Pet Appreciation Week; A Guide to Feeding Your Dog

When you first bring home your bundle of joy (or little terror), the choice of all the different foods can feel overwhelming. Knowing what to feed your dog is an important decision to make as it will support them throughout the rest of their life. That’s why this Pet Appreciation Week we’ve put together a few pointers for a healthy meal plan for dogs…

Is dry or wet food better?

As long as you chose a food that is properly balanced and complete, there is no nutritional difference between wet and dry food. This means you can safely choose either, or a combination of the two, based on your dog's preferences and your financial circumstances (wet food tends to work our more expensive).

There is some evidence that feeding dry food helps to maintain good oral and dental health, due to the mechanical cleaning action that occurs when the kibble is crunched on. Some dogs benefit from wet food as it helps to increase their water intake, especially those suffering from, dehydration, urinary or kidney disease but you can always add a little water to kibble if you’re worried about this. OMNI is a great dry food option that will keep your dog happy and healthy.

Is it better to home cook my dog's food?

It is possible to home cook your pup’s food, but it’s very difficult to get the correct nutrients. For a waggy tail, it’s super important to make sure that your dog is getting all the nutrition they need so we believe that it’s preferable for this to be left to the experts. OMNI is a plant-based dog food formulated by highly qualified vets and nutritionists with decades of experience and is 100% nutritionally complete. This means you can have peace of mind that your pup is getting everything they need to thrive. Another top tip is to keep your eye out for “fixed-formula” dog food, as these have more constant ingredient sourcing and can help to avoid gastrointestinal upset in sensitive dogs. You can learn more about the importance of fixed formula pet food in our most recent blog.

Does my dog's diet change with age?

It most certainly does. As your dog gets older, their nutritional needs will change. Therefore, making sure you get the correct life stage food is essential to support your pup throughout their development and life span. That’s why at OMNI we have formulated our Puppy, Adult and Senior ranges to take care of your dog and bring them the best, whatever stage of life they are at.

How can I change my dog’s diet?
Now that you’ve upped your knowledge on what to feed your dog, you may be thinking about changing your dog’s diet. To avoid upsetting your dog’s stomach, the key is to do this slowly. At OMNI we make it easy with this handy chart…

Time to fuel up

Treat your pup this Pet Appreciation Week by getting them a healthy dog food that dogs like. With OMNI it couldn’t be easier. Our subscription means that you can get OMNI delivered straight to your door so you never run out of dog food again. Not only that, you’ll get a bespoke 6-month health plan and a monthly video call with our vet team. Put your paws in the air for a healthy happy pup!

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FAQs

But aren’t dog’s carnivores?

Dogs are in fact nutritional omnivores as demonstrated by a robust scientific study published in the reputable journal Nature (1,2) in which it was shown that they have 30 copies of the AMY2B gene responsible for digesting plant-based foods.

They have also evolved relatively long intestines (21) (almost as long as humans) and relatively flat surfaces on their molars (31, 22) which they use for digesting and chewing a whole range of foods.

The common misconception that dogs are carnivores probably arises from the fact that they are classified in the order Carnivora but so are plenty of other species like bears, skunks, racoons who are omnivores and even the giant panda who thrives on a plant-based diet (20).

Is plant protein digestible to dogs?

Absolutely yes, studies which have looked at how much protein dogs can absorb from plant-based and fungi-based foods like soya and yeast demonstrated over 75% digestibility which is on par with meat-based foods (23, 24, 34, 35 & 25).

Both these protein sources also contain all 10 essential amino acids (36, 37) that dogs need to thrive.

Isn't there too much fibre in plant-based food?

The average amount of fibre in a commercial dog food diet is between 2-4%. omni’s plant-powered recipe has a fibre content of 3% which is on par with meat- based diets.

In our survey with over 200 dog owners, 100% reported that their dog’s stool consistency was either ‘normal’ or ‘perfect’ and there were no reports of any digestive upsets (data on file).

Can I mix omni with other meat-based diets?

We are proud that our recipes are nutritionally complete and so include everything your dog needs to thrive. This means omni can be fed as a sole ration. We also fully support a 'flexitarian approach' like meat free lunches or using omni as a mixer.

Every little helps to bring some of the health and environmental benefits of plant-power to meal times. Mixing omni with meat/fish will help to add variety into your dog’s diet whilst adding in healthy ingredients with a relatively low carbon footprint.

Can plant-based food provide the essential fatty acids dogs need?

All the essential fats and oils that dogs need, including omegas 3 and 6 are found in a variety of both meat and plant-based foods (31, 28).

omni’s recipe is rich in plant-based sources of these nutrients so your dog will get all the essentials they need.

I hear a lot about feeding raw meat, isn’t that better?

Feeding raw meat to dogs has become a very popular trend in recent years, but most vets will warn against this practise. This is because the cooking process is vital to help kill off dangerous bacteria like E coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter (9) that have necessitated several food recalls from the market and caused serious illness and even death in both dogs and their owners (40, 41, & 42).

There are also several worms and parasites that are only killed off when raw meat is cooked. Dogs are dogs, not wolves and thanks to their domestication over thousands of years, thankfully don’t need to hunt to get their grub nor do they need to eat raw meat, it's just not worth the risk.

References

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