MINIMALLY PROCESSED DIET
Did you know that heating of food to high temperatures causes protein molecules to bind to carbohydrates in indigestible complexes called Maillard Complexes? Let’s dissect this information. Digestibility in dog food refers to the proportion in which nutrients are broken down, absorbed and actually used by the dog. For example, foods that make use of plant sources as their primary ingredients, have lower digestibility due to the fact that plant fibres and high carbohydrate content lower digestion. In addition to the actual ingredients going into your pet’s food, its treatment also impacts the way their body can process nutrients. Overcooking various ingredients to form pet food, can cause the amino acids in them to form indigestible ‘complexes’ that lead to carbohydrates forming Maillard Complexes. These complexes cannot be absorbed correctly by your pet’s digestive system, leading to them requiring a larger quantity of food to make up for the inaccessible nutrients. This means that choosing a minimally processed product can mean your dog gets up to 15% more nutrients from the same amount of food!
A recent study shows that the treatment of dog food can majorly impact even your pet’s skin! A dog’s diet can directly influence the fat composition of their skin which can lead to a change in its bacterial population. Since the skin is the outermost barrier of protection against the environment, it is of utmost importance to ensure that it transforms for the better, through both internal and external means. With respect to internal means, nutrition is widely known to regulate the intestinal bacteria community, owing to the fact that the gastrointestinal tract (and its microbiome) receives exclusive access to the nutrients in food before the other organs. This, combined with research that suggests a direct link between the gut and the skin, indicates that increasing the gut microbiome can influence the skin for the better.
A higher percentage of fresh meat which increases the protein and fat content in the pet food and its treatment which involves lower temperatures and pressures, is what sets fresh pet food apart from dry foods. This difference is what owes to varied nutrient profiles of the two diets and their digestibility.
The study pursued the cases of 8 healthy pet dogs who were fed a fresh diet for 30 days, after which they were switched to a dry food diet for the next 30 days following a 4 day transition period. Samples of the dogs’ skin bacteria population were gathered after each period and compared. Results concluded that upon the switch from fresh diet to dry food diet, there was a relative decrease in microbiome diversity on the skin. This shows us that a fresh diet is more beneficial for your pooch as it will increase the amount of a healthy microbe not only in their gut, but also on their skin which will protect them from the inside out.
Right4Paws adheres to the treatment of the fresh diet as mentioned above, since our food contains a sizeable proportion of fresh meats and other ingredients, which collectively go through a minimal processing format. This allows your pet to benefit from the copious amounts of nutrients without losing them in the digestive process. What’s more? You only require a small quantity of our diet to satisfy their daily nutritional requirements, leaving your furry friend nutritious, full and satisfied! So if you didn’t have enough reasons to order your pack yet, you have one now!
Access the study at: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/15/1881/pdf?version=1658506247
