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Originally Posted by bellasmomok  Like you said, it's a personal preference.  Dogs in the wild DO eat grains, though...they eat the stomach contents of their "kill", which most have a grain based diet, and they even eat grasses and grains in the fields. I know Bella, for example, will eat grass when we're outside, and I've seen lots of other dogs do that too. Also, I feel even thoujgh they are very close physiologically and anatomically to wolves, domestic dogs have different needs than their ancestors. For one, Yorkies simply couldn't live in the wild! Also, we are essentially the same as our "cave men" predecessors, BUT I don't see many people living off raw meats, berries, etc... I believe we have have different needs now AND the technology and availability to eat safer and better things too! Again, I know lots of people choose to feed raw or semi-raw or grain free....I don't think any one choice is better than the other, it's just a personal decision. |
Oh, I agree. I think it's all trial and error. What works for one dog doesn't work for another. I mean, there could be an argument to state that humans were healthier back then because there wasn't all the nasty preservatives that are in our food today, cancer rate is higher than ever, etc. Some will say that's not the case, etc. There's always debate when it comes to health, both in canines and humans. Yorkies not being able to live in the wild has nothing to do with their digestive system though, which is designed the same.
There are wolf studies that show that they shake the stomach contents out of their prey animals and just don't eat the digestive tract of larger prey animals. But I'm sure on occasion they do ingest some form of crab source but even if so, the amount is so small and insignificant that it doesn't make much difference in the overall nutrition for the wolf. Only very small animals are eaten whole (rodents, birds, and such). Even so, in the wild, few herbivores actually eat grains. They mostly eat grasses, seeds, and leaves. Grains are typically not as bioavailable to a dog as potato starch which is found in grain free foods. It's harder for dogs to break grains down and get little nutrition from them. They are commonly irritants to the bowel and cause allergies in dogs. They are a cheap filler for dog foods. Although potatoes are not much more nutritionally available to dogs, they are a "higher quality" ingredient. Dogs in the wild have been known to eat fruits and berries occasionally as taste-driven treats, much like we eat ice cream and candy. But if you look at the scat from a wild dog, like a coyote or fox, that has eaten berries, you'll find that most of them pass through pretty much intact. So while the dog may like the taste, very little is actually extracted from this type of "food".
I just like what I see in dogs fed grain-free foods. Smaller poops, less smelly (usually), usually less poop. When I see my family members dogs, who are eating Purina, Kibbles n Bits and Puppy Chow, they are itchy, their poops are horrendous smelling, they poop often 4-6x a day, the poops are huge, they have more of a dog odor than the grainfree fed dogs I know. I just love what grainfree did for Jackson and what it is doing. My dads dogs were always fed crappy food until being fed Acana... their energy levels are higher, they are losing weight, they look shinier, breath smells better, such a difference. Now, I would definitely choose, say, Fromm grain inclusive line for example, or Wellness, WAY before choosing Pedigree or Purina. Keep in mind, I used to be one of those "their dogs! they can eat whatever!" person until I saw the differences with my own two eyes.