Canine Nutrition
What is a dog. Herbivore? Omnivore? Carnivore? Silly question? Well, probably not as silly as you think.
Dogs are technically classified as omnivores. Surprised? Many are. Why are they classified as omnivores?
Because a dog can survive on plant based proteins. Survive. Not thrive. There is a big difference between
surviving and thriving.
Dogs need meat to thrive. If we look at their dentition and their intestinal tract it is designed to digest meat
and bone. Their teeth are designed to rip and scissor through meat and crush bone. Their intestinal tract is
short, not allowing the extra processing that it takes to efficiently digest plant material.
People are true omnivores...as are bears. If you look at our teeth, we have molars designed to crush and
grind plant material as well as proteins. Our gut is longer, allowing us to break down and gain the nutritional
benefit of vegetables. With their shorter gut, and incorrect teeth, dogs do not process vegetable material
efficiently and many times that material passes through them without imparting its nutrients.
Dogs need 20-40% digestible meat protein in their daily diet. Dogs need very little carbohydrates!
Keep in mind that the pet food industry is only about 75 years old. In order to make pet foods at low cost,
many companies use the waste products of the human food industry. There are no rules preventing them
from using 4D meats. 4D meats refers to dead, dying, diseased and down. There is nothing preventing them
from using a cancer ridden animal or a sick animal in making your dog (or cats!) food, and they do use
these things. Would you eat these things? Would you consider having these things in your diet something
that would help prevent cancer and some of the other illness that plague our beloved companions? Our pets
lives are too short as it is. We need to make every effort to help them live longer, healthier, disease free
lives, and diet is very import to that end.
If you are going to choose a commercial dog food, it is important to choose one that has biologically
available nutrition. Choose a food that uses only human grade ingredients.
ORIJEN REPRESENTS A NEW DIRECTION IN PET NUTRITION: BIOLOGICALLY APPROPRIATE.
The concept is simple: include the fresh, whole foods that nature evolved dogs and cats to eat (in correct
ratio and quantity), and exclude ingredients like cereal grains that are not part of the natural diet.
High-protein, low-carbohydrate and grain-free, ORIJEN features fresh regional ingredients in a Biologically
Appropriate ratio of 70 percent meat, 30 percent fruit and vegetables and zero grain (70/30/0).
The metabolism of cats and dogs is naturally evolved to operate on a largely carnivorous diet, and by better
matching the natural diet, ORIJEN promotes peak health in cats and dogs of all breeds and life stages,
nourishing them as Nature originally intended. ORIJEN is a new direction in pet nutrition: BIOLOGICALLY
APPROPRIATE.
Over the years we have tried many different diets from Raw to the absolutely most expensive commercial
food available.
We have found that ORIJEN has given us the best results. We highly recommend it!
