Why Should I Reduce Sugar in my Dog or Cat's Diet?
A number of recent articles have focused a spotlight on the amount of starch in some dog foods generated as a by-product of the extrusion process: this is usually around 30% (but can be up to 60% in the case of dry food). This is most common in Kibble, the ground meal shaped into pellet for pet food that undergoes gelatinization as it solidifies. To put this into context, fruits and vegetables average between 4% to 8% starch while RAW non-processed meats contain no starch whatsoever.
Is there an obesity issue for dogs and cats?
It's estimated that around half of the population of domesticated pets are overweight...and this is a problem, especially as your pet gets older. As carbs cause a high rise in glucose and insulin secretion, these are the things to cut down on. This is doubly important for dogs or cats that already have a high carb intake as imbalances can also develop in the gut bacteria, leading to leaky gut and yeast infections, etc.
What foods are high and low in starch?
There are plenty of raw foods that contain a very small or negligible amount of starch. Here are the top five low or no starch pet ingredients (and the top five high starch pet ingredients for you to avoid).
TOP FIVE LOW STARCH
1. Meat
2. Peanuts
3. Milk
4. Beets
5. Peas
TOP FIVE HIGH STARCH
1. Rice (White, Brown)
2. Potato
3. Oats
4. Barley
5. Corn
You can get a full index list online from sites like Blue Cross and Dogs Naturally but generally avoiding high sugar treats and regular 'intense carb' foods for your pet is highly advisable.
Here at Hoobynoo, we're always focused on keeping our furry friends happy but healthy. This was particularly easy for us with Jake, the original Hoobynoo dog, was exceptionally fussy about what he ate and often went to great lengths to avoid any dinner he didn't like!
