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Written by Admin
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Thursday, 24 November 2005 |
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Page 3 of 11
Presently, there is academic discussion as to whether domestic dogs are
omnivores or carnivores. The classification in the Order Carnivora does not
necessarily mean that a dog's diet must be restricted to meat. Unlike an
obligate carnivore, such as a cat, a dog is not dependent on meat protein in
order to fulfill its dietary requirements. Dogs are able to healthily digest a
variety of foods including vegetables and grains, and in fact can consume a
large proportion of these in its diet. Wild canines not only eat available
plants to obtain key amino acids, but may also obtain nutrients from vegetable
matter from the stomach contents of their herbivorous prey. Domestic dogs can
survive healthily on a reasonable and carefully designed vegetarian diet,
particularly if eggs and milk products are included. In the wild these diets are
typically pursued in the absence of available meat. It has also been noted that
extremely stressful conditions, such as the Iditarod race and scientific studies
of similar conditions, suggest that high-protein diets including meat help
prevent damage to muscle tissue. This research is also true of other mammals.
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About Dogs 
