Recently completed studies on dog health have identified the importance of using dog supplements to aid the canine digestive system. By first studying how contemporary life styles of pets and their owners relate to dog nutrition the these studies have shown that the digestive processes were the most vulnerable systems of the canine. This has been perpetuated by the further and further removal of the canine from their natural wild environment. These drastic domesticated changes in both the life style and diet of the natural dog have removed critical components needed by their digestive system. Therefore to assure high-quality dog health the processes of the digestive system must be enabled with an effective dog supplement. The second phase of the study then focused on canine metabolism and what foods and nutrients were needed and missing from the normal dog diet. This body of research resulted in ingredients carefully selected not only for their individual benefits but also for their capacity to blend together to optimize and enhance their natural benefits to the canine digestive system.
The availability of legitimate research on canine health exists in the commercial dog food and agriculture livestock feed industries along with higher level educational institutions devoted to veterinarian science. Although one has to be careful to separate the “advertisements” from the research of the commercial dog food industry, they do process the financial resources to maintain the largest and most advanced labs in the world for Research and Development of food and nutritional products. The agriculture feed industry also has extensive and extremely useful research in regards to animal digestion, and the research does apply to dogs. Research from the naturopathic and supplement industries was not completely ignored but since it is not based for the most part on genuine research or scientific data it was not relied on or trusted. For instance, the dog, is scientifically classified as a Carnivore, although, you can find on the Internet these industries for the support of their products claim that dogs are Omnivores. This is obviously erroneous. In fact since their diet in the wild consisted almost entirely of meat their body evolved a digestive system very different than humans.
The difference starts in the mouth. Dog’s saliva does not contain the enzyme amylase which the human uses to break down starches into sugars. Their stomach produces large amounts of acid which is 4 to 5 times strong than exist in the human stomach. The food stays in their stomach longer which facilitates the breakdown of animal proteins. One other significant difference is the length of the canine digestive tract which is actually 10 times shorter than that of humans. This means the food spends only about only one-third the time in the intestines as with humans. This dictates a dog food that is easily digestible allowing nutrients to be absorbed quickly in the short tract. The modern day commercial off-the-shelve dog foods which contain large amounts of grains (mainly corn) and fiber are not completely processed and simply pass through your dog without any nutritional benefit. Using a natural dog supplement that enhances the digestive system is therefore essential.
The diet of the wild carnivorous dog therefore consisted mainly of protein. Other than water, protein accounts for about 50 percent of a dog’s body and is a necessary part of every cell. It is actually the amino acids supplied by the protein through their unique digestive system that is necessary for good dog health. High quality protein sources are essential in any dog supplement. Out of the 22 amino acids needed for healthy organs, muscle, bone, and hair 10 categorized as essential amino acids cannot be produced by the body and must be supplied. Excess proteins not consumed by these body functions generate more energy for the animal. The modern day grain based dog foods do not supply protein in the proper manner for assimilation of the amino acids.
Usually you can relatively easily find a commercial dog food that does supply the necessary vitamins and micro-nutrients that you pet need. Without understanding how your dog’s digestive systems functions you cannot make the correct choices in determining the healthiest diet. That is why dog supplements should be targeted at the digestive system. With the life style and environment of the modern day dog becoming more and more removed from nature the canine digestive processes have a difficult time performing their natural functions. This results in a reduction in the dog’s metabolism which has an overwhelming negative effect on their health.
Once the canine digestive system was understood the next phase of the research concentrated on what ingredients needed to be added via a dog supplement to enable a dog’s digestive system to function properly when you replace their natural diet with the modern day diet of the domesticated pet. They should be from natural sources since scientific research is still too immature in the real benefits and effects of synthetic compounds on dog health. They also need to be selected not only for their individual contributions but how they work together in the unique canine digestive system. Research has shown the following are some of the dog supplement ingredients that will help in maintaining an effective digestive system and promote good dog health.
Chia seeds possess the highest percentage of the omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids of any food and in the exact ratio that dogs need. They are a good source of B vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and copper. The other major advantage is they contain powerful antioxidants that protect the essential fatty acids from oxidation. Therefore they do not require added vitamins to remain fresh.
Kelp also supplies fatty acids and is high in protein with all 21 amino acids.
For probiotics needed for beneficial bacteria yeast cultures, lactobacillus (acidophilus & casei), and bifidobacterium are needed. The dog supplement should guarantee living Equivalent of 10 billion Probiotics microorganisms per gram (2 billion probiotics microorganisms per dosage) 20 to 500 million viable cells at the time of purchase, not just at the time of manufacture.
For detoxification and parasite control calcium montmorillonite clays and diatomaceous earth are effective.
Aspergillus (oryzae & niger) are good sources of enzymes Amylase, Protease, and Lipase.
