Canine Nutrition: Carbohydrates and Human-grade Foods
Shortly after Lucy was diagnosed with diabetes and she healed from acute pancreatitis I started making her food from a recipe my vet gave me. While the ingredients were human-grade and she loved the food, it wasn’t consistent so her blood glucose levels really fluctuated. I did not know what I was doing, it was a crock pot meal and there were several days’ worth of meals. Cooked ingredients weren’t weighed out and I soon gave up and went back to prescription food, it was just too frustrating. About six months into DM diagnosis I switched her to a commercial kibble along with some wet food and I weighed all quantities, this really helped with her blood glucose levels. Eventually I omitted the wet food and added a lean protein and veggie to her meal. This was what she ate for almost four years with great success.
This food journey taught me that I did not know what I was doing and I did not know enough about canine nutrition; I wanted Lucy and the rest of the pack to have the healthiest life possible so I read and researched. I then took various canine nutrition courses so that I could learn all about feeding a dog properly and I could then help others that were in the same boat as me…nutrition is important for our four-legged kids but when they have a disease or illness it is even more important to get things right. So here I am nine years later, several nutrition courses under my belt, almost done with canine diet formulation course and gearing up for a well-respected canine nutrition course for certification that will take a year plus (eek!). Canine nutrition has become a passion and I love sharing what I know so that it empowers you and helps your pup.
Grab a cup of your favorite caffeinated beverage and let’s get to learning!
Today we’re going over carbohydrates and human-grade foods. In case you don’t know human-grade foods are foods that us humans eat but use as either a topper or for homemade food. If you are interested in human-grade dog food please click here.
Complex carbohydrates – a hot topic when it comes to feeding dogs in the nutrition world. There are people that feed RMB (raw meaty bones) that do not add carbs to their dog’s food, BARF (biologically appropriate raw foods) feeders add veggies and fruits only so the amount of carbohydrates is very small. Homemade food can have no carbs to high carbohydrates. Commercial foods have carbohydrates added, content can vary between low to high. Then throw in the diagnosis of diabetes and the conversation can go from hot to sizzling quickly.
It is true that dogs do not require carbohydrates in their diet, there are no AAFCO or NRC requirements. The only requirements they have for dogs are proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. There are simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates are sugars that start absorbing in the mouth and spike blood glucose levels quickly. Complex carbohydrates need to be digested and broken down in the stomach and small intestine before being absorbed. Simple carbohydrates should be avoided unless a diabetic dog is having a hypoglycemic episode.
Complex carbs on the other hand can be fed in moderation at mealtime. Complex carbs provide energy (glucose) for the body and we know that dogs can easily digest them. If they could not digest them the pancreas wouldn’t produce amylase – the enzyme that breaks down carbohydrates. In fact, carbs are the easiest nutrient for the canine body to digest. For quick reference: carbs digest first, then protein and finally fat.
When complex carbohydrates are fed to dogs this allows for protein sparing, meaning that protein is used for growth, maintenance and repair instead of being broken down and used as a source of energy. Proteins are broken down into amino acids, when there are excess amino acids or no carbohydrates in diet, amino acids can be converted into glucose in a process called gluconeogenesis.
We also need to consider specific illnesses or disorders that require low-fat and/or low protein diets. Carbohydrates will make up for caloric loss in reduced protein and fat diets.
For example, a dog has chronic pancreatitis so requires a low-fat diet. By increasing complex carbohydrates in diet the dog gets the appropriate calories and diet takes the strain off the pancreas. Dogs that require a low protein diet will benefit calorically from more complex carbohydrates as well, and we are protein sparing as well so proteins are used where needed.
As you can see complex carbohydrates aren’t a bad thing, we just need to feed them in moderation and I prefer feeding a dog under 30% complex carbohydrates if the dog doesn’t require a specialized diet due to other issues. If you are feeding dry food or kibble there is no need to add a complex carbohydrate to diet, kibble has plenty of carbohydrates in it. Finding kibble that is under 35% carbohydrates and low in fat can be hard since a binder is required, this is either carbohydrates or fat.
Some wet foods are low in carbs and some are higher so adding a complex carb to low carb wet food may be necessary or beneficial. And for homemade diet adding a complex carb source can be beneficial as well.
Remember that one gram of carbohydrates can raise blood glucose levels 6 – 10 points mg/dL in a human under 60 lbs., and while we have diabetic dogs’ complex carbs DO raise blood glucose levels and higher carbs may require a larger dose of insulin. Insulin opens cells to accept glucose and when there is not enough insulin in the body, blood glucose levels rise.
Human-grade foods - there are people that prefer to feed a homemade diet for many reasons but since we are all here due to our dog being diabetic we can go over the benefits of homemade diet for a diabetic dog. By feeding a homemade diet we have control of the ingredients, protein and vegetables can be rotated and the quality of those ingredients are higher than ingredients in commercial and prescription dog food. When calculating macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein and fat) we use the Atwater system, this is called metabolizable energy (ME) and this is used in all foods but there are differences between human foods and pet foods.
There is substantial loss in macronutrients during processing commercial and prescription pet foods.
The downfalls of making homemade food can be:
- Time consuming – I spent a day in the kitchen every seven to ten days cooking, weighing and storing homemade meals.
- Freezer/ fridge space – homemade food should only be stored in the fridge for a couple of days to ensure freshness.
- Expensive – sourcing ingredients can be expensive.
- Dog doesn’t like it – sometimes a dog just isn’t interested in homemade food.
- Not a balanced diet – for diet to include all the essential macronutrients (proteins and fats) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) the diet must be balanced.
Let’s talk a little more about balanced diet. In part 1 and 2 of this blog series I talked about essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids (proteins) and fatty acids (fats). Essential means that it is required for the dog to intake because their body cannot synthesize it.
For example, iodine is an important trace mineral that is an essential component of thyroid hormones. If you are feeding chicken and not including beef, fish or seafood your dog could be lacking in iodine, so supplementing with an iodine source is necessary.
And an example of excess is vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin. Vitamin D regulates calcium absorption & metabolism and promotes normal bone calcification. Excessive amounts of vitamin D can cause hypercalcemia, bone resorption, soft tissue calcification.
So it is important to ensure that your dog is fed a balanced diet!
I hope today's blog has been informative and that you've gained a deeper understanding of carbohydrates and human-grade foods. Thank you for reading, and I look forward to sharing more valuable insights with you in the coming weeks.
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please start a conversation below.
For a printable version of this blog click here.
Until next week stay comfy, don’t stress and you got this!
Michelle Miller-Matlock
AAHA Certified Diabetes Educator
Founder/Administrator of DDO: Diabetic Dog Owners University
Administrator of Diabetic Dog Owners on Facebook
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