Carbohydrate content assessment in different commercial dogs diets

Abstract

The growing awareness of the needs of pets by pet owners has also led to a diversity of diets on the market. Given that a proper diet is the best prevention for diseases such as obesity, diabetes, adverse food reactions, gastrointestinal disorders and even cancer, it is vital to guide owners early on towards an optimal diet for the physiological requirements of each individual pet. An increasingly debated topic in canine nutrition lately is the percentage of carbohydrates in dog food. The International Research Council has concluded that there is no need for carbohydrates at all in dog diets (corn, rice, potatoes, barley, etc.). However, carbohydrates are the dominant ingredient in most dry foods and they are abundantly present. They are not harmful to dogs when present in reasonable quantities. Carbohydrates provide a high source of energy, but the problem is the large amount in which they are found in many types of dry food. While protein, fat, fiber and moisture are always listed on a package label as part of the chemical analysis, pet food manufacturers are not required to list 'carbohydrates' in the food as they are the main macronutrient determining postprandial glucose levels. Because of this concern, we thought it appropriate to bring to the attention of dog owners the percentage of carbohydrates in different categories of dry dog food, as well as the types of cereals included in the dry food that have a different glycemic index, which is a system that measures the effects that carbohydrates in food have on blood sugar levels.