May 4, 2024

Puppy Nutrition: How a Meat-Based Diet Protects Dogs From Future Digestive Problems

Kristiina Vuori and colleagues utilized data from the DogRisk food frequency questionnaire, established in 2009 at the University of Helsinki, to explore associations in between canines diet plans in early life and owner-reported occurrence of persistent enteropathy (CE)– a continuous intestinal condition characterized by diarrhea, vomiting, and weight-loss– later in life. Owners reported what types of foods they had fed their canine and how frequently, throughout puppyhood (two to 6 months old) and teenage years (six to eighteen months old). The diets were then connected with whether the canines developed chronic CE later in life or not. The sample consisted of 4,681 diets of pups and 3,926 diet plans of teen pet dogs, of which owners later on reported CE signs in 1,016 (21.7%) from the pup and 699 (17.8%) from the adolescent diet plan group individuals.
The authors discovered that, compared to an extremely processed kibble diet plan, pet dogs fed a non-processed meat-based diet– consisting of raw red meat, organs, fish, eggs, and bones, but also berries and veggies– or human leftovers and table scraps including items such as prepared potatoes, and cooked fish in puppyhood or teenage years were considerably less most likely to experience CE symptoms later in life. Non-processed diets and remaining foods in puppyhood decreased associated CE risk by 22.3% and 22.7% respectively, whereas associated CE threat was 28.7% higher with a highly processed diet. In adolescence, non-processed diet plans and leftovers saw reduced dangers of 12.7% and 24% respectively, compared to 14.6% higher threat of CE with an extremely processed diet plan.
For specific foods, the authors report that feeding young puppies raw bones or cartilage a number of times a week was associated with a 33.2% lowered risk of CE, while feeding berries a couple of times a year saw a reduced danger of 28.7%. Nevertheless, providing puppies processed and chemically treated rawhides daily was associated with a 117.2% increased risk of CE.
These findings recommend that supplying young puppies with a range of entire and non-processed foods early in life may reduce the threat of future occurrences of CE, according to the authors. Further research studies– consisting of those evaluating diet over the lifetime of dogs– are needed to verify the results.
Recommendation: “The result of puppyhood and teen diet on the occurrence of persistent enteropathy in pet dogs later in life” by Kristiina A. Vuori, Manal Hemida, Robin Moore, Siru Salin, Sarah Rosendahl, Johanna Anturaniemi and Anna Hielm-Björkman, 9 February 2023, Scientific Reports.DOI: 10.1038/ s41598-023-27866-z.

Combined breed dog “Nala” waiting for her meal to be served. As taking the picture took such a long period of time, she began to get stressed that she would not get it at all. Credit: Tani Simber
Non-processed meat-based early diet plan lowers threat of dog digestion concerns later in life.
The scientists utilized information from the DogRisk food frequency survey and observed the diet plans of 4,681 puppies and 3,926 teen pets. The research study found that non-processed diets and leftover foods in puppyhood and teenage years considerably minimized the associated CE threat, while processed and chemically dealt with rawhides increased the threat substantially.
A diet of non-processed meat, human leftovers, and raw bones throughout puppyhood and teenage years may safeguard pet dogs against particular food poisonings later in life, recommends research study released in the journal Scientific Reports. On the other hand, an extremely processed carbohydrate-based kibble diet and regular rawhide chews were connected with increased threat of gastrointestinal problems. These findings might have ramifications for gut health in pet dogs.

The sample consisted of 4,681 diet plans of pups and 3,926 diets of adolescent dogs, of which owners later on reported CE symptoms in 1,016 (21.7%) from the puppy and 699 (17.8%) from the teen diet plan group individuals.
The authors discovered that, compared to an extremely processed kibble diet, pets fed a non-processed meat-based diet plan– including raw red meat, organs, fish, eggs, and bones, however also berries and vegetables– or human leftovers and table scraps including products such as prepared potatoes, and cooked fish in puppyhood or teenage years were substantially less most likely to experience CE symptoms later in life. Non-processed diets and remaining foods in puppyhood lowered associated CE threat by 22.3% and 22.7% respectively, whereas associated CE risk was 28.7% greater with a highly processed diet. In teenage years, non-processed diet plans and leftovers saw minimized dangers of 12.7% and 24% respectively, compared to 14.6% greater threat of CE with a highly processed diet plan.