of an omnivore b/c they eat what they can. Whether eating some carbs is detrimental is up for debate I suppose. But whether eating almost all protein is healthy is up for debate too.
Anyway, cats need nutrients that they can't get from plants, but synthetic supplements work for them. Dogs don't. |
The following quotations are taken from L. David Mech's 2003 book Wolves Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation. Mech (and the others who contributed to this book) is considered the world's leading wolf biologist, and this book is a compilation of 350 collective years of research, experiments, and careful field observations. These quotes are taken from chapter 4, The Wolf as a Carnivore.
"Wolves usually tear into the body cavity of large prey and...consume the larger internal organs, such as lungs, heart, and liver. The large rumen [, which is one of the main stomach chambers in large ruminant herbivores,]...is usually punctured during removal and its contents spilled. The vegetation in the intestinal tract is of no interest to the wolves, but the stomach lining and intestinal wall are consumed, and their contents further strewn about the kill site." (pg.123, emphasis added)
"To grow and maintain their own bodies, wolves need to ingest all the major parts of their herbivorous prey, except the plants in the digestive system."
We know wolves eat and NEED the internal organs of their prey. But internal organs does not equal stomach contents, nor does stomach lining equal stomach contents.
Stomach contents= Whatever the prey animal ate and was digesting before it met its demise. It's the stomach contents that contain Carbs and
Wolves do not eat stomach contents. Ask ANY sanctuary who feeds their wolves full carcasses. Even if they DID eat the stomach contents, which they do not, that doesn't mean anything concerning their ideal diet. Especially considering the prey was brought down as meat.
Further:
DogAware.com: Wolf Park
Wolves do not eat the stomach contents at all and only sometimes eat the intestines and the harder bones, like the leg bones, depends on how hungry they are. Sometimes, when food is plentiful, they don't eat that many bones, but other times they will finish off a whole carcass (except for the stomach).
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Myths
MYTH: WOLVES EAT THE STOMACH CONTENTS OF THEIR PREY
FALSE! Only if the prey is small enough (like the size of a rabbit) will they eat the stomach contents, which just happen to get consumed with the entire animal. Otherwise, wolves will shake out the stomach contents of their large herbivorous prey before sometimes eating the stomach wall. Even on a common sense level this could be proven false. Stomach acids have a pH near 1, which means they are incredibly acidic and bitter. The acid attacking the plant matter is strong enough to burn the enamel off teeth. Why would any self-respecting wolf willingly stick its nose into something that will burn its skin, burn the enamel of its teeth, and severely burn its lips and esophagus? No,wolves DO NOT eat the stomach contents of their prey.
Further, animal protein provides the best possible combination of amino acids for dogs—that’s why most raw feeders say they are best fed as carnivores. Also most studies show that more protein is actually better for dogs. I posted some studies a while back in a different thread. I'll post them tomorrow. I've had a bit too much wine and it's kicking in.
