Dogs love their meat and that is a well known fact that is parodied in every movie, cartoon and show there is about dogs. We toss them scraps of meat from our own dinner table, we give them haunches of meat to chew on, and we five them meat flavored dog food to eat.
Dog eating meat
In fact so in grained is our belief that dogs love meat that to feed them anything else is a little odd. But recent studies have linked the otherwise and the discovery just might change the way you feed your dog.
A high protein diet contrary to popular belief has been linked to increasing the level of aggression in dogs. The usual base of high protein diets consists of-what else-but meat. This includes eggs, which is a meat by product, meat, meat fats, or high protein content edible food. A high protein diet can also be based on the protein content of canned dog foods or even leftovers such as cooked chicken, beef or pork.
The contention that a high protein diet stems from the belief that feeding meat to dogs trains them to slowly revert back to their original state which is more like a wolf. The need to hunt is thought to be reawakened by the stimulus meat provides. There is also the belief that the components that make up a high protein diet increases the aggressiveness level of a dog very much like the belief that a man who prefers to eat red meat instead of says, seafood, is more aggressive in nature.
To solve this some pet owners have resorted to introducing the concept of a low protein diet for dogs. A low protein diet does not have much of a meat base and it reduces the amount of protein a dog gets by a significant amount. A dog usually receives 25 percent of protein in their regular diet but in a low protein diet a dog only gets 11 percent of protein. This diet usually consists of vegetables and grain like corn, potato, rice and beans.
In replace of meat a dog can get their protein from legumes which are also rich in protein. Pet owners who have switched to this diet have reported a change of behavior in their dogs but the success of a low protein diet is yet to be validated in terms of changing a dog’s aggressive behavior.
However, A change in diet for your dog requires you to visit your veterinarian as this change can pose to be a challenge or even a risk to your dog’s health. Dogs are highly protein dependent creatures despite their acquired omnivorous upbringing. A sudden change in their diet can result into your dog’s loss of appetite and he might not even eat at all.
It is a good idea to slowly introduce this new diet to your dog by replacing a quarter of his food with something low protein to see how he takes it. When he has gotten used to it, then just slowly increase its portions until your dog has gotten used to his new food.
Changing your dog’s diet can be a major thing for your dog so remember to consult first with your veterinarian.
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