What is the best carbohydrate for dogs

Carbohydrates: Key to a Balanced Dog Food

When you are comparing the hundreds of dog food options available to feed your dog, there are many ideas to keep in mind. Reading the label carefully will tell you which ingredients and how much of them make up the food (see Demystifying the Dog Food Label). There are many ingredients that go into a quality dog food, and here we will focus on just one category: the carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates typically make up anywhere from 30-70 percent of a dry dog food. They come mainly from plants and grains, and provide energy in the form of sugars. Carbohydrates have several important functions in a dog food.

Provide Energy

The most important function of carbohydrates is to provide adequate energy to the animal. Dogs are able to convert certain carbohydrate sources into simple sugars that are easily absorbed. More complex carbohydrates must be broken down further by the body before they are able to be absorbed.

Carbohydrates are broken down in the small intestine into glucose molecules. Glucose is the common energy source that can be used by the majority of body cells. Glucose is required by the body to provide quick energy, and is also needed by the brain and nervous system for normal function. Glucose can be stored in the body for release later in the form of glycogen. If the animal eats too much and exercises too little, this stored glycogen will convert into fatty deposits in the body and cause obesity.

Create Structure and Texture

Carbohydrates provide the dry kibble with its structure and texture, allowing the food to be shelf stable and easy to eat. Starchy carbohydrates create a product that not only keeps the animal from being hungry, but also serves to help abrade the surface of the teeth, which helps keep down tartar build-up.

Beneficial Fiber

Certain plant materials that arent readily digestible by the dog provide necessary fiber to the diet. Fiber comes from grains and plants, such as oat bran, the hulls of brown rice, beet pulp, pectin, and peanut hulls. Fiber resists breakdown by the enzymes in the small intestine, but some fiber is fermented in the large intestine, helping regulate bacteria in the colon.

Fiber is not a required nutrient for dogs, but it is included in most dog foods because it helps keep your dog full (thus preventing obesity and helping with weight loss), maintains colon health, aids digestion, and even helps control blood sugar levels in diabetic dogs.

Where do Carbs Come From?

The most common types of carbohydrates used in dog foods are cereal grains. These grains must be ground up or cooked just enough to allow for the animals intestine to absorb it easily (digestibility). This also helps improve the taste of the raw ingredients (palatability).

Common carbohydrate sources will usually be listed in the first few ingredients on the bag of dog food. Some of these may include:

• Barley (pearled)
• Oats (or whole oats)
• Brown rice
• Whole wheat
• Whole corn
• Potato (or sweet potato)
• Millet

Good quality ingredients will usually include the word "whole" in the name of the item, letting you know that the product provides important nutrients and fiber to keep your dog energized and satisfied every day.

More to Explore

5 Dos and Don'ts for Mixing Your Pet's Food

6 Nutrients in Pet Food that Can Harm Your Dog

Is GMO-Free Dog Food Safer than Regular Dog Food?

Why Grain-Free Dog Food May Not Always Be the Best Choice

Dogs and Carbohydrates A Surprising Secret Revealed

Dogs and Carbohydrates A Surprising Secret Revealed

By Mike Sagman

Updated: September 27, 2023

Zero.Thats how many carbohydrates are nutritionally required by a dog to sustain life.The fact that a dog food doesnt need to contain any carbs at all seems hard to believe.

But its true.

You see, according to the National Research Council and compared to the other two major nutrients protein and fat no carbs are considered essential for a healthy canine diet.¹

Dogs dont need corn.And they dont need wheat, barley rice or potatoes, either.

Yet surprisingly, carbs represent the dominant nutrient found in most dry dog foods.

Why Dog Food CompaniesLove Carbohydrates

Since the early 1950s, dog food manufacturers everywhere have fallen head-over-heels in love with carbs because theyre:

• Abundant
• Durable (long shelf life)
• Essential to the kibble-making process
• Cheaper (per calorie than protein or fat)

Please notice that not one of these reasons has anything to do with nutrition not one.

Are Carbs Safe?

Carbohydrates arent bad for dogs.In reasonable amounts, they can actually provide a practical source of energy.

However, the problem lies in their quantity.

Using a dogs ancestral diet as a model, the total amount of carbs consumed by a dogs evolutionary predecessor is dramatically less than whats become the norm for todays kibbles.

One sensible source estimates natural carbohydrate consumption for a dogs ancestors at around 14 percent of total diet.²

Yet on average, todays dry dog foods contain somewhere between 46 and 74 percent carbohydrates.³

Comparing the Numbers

Todays kibbles contain as much as four times the carbohydrate content historically found in the canine ancestral diet.

Wouldnt it make sense for a dogs food to be more like the species ancestral diet with more protein and fat and fewer carbs?

The Bottom Line

When choosing dog food, its reasonable to favor products lower in carbohydrates.

However, since most dog food manufacturers fail to disclose the percentage of carbohydrates contained in their products, the Dog Food Advisor provides an estimate of this important figure inside every review.

So, look for dog foods rich in meat-based protein and lower in carbs.You could be adding years of better health to your best friends life.

0 Comments

What are carbohydrates?

There are six categories of nutrients. Fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, water and, the subject of this article, carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are themselves a group of macronutrients which can be further subdivided into two distinct groups. Simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates. The question is, do dogs need carbohydrates in dog food?

Simple carbohydrates

Simple carbohydrates are the simplest of the two carbohydrate forms. They are essentially sugars and are found in the likes of cheap and highly refined grains such as white rice and refined flours. They are also found in fruits. Simple carbohydrates can be further broken down into monosaccharides and disaccharides. Quickly and easily metabolized, these simple carbohydrates are better known as glucose and sucrose. They are an ideal source of short-term energy.

Complex carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates meanwhile are made up of larger, more complex molecules. These are called polysaccharides. Digested more slowly, these are further subcategorized as starches and fibres.

Starches are broken down by digestive enzymes in the pancreas before becoming available for your dogs needs. Starches are found in the likes of grains, vegetables and legumes.

Fibres, both soluble and insoluble, are found only in unprocessed whole foods (plant food) such as vegetables. These are not broken down by digestive enzymes in the digestive tract but pass through your dogs digestive system relatively intact. These ensure good digestive health.

Complex carbohydrates provide slow-release energy. They aid digestion, help maintain the immune and nervous systems and help regulate the metabolism. Unprocessed, complex carbs such as fresh fruit and vegetables, brown (and some white) rice, quinoa, oats and sweet potatoes are all excellent for dogs.

Why carbohydrates benefit dogs

Research suggests that approximiately 14% of the ancestral dogs diet would have been made up of carbohydrates. That said, dogs do not actually need carbs in the same way that they need the other two macronutrients. Fats and proteins.

But that doesnt mean that dogs should not be fed carbohydrates. Those who suggest that dogs should not be fed carbs overlook one simple fact. That is that any source of complex carbohydrate, sweet potato for example, provides beneficial nutrients, minerals and natural fibre. And that is in addition to being a valuable, readily available and highly digestable source of slow release energy. They also overlook the fact that without carbohydrates and without fats, a dog would use protein as its main source of energy. Protein which is best reserved for maintaining and repairing your dogs body.

The 10 Best Low Carb Dog Food (Vet Approved Review)

Dogs are carnivorous animals descended from wild-living canines like wolves that feed on the prey they catch. This wild diet comprises high levels of meat and fat for good health.

But can and should dogs consume carbohydrates?

Most of our domestic dogs daily food is far removed from that wolf-like diet and usually comprises a mixture of meat and carbohydrates. In fact, most commercial foods are between 40%-70% carbohydrate which is perhaps not a surprise, as these ingredients are cheaper than meat and vegetable options. And because it isnt mandatory to declare the carb content of pet food, many labels dont advertise this food component.

Research has shown that domestic dogs actually have different genetics related to digestion than their wild cousins. These changes helped them digest carbohydrates as they adapted to the diet they were fed by our ancestors.^[1] That said, just because they can digest carbs doesnt mean that high levels of carbs are good for them. Dogs do not need carbohydrates for normal digestion, and in general, carbs do not fulfill nutritional needs other than providing energy.^[2]

Benefits of Low Carb Diet For Dogs

A low-carb dog diet is usually grain-free food. It doesnt include cereals, such as wheat or corn. Grain can be associated with allergic reactions and digestive disorders. The basis of high-quality grain-free feed is fresh meat. Such food meets the natural needs of the predator and is easily absorbed by the body.

Grain-free food is not a therapeutic diet but a full-fledged healthy ration adapted to the lifestyle and suitable for each dog. When following the feeding norm, such a low-carb diet solves many health problems: it prevents obesity and diabetes and fights dermatological diseases. Low-carb feeds also have other benefits:

• Meat first ingredient.The basis of high-quality grain-free feed is selected fresh meat. Dogs are predators, and their diet should be based on meat. As a result, the pet develops harmoniously, and its digestive system is not overloaded due to unnatural grain nutrition. Animal proteins are the key to the health of the skin, coat, and musculoskeletal system.
• Guard against diseases.A high-quality low-carbohydrate diet reduces the risk of developing obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes. Over the past 10 years, the number of dogs suffering from diabetes has increased by 80%! The reason is a sedentary lifestyle and a diet rich in carbohydrates. Grain-free recipes with reduced carbohydrate content solve this problem and help protect the health of the pet.
• Maintain normal sugar levels.Low-carb foods can be useful for pets with diabetes and insulin resistance. It provides a decrease in the glycemic response and normalizes sugar levels. High carbohydrates, on the other hand, lead to a constant increase in blood glucose levels. Be careful when studying the composition of the feed.
• Normalize digestion.Grain-free food is easily absorbed by the organism. Food with dietary fiber improves the work of the intestinal epithelium. Probiotics improve digestion and strengthen the immune system. The combination of digestible fiber, probiotics, and prebiotics improves digestion.
• It contains useful plant components.Low-carb recipes may include fruits and vegetables. They cover the dogs need for plant-based food, but they do not overload the digestive system, unlike cereals.^[3]

At a Glance: Our TOP-3 Favorite Picks

Too much low-quality carbohydrates may reduce a dogs ability to absorb nutrients from food, and there are concerns that carbs may be associated with inflammation and metabolic stress in dogs, as in humans, although this link has not been proven.

Completely eliminating carbs from a dogs diet is unrealistic and unnecessary. Carbohydrates are used in forming the food into hard kibble, which can play a role in keeping the teeth clean. Good-quality carbohydrates can benefit the dog by providing fiber and nutrients that they wouldnt get from other food types.

In the chart below are the right option of low-carb foods for dogs with high quality ingredients:

1. Earthborn Holistic Great Plains Feast Grain-Free Natural Dry Dog Food With red meat bison meal as #1 ingredient. L-carnitine helps burn fat. Guaranteed levels of antioxidant nutrients.
2. Wellness CORE Natural Grain Free Reduced Fat Dry Dog Food Food is made with a high concentration of protein from fresh meat ingredients. It contains probiotics and taurine for a healthy heart.
Pick for Healthy Digestion	3. Wellness CORE Natural Grain Free Reduced Fat Dry Dog Food Plays the role of a dental health improve. Prevents food sensitivities from worsening. Helps maintain a healthy weight.

Because of these concerns, some owners would prefer to feed a low-carb diet. Low-carbs can also be recommended for dogs suffering from allergies, diabetes, hypertriglyceridemia, gastrointestinal conditions, and even cancer. Low-carb food will be about 30 percent or less carbohydrate. Look for carbohydrates from higher-quality sources, such as fruits and vegetables, and avoid foods with wheat, corn, gluten, rice, oatmeal soy flour.

The Best Low Carbohydrate Dog Food (All Reviews)

1. Earthborn Holistic Great Plains Feast Grain-Free Natural Dry Dog Food

This food will provide your dog with high-quality protein from red bison meat. Natural protein helps to develop and maintain muscle mass. The feed formula contains balanced amino acids, essential building materials for a healthy body.

A feed with quality protein helps provide a solid foundation for overall health. This product contains L-carnitine, which helps convert fat into energy, helping to maintain a healthy weight in the pet. The right ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids helps maintain a lipid balance for healthy skin and coat.

This diet is grain-free and gluten-free, using vegetable and fruit sources of carbohydrates. It helps support a lipid balance for healthy skin and coat.

• L-carnitine helps burn fat.
• Guaranteed levels of antioxidant nutrients.
• Made free of grain and gluten.

2. Wellness CORE Natural Grain Free Reduced Fat Dry Dog Food

Wellness CORE is grain-free dry dog food made from natural ingredients. The low-fat food is made from turkey, chicken, salmon oil, fruits, and vegetables. These healthy foods help maintain optimal health.

Grain-free formulas of Wellness dog food are recipes that consist almost entirely of meat. Each grain-free, nutrient-rich formula provides your pet with high-quality protein without grains, gluten, or artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors. Supported by omega fatty acids, antioxidants, and glucosamine. Food is made with a high concentration of protein from fresh meat ingredients. It contains probiotics and taurine for a healthy heart.

• No filler.
• Premium protein is expertly balanced with nutrients.
• Grain-free.

• Fairly expensive.
• Some owners said the dog doesnt like the food.

3. TruDog Feed Me Crunchy Munchy Beef Bonanza Dog Food

Pick for Healthy Digestion

Beef protein is the main ingredient in this formula, which will strengthen muscles. Dogs will be able to get everything they need to grow from this feed.

The nutrition obtained from beef ingredients fills the muscles with high-quality protein, making them more elastic. Also, this food helps strengthen bones. TruDog Feed supports the attractiveness and shine of the puppys coat. This food plays a role in dental health improvement. Prevents food sensitivities from worsening.

• Helps maintain a healthy weight.
• Crafted from simple, nutrient-rich ingredients.

• It may be unsuitable for already obese dogs.

4. Honest Kitchen Embark Turkey Dehydrated Dog Food

Honest Kitchen Force dog food is a fully balanced product. All ingredients for the feed are made in the USA. This formula contains no grains, soy or GMO ingredients, or preservatives. This diet is designed for dogs of all life stages, from puppies to active adults.

The recipe is rich in protein, contains a minimum amount of carbohydrates, and is correctly balanced for a full-fledged diet. If you want to feed your healthy pet food, this diet may be your right choice.

Features:

• Foods maintain their vitamins and minerals.
• Made with real free-range chicken.
• All meat is hormone and antibiotic-free.
• No corn, wheat, soy or GMO ingredients.

• No preservatives or by-products.
• Made in the USA.
• No corn, wheat, soy or GMO ingredients.

• Potatoes are not nearly as good a choice as the other ingredients.

5. Taste of the Wild Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

Unique dry food Taste of the Wild is made from high-quality ingredients. This food contains a large amount of protein. Each serving will provide your dog with a variety of nutrients, antioxidants, and other vitamins and minerals that support your dogs health.

This product does not contain grains, gluten, corn, and soy. All ingredients support healthy digestion. The food also contributes to the health of the skin and the shine of its coat. It helps support strong muscles.

Real protein-rich ingredients, including bison, roasted venison, beef, omega-3, and omega-6 fatty acids, support healthy skin and coat.

Features:

• It helps support strong muscles.
• Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids support healthy skin and coat.
• Nutrient-rich and highly digestible recipe.

• Made in the USA.
• Nutrient-rich and highly digestible recipe.
• Grain-free recipe.

• No symptoms of improvement in the skin.

6. Rachael Ray Nutrish Dish Super Premium Dry Dog Food

With this food, you can give your dog more protein. This food consists of chicken, many vitamins and minerals, fruits, and vegetables. With each serving, your dog gets a good balance of different ingredients. There are no fillers or preservatives.

All products that are part of the feed are grown on a US farm. So you dont have to worry about your dogs health. There is no wheat, soy, or gluten in the feed, which can also cause allergic reactions. Added rice, flaxseed, and poultry fat provide natural sources of omega fatty acids. Food Includes chicken as the first ingredient, and crisp carrots which support your pets immunity system.

Features:

• Plenty of vitamins and minerals.
• Crisp carrots support your pets immunity system.
• Its great for pets with sensitivities to certain ingredients.

• No fillers, preservatives or corn.
• Its great for pets with sensitivities to those ingredients.

• Meat pieces are not soft.

7. Orijen 6-Fish Formula for Dogs

This product is rich in fish proteins. Mackerel, herring, flounder, redfish, monkshood, and silver hake are included in the product.

The product is manufactured in the United States. The product is produced by a company that has been specializing in the production of pet food for many years. It supports peak skin and coat conditioning.

Features:

• Made with salmon, herring and flounder, etc.
• Infused with marine-sourced DHA and EPA omega 3 fatty acids.

• Support lean muscle.
• Made in the USA.

8. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Natures Evolutionary Diet Adult Healthy Weight Chicken

BLUE Wilderness is a grain-free dog food that is rich in protein and chicken meat. The food is made from natural ingredients, without bones. It also includes sweet potatoes, peas, cranberries, blueberries, and carrots.

All these products provide your pet with all the necessary vitamins for a healthy and happy life. The food can be used to maintain weight, as it is low-carb. All products are not subjected to excessive heat treatment during production, which saves a much more considerable amount of useful ingredients. Support immune system.

Features:

• Added L-Carnitine boosts metabolism and helps burn fat.
• Healthy oxidative balance.
• Support life stage requirements.

• Grain-free formula.
• Great balance in proteins and natural sources carbohydrates.

• Some pieces are not appealing to dogs.

9. Nulo Freestyle Grain-Free Salmon & Peas Recipe Dry Dog Food

A special recipe for food will allow your dog to be full and in good physical shape. The feed does not contain grain products and avoids chicken and egg proteins, often cause allergies in dogs.

The composition contains useful and natural ingredients that improve your pets physical health and maintain its weight in a normal state. Omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids contribute to the dogs good brain activity, and your pet will have a healthy coat and skin. Small kibble formula is crafted for every adult breed.

Features:

• Omegas 3 and 6 for skin, fur and brain.
• Small kibble formula is crafted for every adult breed.
• BC30 probiotic for good gut health.

• Grain-free food.
• Made in the USA.

• Some dogs react poorly.
• Only for adult dogs.

10. Ketona

Ketona feed formula contains the maximum amount of protein and the minimum percentage of carbohydrates, no more than 5%. There are no by-products or artificial flavors in the feed. The meal does not contain corn, rice, wheat, and other low-quality carbohydrates.

90% of the protein in this recipe comes from meat or fish. All the protein used in the Ketone recipe is grown on a ranch in the United States. High-quality protein helps your pet maintain healthy muscles. It builds strong, lean muscles, and burns fat instead of storing it. The formula can help reduce itching and inflammation in dogs with certain allergies. It doesnt contain byproduct meals or artificial flavors.

Features:

• Reduces itching and inflammation.
• Builds strong, lean muscles.
• No by-product meals or artificial flavors.
• No potatoes, no barley.
• No cereal grains or tubers of any kind.

• More animal protein.
• Can be ordered online, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
• No cereal grains or tubers of any kind.

Tips to Choose a Low Carb Kibble

Image by JackieLou DL from Pixabay

When buying low-carb dog food, you should carefully consider the composition.

• First, you need to check the label for an AAFCO statement that confirms that the product is complete and balanced for the stage of your dogs life (or for all stages of life).
• You also need to make sure that the product meets protein and fat requirements. Adult dogs need a minimum of 25 g protein and 14 g fat, and puppies need at least 56 g protein and 21 g fat.^[4]
• Since protein is the most essential nutrient for your pet, pay attention to the source of protein in the feed. As the first ingredient, you want to see a high-quality animal protein source (poultry, meat, or fish).
• Also, make sure that the recipe includes high-quality animal fats, vegetables or fruits, and healthy supplements.

READ MORE: How Can I Stop My Dog from Begging Everything?

Photo by Camylla Battani on Unsplash

READ MORE: Can Dogs Be Vegan?

FAQ

In small amounts, starch does not bring any benefit or harm to dogs body, and in large amounts, it can dramatically increase the level of insulin in their blood.

The dog should receive no more than 30% of energy from carbohydrates. High-carb diets lead to sharp spikes in blood sugar, contribute to overweight, and put excessive stress on the pancreas.

To calculate the carbohydrate level, look at the PS: GA label this is the minimum amount of the packages specified nutrient. Then add up the fat, fiber, ash, and moisture values and get the total percentage. If ash is not listed, then estimate around 8% for ash. Then subtract this number from 100 to get the total amount of carbohydrates.

A dog can get fat if the amount of carbohydrates consumed is greater than the amount of energy consumed. If you make the right diet, the dogs weight will remain normal.

READ MORE: What to Choose Wet or Dry Dog Food?

Article Sources:

1. Arendt, M. Diet Adaptation in Dog Reflects Spread of Prehistoric Agriculture.PubMed Central (PMC), 1 Nov. 2016,ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5061917/.
2. Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats.The National Academies Press,nap.edu/catalog/10668/nutrient-requirements-of-dogs-and-cats.
3. Pajic, Petar. Independent Amylase Gene Copy Number Bursts Correlate with Dietary Preferences in Mammals.PubMed Central (PMC), 1 Jan. 2019,ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6516957/.
4. Your Dogs Nutritional Needs. A Science-Based Guide For Pet Owners.National Academies Press, 2006,nap.edu/resource/10668/dog_nutrition_final_fix.pdf.