Dog Food Considerations

WHAT ARE YOU FEEDING YOUR DOG?

I recently hosted a Healthy Gut workshop this past weekend.  While I was explaining to the audience the importance of a low pH (~2.0) in the human stomach it brought to mind something I learned from my former pharmacology brethren regarding pharmacokinetics.  The acidic conditions in our stomach serve a number of critical purposes.  First and foremost, it aids in digestion of the food that we eat.  Second, it provides an antiseptic environment to prevent the growth of unwanted microbes. 

I then reminded my audience that unlike humans, the pH in the stomach of a dog is much higher, anywhere between pH 4 to 6.  As a result, dogs have a much harder time digesting any food that they are not accustomed to.  A reputable dog food is specially formulated to be compatible with the unique environment of the dog gut.  When you bring Spot home for the first time you may have to try a few food formulas before you find one that agrees with your pet, but once you find the right brand, stick with it.

Feeding your dog human food may titillate his taste buds but you are sure to wreak havoc on his stomach and immune system.  He simply does not have the digestive conditions compatible for metabolizing food that was not specifically made for a dog.  So what happens when your pet eats something that is not on the doggie menu?  Regurgitation and runny poop may be acute symptoms but you are setting your pet up for a lifetime of chronic disease.  Humans who subscribe to the Standard American Diet (SAD) of processed and sugar-laden foods put themselves at risk for a host of metabolic and inflammatory diseases including Diabetes and even Rheumatoid Arthritis.  Dogs who are constantly fed people food or poor quality dog food are at risk for the same conditions.  A poorly formulated diet will ultimately lead to destruction of the immune system which is a major contributing factor to allergic disease.   Not only is the rate of allergic disease exploding in children and adults, it is also showing up in dogs at an alarming rate.  …and the cause is exactly the same.