carbs for dogs on raw diet

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.

Calculating a Dog Food Diets Protein, Fat, Carbs, and Fiber

[Updated July 19, 2017]

It is not easy to figure out how much fat and other nutrients are really in the food you feed, whether its kibble, canned food, or a home-prepared raw or cooked diet. Here are some tips that can help.

Methods of Nutrition Measurement

There are three different ways of measuring amounts of protein, fat, carbohydrates, and fiber in foods:

1.Percentage of dry matter

2.Percentage of calories (does not apply to fiber)

3.Grams per 1,000 calories

Dry matter percentages are easiest to use for commercial foods. Grams per 1,000 calories or percentage of calories are simpler ways to measure nutrients in a homemade diet.

When Feeding Your Dog Commercial Foods:

Pet food labels give you some, but not all, of the information you need in order to really know the nutritional composition of your dogs diet.

-The percentages of protein, fat, and fiber shown on dog food labels are guaranteed minimums and maximums, NOT actual amounts. The real amount of fat in particular may be much higher than what is shown on the label of some canned and raw diets. If your dog needs a low-fat diet, look for products that are lower in calories than similar foods.

For more accurate information, contact the company that makes the food youre interested in and ask them for a nutritional analysis showing the actual amount of protein, fat, fiber, ash, and moisture, as well as the number of calories in the food. Editors note: Some pet food makers (particularly small companies) may not have a complete nutritional analysis of their products. In our opinion, this reflects a lack of adequate research and investment in the product. When feeding a special needs dog, wed look to a company who has this current information on hand.

-The percentage of carbohydrates is not included on most labels or nutritional analyses. To calculate the percentage of carbohydrates in a commercial diet, subtract the percentages of protein, fat, moisture, crude fiber (an indigestible part of carbohydrates), and ash from 100. This percentage may be shown as nitgrogen-free extract (NFE) on a nutritional analysis.

-Total dietary fiber is likely much higher than the crude fiber shown on the label. If dietary (soluble plus insoluble) fiber is not shown on a complete nutritional analysis, there is no way to calculate it.

When Feeding Fresh Foods:

When feeding a home-prepared diet comprised of fresh food ingredients, it can be a bit more challenging to calculate some of the nutrient values that youd like to know when feeding a diabetic dog.

-To calculate the caloric content of the food, look up the ingredients or enter a recipe on NutritionData.com. The number of calories from protein, fat, and carbohydrates, along with the total calories, are given in the calorie information section, and the calorie percentages are shown in the caloric ratio pyramid.

-To calculate the grams of protein, fat, etc., per 1,000 calories, divide grams of any nutrient by total number of calories, then multiply by 1,000 to get grams per 1,000 kcal. For example, raw skinless chicken breast contains 6.5 grams of protein, 0.3 grams of fat, and 30.8 calories per ounce:

6.5 30.8 x 1,000 = 211 grams of protein per 1,000 kcal

0.3 30.8 x 1,000 = 9.7 grams of fat per 1,000 kcal (GFK)

As Fed versus Dry Matter

The percentages of protein, fat, etc., shown on a pet food label are expressed as fed meaning, as the food is delivered in its package. Some percentage of the food is comprised of moisture (water), which of course contains no protein, fat, fiber, or other nutrients. Kibble generally contains about 10 percent moisture; wet foods (canned, frozen, or fresh) contain as much as 80 percent or more moisture.

So, think about it: When a label says that a food contains (for example) 4 percent fat, in order to really understand how much fat you are about to feed your dog, you also have to know how much moisture is in the food. What you really want to know is how much fat (in this example) is in the food part of the food the dry matter. Any serious discussion of nutrition, or comparison of dry and wet diets, then, requires the conversion of the nutrient values from as fed to dry matter. Dont worry; it sounds technical, but its easy to do.

-To calculate dry matter (DM) percentages, first determine the amount of dry matter by subtracting the percentage of moisture from 100. Then divide the as fed percentage by the amount of dry matter to get the dry matter percentage. For example, if a canned food has 75 percent moisture and 4 percent fat:

100 75 = 25 percent dry matter

4 25 = 16 percent fat on a dry matter basis

Carbohydrates and Your Dogs Digestive System

Grain-free dry dog food has become wildly popular in the past few years. More and more companies are rolling out a grain-free kibble, as demand for this type of food keeps growing. Why are they so popular?

Weve found that many dog owners who feed grain-free foods dont know why they are spending a small fortune on these foods. Or, we should say, they often have their reason, but only rarely are the reasons valid!

As the most common example, some people say theyve switched to grain-free foods because dogs dont need carbs. Well, they are partly right; dogs dont require carbohydrates in their diet. But grain-free dry dog foods do contain carbs! In fact, many grain-free foods contain a fair amount of carbohydrates in the form of potatoes, sweet potatoes, tapioca, or peas.

Grain-free foods perform really well when fed to some dogs, but may be inappropriate for others, for example, when a high-fat or high-protein diet is contraindicated. Dogster.com explains the different kinds of grains in relation to dogs diets here.

Our philosophy is this: owners should feed their dogs the diets that work best for their individual animals, and develop an accurate understanding of why those diets work well. In an effort to support that suggestion, lets look at grain, carbs, and how these can be used (or not!) to best meet the nutritional needs of your dog.

What are Carbs?

Carbohydrates are used by dogs as a source of glucose. As such, carbs provide energy, a source of heat when metabolized, and products that can be used as building blocks for other nutrients.

Carbohydrates can be divided into two categories: simple and complex.

Simple carbohydrates, such as fructose, sucrose, and lactose, require little or no digestive breakdown and are readily absorbed from the small intestine and converted into glucose. These are found in table sugar, honey, and fruits, as just a few examples.

Complex carbohydrates are further categorized as either starches or fibers, and are digested more slowly than simple carbohydrates. Starches require additional breakdown by enzymes, produced by the pancreas and intestinal wall, before they are absorbed and utilized by the dog. Starches are contained in grains; vegetables such as potatoes and peas; and beans.

Fiber is resistant to enzymatic digestion; some fibers are fermented by intestinal microbes. Dietary fiber is found only in plant foods: fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains, and comes from the portion of plants that is not digested by enzymes in the intestinal tract.

The glycemic index (GI) the rate at which carbohydrates are absorbed into the bloodstream is, in general, lower for foods containing complex carbohydrates than simple carbohydrates, but there are exceptions. A number of factors influence a foods GI, including processing, type of starch, fiber content, ripeness (of fruit), fat or acid content, preparation, and how each individuals body processes food, including how much the food is chewed, and how quickly it is swallowed. For example, foods such as carrots, bananas, watermelon, and whole wheat bread might have a high GI, but contain relatively little carbohydrate, with the end result being they have little effect on blood sugar levels.

Common carbohydrate sources used in canine diets include grains, fruits, vegetables, and a few other interesting foodstuffs.

Whole grains, which contain the entire grain kernel (the bran, germ, and endosperm), are good quality carb sources. Examples include whole wheat, bulgur, oatmeal, corn/cornmeal, brown rice, buckwheat, barley, rye, amaranth, millet, quinoa, and triticale.

When you find these ingredients in a kibble (or canned food), they will be cooked and therefore readily digestible. For home-prepared diets, its essential to cook these grains well, often soaking overnight, to increase digestibility. Whole grains pack a pretty powerful wallop in terms of good stuff such as dietary fiber, B vitamins, and important minerals such as iron, selenium, and magnesium.

Of lesser value are refined grains, which have been milled, a process that removes the bran and germ. Milling also removes dietary fiber, iron, and many B vitamins, so refined grains provide little nutrition but still contain the same number of calories. The dogs body processes refined grains quickly, resulting in a more immediate impact on blood glucose levels. Examples of refined grain products are white flour, degermed cornmeal, white rice, and pasta (semolina).

There might be medical reasons to feed refined grains to a dog (due to their ease of digestibility), but our preference for healthy dogs is to stay away from refined products, particularly in significant quantities.Vegetables and fruits are also common sources of carbohydrates. Tapioca, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and taro, among others, contain starch, and are typically higher in carbohydrate, but are also healthful sources of calories in moderation. When feeding those kinds of vegetables in a home-prepared diet for your dog, youll want to cook them. To help with digestibility, most other vegetables should either be cooked or if served raw, finely ground. Fruits and vegetables are a fabulous source of naturally occurring antioxidants.

Other good-quality carbohydrate-containing foods include legumes (beans), dairy products (e.g., milk, cheese, cream cheese, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, yogurt), some organ meats, oysters, and mussels.

Then there are the empty carbs ingredients that offer little or no nutrition for the dog, but provide some other service. Fiber helps regulate the transit time of the bowel contents and form of the stool. Common sources of this type of fiber include soybean hulls; wheat, rice, or oat bran; beet pulp; and pea fiber.

Why Should Dogs Eat Carbs?

As we mentioned before, dogs have no nutritional requirement for dietary carbohydrates. They can get everything they need from a diet that contains only protein and fat. Energy metabolism in the dog can be based on fat oxidation and the breakdown of protein to produce glucose.

There are two main reasons why we feed carbs to dogs. The first reason is because we can. Dogs can utilize just about anything we feed them; their digestive tracts are extremely versatile. The second reason is economic; fat and protein sources are much more expensive than carbohydrates.

People often point fingers at the pet food industry, accusing it of using grains to nutritionally short-change our pets in favor of profits. But humans have fed grains and other carbohydrate sources to their dogs as long as weve had leftovers. Animal protein and fat has always been at a premium! And our dogs have always gotten only as much of the meat (and bones, fat, hooves, connective tissue, and organs) as we felt we could spare.

Also, its obviously quite possible to make adequate diets for dogs that are quite high in inexpensive grains the majority of the global pet food industry is devoted to this very endeavor. If these foods were as nutritionally inadequate as many industry critics make them out to be, we wouldnt have a pet overpopulation problem, if you know what we mean! Many carbs contain a slew of vitamins, phytochemicals, minerals, trace elements, dietary fiber, and even some fatty acids and protein. And many dogs do just fine on these diets.

Structurally, carbohydrates (starches in particular) are essential to dry pet food processing; commercial extruded pet foods use starches to give the food structure and texture. Even some canned dog foods contain a carbohydrate source. Gums and gelling agents are often used to solidify canned food and absorb water in high-moisture foods to eliminate free water in the container. Guar gum is one agent used that is derived from the ground endosperm of the guar plant; it is used as an emulsifier, thickener, and stabilizer in canned foods.

In addition to keeping kibble together, carbohydrate-rich ingredients are included in many commercial dog foods because of their relatively low cost, caloric contribution (4 calories/gram) and ease of sourcing. This helps keep the price of the food attractive to cost-conscious dog owners.

Bargain hunters arent the only ones whose dogs can benefit from diets that contain carbs. According to Susan G. Wynn, DVM, CVA, CVCH, AHG, While dogs do not require the carbohydrates found in grains or potatoes or any other food, there are some instances where a dog still might derive benefit from them being there.

Dr. Wynn recently completed a residency in nutrition at the University of Tennessees College of Veterinary Medicine, and in addition to private practice, lectures internationally on the topic of clinical nutrition and holistic medicine. She is also a fan of properly formulated carb- and/or grain-containing diets for dogs except when contraindicated by an individual dogs medical needs because both carbs and grains offer certain benefits.

For instance, she says, grains contain certain fibers that are beneficial for the growth of probiotic bacteria in the gut, and they also contain various required vitamins and minerals.

Dr. Wynn also points out that grains, which have a lower fat content than meat, can be used in some cases as a place-holder in a home-prepared diet to help fill up a dog whose weight needs better control.

Sorting Out Carbohydrate Facts From Fiction

Misconceptions abound regarding carbohydrate-containing foods, especially grains, in the canine diet. Dr. Wynn addresses a few of these in her Pet Health and Nutrition blog, which weve borrowed from here:

Dogs have a shorter GI tract than people, so they cant digest grains unless they are partially digested rst.

Fact: Decades of research have proven that dogs digest grains and carbohydrates quite well. More specically, Dr. Wynn points out that although dogs lack salivary amylase, theytend not to chew their food; theyre gulpers, so why would they benet from an oral digestive enzyme? She explains that dogs, like humans, manufacture potent pancreatic amylase and brush border enzymes to digest carbs, with most digestion occurring in the rst part of the small intestine.

Theres also a belief that a dogs stomach is acidic and that dogs retain food in their stomachs longer than people, so a meat based diet is more appropriate (protein is initially digested in the stomach). Dr. Wynn points out that the pH range of the dogs stomach is quite similar to that of humans: it ranges from 1.08 to 5.5 in dogs, and in humans, from 1.0 to 4.0. The main difference is that the dog is actually more alkaline at times. Its true, she says, that dogs cant digest cellulose a single structural carbohydrate used by plants to form things like stalks, seed coats, and vegetable structure but neither can humans (only some herbivores, such as cows, can). This is why to derive the most benet from grains and vegetables, we cook or finely grind them first.

Feeding carbohydrates places stress on the pancreas.

Fact: The job of the pancreas is to produce enzymes to digest fats, proteins, and starches. During pancreatic inammation (e.g., pancreatitis), those enzymes are released and cause inammation and damage to the pancreas and surrounding organs and tissues. To suppress production of the enzymes, veterinarians suggest that you reduce the fat in the dogs diet and feed a diet that is high in carbohydrates. Dr. Wynn cautionsthat casually feeding digestive enzymes daily as a supplement can downregulate the pancreas own production of proteases not necessarily a good thing.

Grains cause allergies.

Fact: Dogs can become allergic to certain foods if they have the genetic predisposition to develop food allergies. In a review of seven studies, Dr. Wynn found that dogs are mostcommonly allergic to the following foods (in descending order): beef, dairy, wheat, egg, chicken, lamb/mutton, soy, pork, rabbit, and sh. In her personal experience she has seen higher numbers of corn allergy but emphasizes that grains do not constitute the majority of allergy offenders.

Too Much?

Note that some pet food companies take this approach to an extreme, formulating foods that contain more than 50 percent carbohydrates (and low-quality sources at that!). These foods may also contain 15 percent (or more) crude fiber.

According to Small Animal Clinical Nutrition (published by Mark Morris Institute and often considered the bible of pet nutrition), a small amount of fiber (less than 5 percent) that contains both rapidly and slowly fermentable fibers is recommended in foods for healthy pets. The text goes on to say that, Excess fiber may have undesirable effects. For instance, certain fiber types decrease mineral absorption. The effects on mineral absorption vary by type of fiber and the mineral. More rapidly fermentable fibers (e.g., pectins and guar gum) appear to decrease availability of some minerals, whereas fibers that contain more cellulose have little effect on mineral absorption.

Excess fiber can dilute the energy and nutrient content of the food to such an extent that an animal may have difficulty eating enough of the food to meet its needs.

How can you tell whether a food contains too much total carbohydrate? For that matter, how can you tell at all how much carbohydrate a food contains? The guaranteed minimum percentages of protein and fat, and the maximum percentages of fiber and moisture, are required by law to appear on a pet food label. But only particularly interested owners are apt to learn the approximate carb content of a food; youd have to either call the pet food maker and ask for this information, or do some math.

To roughly calculate the percentage of carbohydrate in a food, look at the guaranteed analysis on the label, and subtract the amount of protein, fat, moisture, and ash from 100 percent; the carb content is whats left over. (You may have to contact the company to get the foods ash content; its not required on the label, either.)

Ideal Carbohydrate Amounts Vary by Dog

Ultimately, it will be up to your dog and your observation skills to determine what constitutes too much and too little carbohydrate in his diet; there is no such thing as an ideal percentage of carbs in a canine diet. It totally depends on the dog, say Sean Delaney, DVM, MS, DACVN, and Sally Perea, DVM, MS, DACVN, veterinary nutritionists with Natura Pet Products. Drs. Delaney and Perea agree that some dogs do well on lower carbohydrate foods and others do not; it depends on the individual

Dr. Wynn adds, Different dogs digest grains in different ways. Some dogs have excellent stool quality when there are grains in the diet, and others dont. As a species, the domestic dog does not have a single, consistent nutrient profile requirement.

Given that there is no commonly accepted ideal for the carb content of canine diets, there arent standards for what is considered low, moderate, or high carb levels, either. Drs. Delaney and Perea say they classify carbohydrate content in dog food as low when less than 20 to 25 percent of the calories in the diet are from carbohydrates. Theyd classify as moderate foods with 25 to 40 percent (and even as much as 60 percent) of their calories attributable to carbohydrate.

All three veterinarians advise that for dogs known to be fat intolerant or who suffer from diseases like hypertriglyceridemia (high blood fat levels) and pancreatitis, very low carbohydrate diets might need to be avoided because of their traditionally higher fat content. For those requiring lower fat diets, adjusting the amount of food containing dietary carbohydrate upward is usually necessary.

Delaney and Perea agree that feeding whole grains, for example, might not be optimal for every pet, since whole grains provide a significant amount of dietary fiber, which may or may not be desirable for a certain dog. But feeding fiber-containing foods is beneficial in the management of many large bowel diseases and some small bowel diseases. Fibrous foods have the ability to delay gastric emptying, slow small bowel transit time, bind toxins and irritating bile acids, and normalize gut motility.

For the gestating/lactating female, it is recommended to supply food containing readily digestible carbohydrates and starches. The book Small Animal Clinical Nutrition notes, Gestation and lactation increase the need for glucose to support fetal growth and lactose synthesis in milk. Fetal abnormalities, embryo resorption, ketosis, and reduced milk production are possible adverse effects of providing inadequate carbohydrates during gestation and lactation.

When to Limit Carbs for Your Dog

There are times, however, when carbohydrate sources (including grains) in an individual dogs diet are contraindicated. Dr. Wynn has seen some dogs thrive when switched from a high-carb or even a moderate-carb food, to a low-carb food.

In the case of animals with chronic conditions of many types, the central problem may be a sick gut. We used to (and still do) call this a leaky gut, but more recently gastroenterologists have come to agree that the condition exists, and call it a hyperpermeable gut. Chronic inflammation of the gut may appear due to food allergy or less well understood inflammatory processes like inflammatory bowel disease. Even a transient gastroenteritis or antibiotic therapy can lead to inflammation of the gut lining.

Whats all this got to do with carbohydrates? Dr. Wynn explains that chronic inflammation in the gut erodes the most superficial layers of the mucosal lining. This is the location of the cells that actively secrete enzymes and other products that aid in normal digestion, absorption, and even immunity.

When the most superficial layer of the gut is eroded away due to inflammation, it is possible that mature digestive enzymes are lost. Disaccharides a product of digestion of complex carbohydrates in the stomach and upper intestine flow down into the small intestine where enzymes usually further digest them into an easily absorbed form. If the disaccharide form remains, it is not absorbed and pulls water into the intestine, resulting in loose stool or diarrhea.

The problem is compounded the longer it exists, with carbohydrate malabsorption leading to increased bacterial fermentation, causing gas and discomfort. Bacterial overgrowth can itself lead to diarrhea.

If amidst all this, the dog is switched to a grain-free or low carbohydrate diet, he just might eventually improve. Dr. Wynns caution is that grains often get the blame, when, in fact, it was outside insult to the gut that was most likely at the root of the problem. While allergy may or may not be a component of the reaction seen when grains are fed to these animals, the carbohydrate overload seems to be a bigger problem, she says.

The good news is this: these allergies arent permanent, unless the patient has a genetic disaccharidase deficiency (which is very uncommon in dogs and cats). In general, balancing the bacterial populations with probiotics, changing the diet so that it contains lower carbohydrate levels and sometimes different proteins, and addressing the cause of the initial bowel inflammation is all that is needed.

Whether or not the owner wants to go back to feeding a diet higher in carbohydrates depends on other factors, like owner philosophy, financial capacity to buy the more expensive meat products, and whether the dog has a weight problem. Temporary carbohydrate intolerance is different from real food allergies, says Dr. Wynn.

Low-carbohydrate diets are sometimes recommended for dogs with diabetes and cancer. Clinical trials run by Gregory Ogilvie, DVM, DACVIM, suggest that a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet containing fish oil and arginine accelerated time to remission in lymphoma patients and may extend the disease-free interval. But if the canine cancer patient is obese, Dr. Wynn adds, a slightly different approach might be needed; her preference is to opt for a lower fat protein, such as tofu, often along with a small amount of a starch, plenty of vegetables, supplemented with the appropriate vitamins and minerals.

Gluten-induced enteropathy or celiac disease, a genetic, chronic inflammatory disease of the small intestine, affects humans. An analogous disorder has been identified in some lines of Irish Setters and is suspected to affect other breeds as well, although not studied. Affected animals develop small bowel diarrhea, weight loss, and poor condition after being fed a diet that includes gluten, a protein substance found in some grains, including wheat, barley, rye, and triticale; whether oats are contraindicated is debatable.

In the Irish Setters studied, gluten-sensitive enteropathy was found to be a familial (genetic) condition and began to manifest itself at roughly 4 to 6 months of age. Feeding a gluten-free diet resolved the symptoms. A few gluten-free sources of carbohydrate include potato, rice, soy, amaranth, quinoa, and buckwheat.

Methods for Considering Carb Content in Your Dogs Diet

Few dog food labels list the foods carbohydrate content (its not legally required to be on the label). If its not there, Drs. Delaney and Perea suggest calling the pet food company and asking for the foods caloric distribution. This will tell you the percentage of the calories in the food that are attributable to its protein, its fat sources, and its carbohydrates. That is, if the companys representatives are able or authorized to give you this information. (The range of professionalism among pet food company customer service representatives is astounding.)

To roughly calculate the percentage of carbohydrate in a food, look at the guaranteed analysis on the label, and subtract the protein, fat, moisture, and ash content from 100 percent. (You may have to contact the manufacturer or look at its website to get the ash content; its not required on the label.) The remainder is an approximate percentage of carbs in the diet, and includes the foods crude ber.

The maximum amount of crude ber the insoluble portion of the foods ber, with no nutritional value is required on pet food labels. Some foods have similar total carbohydrates, but divergent crude ber percentages. A relatively high crude ber percentage might signal low-quality ber sources (the infamous llers), or indicate the food makers intent to provide so-called satisfying, but low-calorie ber or both.

Nancy Kerns

Since Drs. Delaney and Perea were the veterinary nutritionists who recommended asking about the caloric distribution of various foods, and they work for Natura Pet Products, it was not surprising that when we called the Natura customer service line and asked for the caloric distribution of its grain-free Evo Turkey & Chicken Formula dry dog food, we promptly received that information: calories from protein: 39.5%; calories from fat: 502%; calories from carbohydrates: 10.4%.

Note that some companies cannot or simply do offer this information for their foods.

Next, we wanted to calculate the percentage of carbohydrate in the same food. The label doesnt list ash, so we had to look that up on the Natura website. Then, using the rest of the info from the product label, we subtracted the percentage of protein, fat, moisture and ash from 100 percent. The remainder is the approximate amount of carbohydrate in the food.

Its interesting to compare the amount of carbs in foods meant for different purposes; its also interesting to compare the percentage of a foods crude fiber to its carb content. Using the same rough method as above, we calculated the percentage of carbohydratesin foods with a range of carb content. The first two are grain-free.

An Individual Decision

Dr. Wynn doesnt approve of diets formulated with high concentrations of carbohydrates simply to limit the cost of feeding the dog. But she does believe that there is no reason to expressly avoid carbs unless an individual dog has a specific intolerance to them or some condition that requires the use of a diet that is low in carbohydrates.

Remember that the best diet is an individual matter. Your friends strategy for feeding her Golden Retriever wont necessarily be the best for your Golden. Read labels, understand what youre feeding, research the manufacturer if feeding a commercial product, and feed the highest quality food that your budget can handle. Like everything we do with our dogs, pay attention to what your dogs telling you, and after you pick up the food bowl each day, let your dog and his health determine whats best for him.

Thanks to Dr. Wynn for allowing WDJ to borrow from her Pet Health and Nutrition blog.

SHOULD DOGS EAT CARBS? OVERVIEW

1. Listen to your dog! Skin, coat, eyes, stool, regurgitation/vomiting, energy, behavior, and urinalysis/bloodwork are all indicators of whether what youre feeding is working.

2. Dont banish carbohydrates from your dogs diet without understanding why youre doing so.

3. When feeding carbs, feed high quality sources such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

4. If and when you make a dietary change, document it well: make a list of what was in the previous food, whats in the new one, and compare.

Freeland writer Lisa Rodier is K9 Nosework enthusiast who lives in Kingston, Rhode Island, with her husband and their Bouvier, Atle.