A fascinating study revealed that dogs who ate raw diets and scraps have better gut health than kibble-fed dogs. The study was published with open access in Scientific Reports.
Researchers at the University of Helsinki in Finland conducted the study, which investigated if diet differences in puppies affected their chances of contracting digestive diseases, or chronic enteropathy (CE). To do so, they surveyed 7000 Finnish dog parents about their puppies’ diets. Over time, researchers collected the results and compared the different outcomes to various parameters.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first dog-focused study coming out of Helsinki. Previously, university researchers uncovered vital genetic markers for canine hip dysplasia. Additionally, past research demonstrated how dog behavioral disorders resemble their parents’.
Dry Foods Lack Key Components for Dog Gut Health
The study found that diets high in protein and fat led to low levels of CE later in life. Thus, the raw diet won out. Theoretically, these diet types promote healthy bacterial growth, optimize the dog’s nutritional needs, and support the immune system.
Contrastingly, the study said highly-processed dry dog foods “were significant risk factors for CE.” Most notably, researchers said these foods mirrored the modern Western diet with its “high amounts of ultra-processed foods and refined carbohydrates.”
Significantly, the data also suggested that feeding your dog table scraps could help protect against digestive disease. Researchers aggregated a list of common Finnish ingredients like fish, root vegetables, and buttermilk and determined that “the more exposure the dogs had to leftovers, the more protection against CE development there was.”
What Is the Best Diet for My Dog?
Speaking to NewScientist, Anna Hielm-Björkman — one of the study’s authors — said they’re not really sure why certain dog foods affect gut health. Unlike humans, dogs don’t need to eat lots of carbohydrates, just proteins and fat. “It might have the same effect that eating plain sugar has on humans — it causes low-grade inflammation,” she said. As such, Hielm-Björkman recommended a varied diet for dogs, with at least 20 percent made of raw ingredients.
“A lot of people are taught that dog food constitutes a balanced diet, but when you start using other foods in a dog’s diet, you see that a lot of diseases disappear,” she said.
This study comes at a time when “real” food for dogs is gaining mainstream popularity. Companies like The Farmer’s Dog offer human-grade dog food as an alternative to kibble.
