Feeding Dogs

1. Dogs are anatomically and behaviorally specialized carnivores, not omnivores.

All the physiology experts agree that dogs have the internal anatomy and physiology of a carnivore.

Anatomical design dictates diet. From their forward-facing eyes to their hinged, non-grinding jaws, every physical attribute of the domestic dog is engineered for predation. Their teeth are sharp shears designed to tear flesh and crush bone, not flat molars meant for grinding fibrous plants.

A short, rapid gut. Unlike omnivores with long, complex digestive tracts, the dog possesses a short, highly acidic stomach (pH 1-1.5) and a rapid transit time. This biological design is optimized to quickly dissolve raw meat and bone while neutralizing potentially harmful bacteria.

Feral diets prove carnivory. When domestic dogs revert to a feral state, they do not forage for grains or vegetables. The largest dietary study of feral dogs, analyzing 13,000 stomach samples, revealed a diet consisting of:

• 97% animal protein (mammals, birds, insects, and reptiles)
• 3% vegetation (mostly incidental ingestion from prey stomachs)
• Zero consumption of grain or plant starches.

2. The evolutionary expansion of starch-digesting genes does not justify a high-carbohydrate diet.

To say that because dogs can digest some starch better than a wolf proves that they can thrive on a high-starch diet long-term is like asserting that because people can process ethanol and glucose, we should thrive on a diet of 50% rum and cookies!

The amylase gene myth. The pet food industry frequently points to the domestic dog's increased copies of the AMY2B gene—responsible for producing starch-digesting amylase—as proof they are omnivores. However, this genetic shift is merely a minor adaptation to living alongside agricultural humans, not a fundamental rewiring of their carnivorous biology.

Breed-specific genetic variation. The number of AMY2B gene copies varies wildly among breeds, meaning many dogs remain completely unequipped to handle starch. Ancient breeds and those from regions with historically low-starch diets have the fewest copies:

• Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes (only 3 to 4 copies)
• Dingoes and wolves (only 2 copies)
• Pekingese and Shar-Peis (significantly higher copy numbers due to agricultural history).

No nutritional requirement. Despite these minor evolutionary tweaks, major nutritional authorities agree that dogs have absolutely zero physiological requirement for carbohydrates. Their bodies are designed to seamlessly generate glucose from protein and fat through a metabolic process called gluconeogenesis, which is permanently switched on.

3. High-carbohydrate kibble is the primary driver of the canine obesity and diabetes epidemics.

In the face of a raging canine obesity and diabetes epidemic, the SACN... does not use a single study in support of the statement that a diet containing more than 50% carbohydrates does not cause adverse health effects in dogs.

The insulin-driven fat trap. When dogs consume dry kibble—which typically contains 50% to 60% carbohydrates—their blood sugar spikes dramatically. The pancreas responds by flooding the system with insulin, an anabolic hormone that shunts glucose directly into fat cells and blocks leptin, the hormone that signals satiety.

Perpetual hunger and lethargy. Because insulin locks energy away in fat storage, the dog's brain perceives a state of starvation. This biochemical cascade forces the dog to become lethargic to conserve energy while simultaneously driving intense begging and scavenging behaviors.

The rise of diabesity. This constant carbohydrate assault has triggered an unprecedented health crisis in our companion animals.

• Over 60% of Western dogs are now clinically overweight or obese.
• Canine diabetes rates have skyrocketed by 80% since 2006.
• High-carbohydrate "light" or "weight-control" diets actually exacerbate the issue by keeping insulin levels chronically elevated.

4. Soluble plant fibers in dry food trigger life-threatening bloat (GDV) and pancreatitis.

During the past 30 years there has been a 1,500 percent increase in the incidence of bloat, and this has coincided with the increased feeding of dry dog foods.

Fermentation pulls the trigger. Gastric Dilation with Volvulus (GDV), or bloat, is a terrifying condition where the stomach fills with gas and twists, cutting off blood flow. While physical shape predisposes deep-chested breeds, the gas itself is not swallowed air; it is the product of rapid bacterial fermentation of soluble plant fibers in the gut.

Heavy, overworked stomachs. Cheap plant fillers like beet pulp and soybean meal delay gastric emptying and force the stomach to work harder. This mechanical labor physically enlarges and weighs down the stomach, stretching the hepatogastric ligament over time and making a fatal twist far more likely.

Carbohydrate-induced pancreatic inflammation. Pancreatitis is similarly driven by the metabolic strain of a high-carbohydrate diet. When a dog runs on sugar rather than fat, fatty acid oxidation is suppressed, leading to:

• Elevated blood triglycerides (hyperlipidemia)
• Chronic, low-grade pancreatic inflammation
• A highly vulnerable state where a single fatty treat can trigger a fatal acute attack.

5. Wheat gluten destroys the gut barrier, causing systemic allergies and autoimmune diseases.

This process of leaky gut, the improper presentation of partially digested food molecules in the blood stream and the body’s immunological reaction to them, is the route to developing food allergens.

The glue in the gut. Wheat gluten is a highly resilient, elastic protein that is incredibly difficult for a carnivore's digestive system to break down. When ingested, the undigested gluten strands stimulate the release of zonulin, a protein that regulates the tight junctions of the intestinal wall.

The leaky gut cascade. Increased zonulin levels open up microscopic gaps in the gut membrane, creating a condition known as "leaky gut." Partially digested food proteins, toxins, and bacteria escape directly into the bloodstream, triggering a massive, chronic immune response.

Systemic inflammatory symptoms. Once the immune system is chronically activated by these escaped proteins, it begins depositing antibody-allergen complexes throughout the body, manifesting as:

• Dermatological issues (itchy skin, red rashes, and constant paw-chewing)
• Gastrointestinal distress (chronic diarrhea, vomiting, and anal gland issues)
• Autoimmune disorders (arthritis, thyroiditis, and joint inflammation).

6. Ultra-processed meat meals are nutritionally dead and contaminated with toxic chemicals.

The industry is little more than a profitable dumping ground for the worlds food waste and you are paying top dollar for the pleasure of feeding it to your best friend.

The horror of rendering. The "meat meal" used in dry pet food is a grey powder produced by boiling animal waste under extreme heat and pressure. In the United States, this process routinely includes "4D" meat (dead, diseased, dying, disabled animals), roadkill, and even euthanized shelter pets.

Lethal chemical contamination. Because euthanized pets are rendered, the chemical used to put them to sleep—sodium pentobarbital—survives the rendering process. This lethal sedative is a frequent contaminant in commercial pet foods, leading to:

• Millions of pounds of canned and dry food recalled annually
• Chronic, low-dose exposure to a powerful barbiturate
• Severe liver and kidney strain as the body attempts to detoxify.

Carcinogenic Maillard reactions. To make matters worse, the intense heat of extrusion cooking mutates the remaining proteins, creating highly carcinogenic compounds called Heterocyclic Amines (HCAs) and Advanced Glycation End-products (AGEs). These mutated proteins are not only highly antigenic, triggering severe food allergies, but are directly linked to the soaring rates of canine cancer.

7. Synthetic vitamin and mineral supplements in kibble are unstable, poorly absorbed, and prone to toxicity.

It stands that not one dry food manufacturer can tell you reliably the vitamin content of your dog’s food by the time they eat it.

The synthetic illusion. Because the extreme heat of extrusion obliterates the natural vitamins and minerals in the raw ingredients, manufacturers must add a synthetic "premix" of laboratory-made nutrients. These inorganic supplements are highly unstable and begin degrading the moment the bag is sealed.

Poor bioavailability and absorption. Inorganic minerals, such as zinc oxide (rust) and copper sulfate, are incredibly difficult for a dog's body to absorb compared to organic, chelated minerals found in fresh food. This poor absorption is further worsened by:

• Phytic acid in grains binding to vital minerals, preventing absorption
• High calcium levels blocking zinc uptake, causing severe skin lesions
• Excess sodium (up to eight times the RDA) added to mask the tasteless kibble.

Lethal dosing errors. Because the pet food industry relies on chemical powders rather than whole foods, minor manufacturing errors regularly result in toxic over-supplementation. The most devastating example is the recurring, multi-million-can recalls due to toxic levels of Vitamin D, which causes acute kidney failure and death in thousands of beloved pets.

8. Corporate funding has systematically corrupted veterinary nutritional education and research.

The academic institutions of this country are allowing themselves to be the paid agents of the pharmaceutical industry. I think it’s disgraceful.

Buying the universities. The lack of nutritional knowledge among modern veterinarians is not accidental; it is a carefully orchestrated corporate strategy. Multinational pet food giants like Mars, Nestlé, and Colgate-Palmolive fund veterinary universities, build their lecture halls, and directly write the nutritional curriculum.

Sponsoring the teachers. Most veterinary students receive less than twenty hours of nutritional training, almost all of which is taught by corporate-sponsored "residents" or using textbooks published by the pet food companies themselves. This ensures that new graduates enter the field with:

• A deep-seated fear of homemade or raw diets
• An unwavering belief that highly processed kibble is the only safe food
• A financial incentive to sell "prescription" diets stocked in their clinics.

Owning the entire chain. The corporate takeover extends far beyond the classroom. Mars Inc. has quietly purchased the largest veterinary hospital chains in the world, including Banfield, VCA, and AniCura, effectively controlling:

• Over 50,000 veterinary professionals globally
• The diagnostic laboratories (Antech) that analyze pet bloodwork
• The software systems that mandate highly profitable, over-medicated treatment protocols.

9. "Clinically proven" pet food claims are built on deceptive, unfalsifiable comparisons.

Virtually all pet foods contain unsubstantiated claims for safety, completeness and balance that no human food in the world would ever be able to.

The illusion of proof. The term "clinically proven" on a bag of veterinary-prescribed kibble is a masterclass in marketing pseudoscience. These studies almost never compare the test kibble to a healthy, fresh, species-appropriate diet. Instead, they compare their product to an incredibly poor, baseline dry food.

The gobstopper analogy. Comparing a slightly modified kibble to a terrible baseline kibble is the nutritional equivalent of proving that "gobstoppers with added vitamins" are healthier than regular gobstoppers. While the supplemented group may show minor improvements, it does not make the candy a healthy, long-term diet for a child.

Flawed and short-term trials. AAFCO feeding trials require only eight dogs to survive on a food for a mere six months to earn the "complete and balanced" label.

• Two dogs can be dropped from the trial for any reason.
• No actual nutrient levels (vitamins, zinc, calcium) are measured in the blood.
• Long-term degenerative diseases, which take years to manifest, are completely ignored.

10. A fresh, species-appropriate raw diet is the ultimate medicine for canine health and longevity.

Without using a single drug, their issues had simply evaporated — which the best vets in Perth couldn’t clear.

The power of real food. Returning a dog to a fresh, raw diet consisting of meat, bone, organ, and a small amount of blended vegetation triggers an almost immediate health transformation. Free from the inflammatory assault of cooked starches, gluten, and chemical preservatives, the body's natural healing mechanisms are unlocked.

The Prey & Plant model. The ideal raw diet mimics the natural proportions of a carnivore's evolutionary prey, balanced over time through variety. A highly effective baseline ratio is 7:1:1:1, which translates to:

• 70% lean muscle meat (providing complete, un-denatured proteins)
• 10% raw meaty bone (providing highly bioavailable, organic calcium)
• 10% organ meat (liver, kidney, and spleen acting as natural multivitamins)
• 10% blended, low-glycemic vegetation (providing vital phytonutrients and fiber).

Unlocking vibrant health. The benefits of this transition are profound and systemic. Owners consistently report:

• The resolution of chronic skin allergies and hot spots
• Firmer, smaller, and virtually odorless stools
• Pearly white teeth and healthy gums free of tartar
• Improved muscle tone, joint mobility, and a calm, focused temperament.