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Why Is Fiber in Your Dog's Food?
Why Is Fiber in Your Dog's Food?

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Importance of Fibre in Dog Food

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Your pooch’s diet defines its overall health and well-being. What it eats contributes to the amount of energy it has throughout the day. As a caregiver, it becomes your responsibility to provide the correct amount of nutrition and nourishment to your fur baby. Understanding the various components of your pet’s diet helps in providing them with the right nourishment.
 

Although everyone knows dogs need protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, and minerals; did you know your canine friend also requires fibre in their diet? Even though fibre is not completely digestible it is an essential part of your pooch’s diet. High-fibre dog food aids in better digestion and bowel movement. Soluble fibre for dogs helps them in absorbing water. This type of fibre then gets fermented in their intestines to release fatty acids for better gut health. Other than soluble fibre, dogs also require insoluble fibre for better water absorption and digestion.
 

Benefits of high fibre dog food

Fibre in dog food helps the dogs digest their food better. Proper digestion equates to better bowel movement and good gut and gastrointestinal health. Your canine friend’s food should contain at least 2-4% fibre to assist their gut health’s growth and development. Besides, fibre for dogs acts as an absorbing substance that collects excess water and acids. Given below are a few other benefits of fibre for dogs.
 

 Useful for treating constipation and diarrhea:

Apart from absorbing extra water and acid, the insoluble fibre also helps in cleaning your pet’s gut tract. This makes their bowel movement better. Consuming the right amount of fibre also helps maintain your dog’s anal gland issues. Smaller breeds of dogs are more likely to suffer from these issues. The fibre in dog food makes it easier for stool to pass smoothly without any added effort. Hence, reducing the chances of your pet developing gastrointestinal and anal gland illnesses.
 

Weight management:

Many breeds of dogs are meant for outdoor life; the lack of proper activity may lead to obesity in such breeds. Pet caregivers often worry about their fur baby being overweight because of the countless hours spent indoors with little to no activity. In such cases, high-fibre dog food is suggested alongside regular walks and playtime to manage the pooch’s weight. The fibre allows your fur baby to digest more food and aid in controlling its calorie intake.
 

 Manages blood-sugar levels:

Some types of fibre are slow to digest. This helps in maintaining blood sugar levels in dogs. Slow digestion of fibre stops sudden rise in blood sugar levels. Dogs that consume high-fibre dog food often have lower blood-sugar fluctuations and hence have lesser chances of suffering from diabetes.

 

At IAMS™, we understand the importance of fibre in a dog’s diet. Hence, our range of dog food not only has proteins, vitamins, and minerals but also fibre. With beet pulp being a consistent ingredient in our dog foods, we make sure that your pooch has a hale and hearty gut. This fibre-rich ingredient provides bulk to move waste. Moreover, it ensures that your dog absorbs all the nutrients present in its meal.
 

Is too much fibre bad for dogs?

On average dogs need only 2-4% fibre in their daily diet. Anything beyond this measure can be considered excessive fibre consumption for dogs. While fibre is needed for better gut and gastrointestinal health, too much fibre for dogs can be a topic of concern. Given below are a few issues that may occur because of excessive fibre consumption.
 

 Gas:

Fibre is not completely digestible. Hence, even though limited consumption of fibre helps in eliminating gut-related problems, too much fibre can lead to gastrointestinal problems and increase gas and acidity issues.
 

Diarrhea:

While soluble fibre manages water content in the body, insoluble fibre can lead to digestive issues when consumed in excess. Frequent urge to pass stool and diarrhea are some known side effects of consuming too much fibre.
 

Even if is fibre bad for dogs is a common query, the conclusion is fibre is needed for better digestion and gut health of your pooch. However, excess fibre consumption can lead to certain stomach and gut-related issues, while eating little to no fibre is also not a good choice. Avoiding fibre altogether can lead to the anal gland diseases and gut illness. Hence, as a pet parent, you must ensure your canine friend is provided with the right amount of fibre in their daily diet. Besides fibre dogs also need adequate amounts of protein, carbohydrates, and fat in their diet for consistent growth and development.

Frequently asked questions

  1. Is fibre good for dogs?
  2. Yes, dogs need some amount of fibre in their diet to digest their food and absorb excess water.

  3. How much fibre should dog food have?
  4. On average dogs need to consume at least 2-4% fibre per meal. While their daily fibre consumption should not be anything more than 10%.

  5. What happens if a dog eats too much fibre?
  6. As fibre is not completely digestible, consuming too much fibre can lead to diarrhea and gas issues in dogs.

  7. Does fibre make dogs poop more?
  8. Yes, fibre consumption can increase your pet’s urge to poop or make them poop more as fibre helps in removing excess water, acid, and other undigested components from your pet’s body.

  • How to Decipher Dog Food Labels: Dates and Shelf Life
    How to Decipher Dog Food Labels: Dates and Shelf Life
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    How to Decipher Dog-Food Labels: Dates and Shelf Life

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    What Is a Product Code?

    A product code is a series of numbers and letters printed on the outer package of each product that a manufacturer produces to provide information about when the product was made.
     

    As part of the product code, products manufactured by The IAMS™ Company include a 'Best Used By' date, or the date at which the product is no longer considered fresh and should no longer be sold. This date is expressed in “ddmmyy” and “ddmmmyy” formats (line 1 below).
     

    The second line represents company internal information for use in traceability and inventory control (line 2).
     

    Depending upon the production line, pouch products might have code date information in a single or double line.

    By recognizing and understanding these codes, customers can make sure they are receiving a fresh product.

     

    What Is Shelf Life?

    Shelf life is the duration, measured in months, during which a product that is stored properly maintains its freshness. This means that if a product has a 16-month shelf life, it is fresh for up to 16 months from the date of manufacture.
     

    The shelf life for our dry dog and cat foods is 16 months. All canned and pouch formulas have a shelf life of 24 months. Biscuits have a 12-month shelf life, and sauce formulas have a 16-month shelf life.

     

    What Is the Proper Way to Store Dry and Canned Products?

    Unopened dry products are best stored off of the floor in a cool, dry place. Open bags of food should be stored in a clean, dry container with a tight seal. Dry products also might be frozen without loss of nutrients.
     

    Opened wet products are best kept refrigerated in tightly sealed containers for no more than three days after the can has been opened. Wet products should not be frozen in unopened cans or pouches. However, wet foods can be frozen if removed from the container, packed in freezer containers and frozen immediately.

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