Dog Nutrition. What should your dog eat? Consider its genetics!

We’ve all got special ways of spoiling our pets--toys, treats, going to the park, splurging for the raincoat or kitty stroller. Most of us have got the love & play corners covered. But, are we also gving our pets the best nutrition they could have? Nutrition is important not just because it’s a pet’s first interest but because food strongly influences health. Here are my recommendations for providing excellent dog nutrition.

Consider genetics
Not all dogs should eat fish. Not all dogs should eat beef. Not all dogs can eat grains. How do you know what’s best for our dog? Start answering that question by considering what your pet’s ancestors ate. Our pets’ ancestors didn’t have foods shipped in from around the world, they thrived by eating what was available locally. For the hundreds of years over which they developed, our pets’ ancestors ate locally. This type of food is what our pets should still be consuming.

Let’s have some examples:
Tibetan Spaniels
Tibbies evolved eating rice, barley, sweet potatoes, soy, and tubers. They had little beef or fish, and no tomatoes.

Chihuahuas
Chihuahuas evolved eating tomatoes, avocadoes, pork & poultry.

Border Collies
The Border Collie evolved eating wheat, corn, lamb, fish & poultry, but no avocadoes or tomatoes.

Australian Shepherds
Aussies evolved in Western US from Spanish herding stock. They ate beef & lamb, but not much fish.

Staffordshire Terrier
The Staffy or Bit Pull, which was bred in Florida ate a high fiber diet of corn, beef, poultry and some fish. They usually tolerate citrus fruits better than Samoyeds and Northern breeds.

Yorkshire Terriers
Yorkies evolved eating beef, wheat, rye & barley. No salmon, corn or soy.

Golden Retrievers
Goldens evolved eating, you guessed it, fish. They also ate wheat, corn, poultry, but only small amounts of beef.

Labrador Retrievers
Labs evolved eating fish, poultry, lamb and vegetables, but only a little beef.

After considering what a pet’s ancestors ate, consider your pet’s medical needs. For example, if your pet has arthritis, it shouldn’t eat potatoes, egg plant or tomatoes. That’s because these vegetables are in the Solinaceae family which predispose pets (and humans) to arthritis. Thus a Chihuahua with arthritis should not be given tomatoes even if that was a common food for its ancestors. Labs with arthritis shouldn’t have duck & potato diets. The Golden, Border Collie, and Aussie with arthritis shouldn’t have potatoes.

Want to learn more?
We’re discussing nutrition in depth this week at the WaterWorkz Summer Series. Every Saturday we cover different topics, and we’ve been asked to repeat the discussion on nutrition, so that’s what we’ll do this week. Come and discuss what food and supplements your pet should have. Bring what you’re feeding and we’ll evaluate it for the ability to nourish your particular pet.

Everyone welcome!
Saturday August 13 from noon to 1 pm
WaterWorkz
3831 Still Creek Ave, Burnaby, BC
Call for more information: 604 435 0022