Page 20 - Autumn 23

One of the questions I am often asked is why so many of our recipes contain vegetables. I should probably begin by explaining that all our formulas are complete and were created for us either by our own chief veterinary surgeon or by ‘guest’ veterinary nutritionists. When you take into account our Bespoke, Lean and Organic ranges, we must have well over thirty options including food specially formulated for working dogs, overweight dogs, dogs with particular health issues and so forth. Some include vegetables, some don’t.
Our most popular formulas, however, are 66% meat and meaty bone and 33% seasonal vegetables. The meat is free range, pasture fed, certified organic or wild. It is fresh and if it wasn’t being used in our food you might expect to find it in a posh butcher. The vegetables are either grown for us – without chemicals – by a local farmer or, in the case of the organic vegetables, come from other farmers in the UK. In fact, all the ingredients are sourced from British producers.
There has been much debate over whether vegetables are a necessary part of a dog’s diet. The main argument against vegetables is that dogs are carnivores not omnivores and would barely eat any vegetable matter or fruit in the wild. I agree that dogs are carnivores, but they aren’t obligate carnivores and sometimes they definitely choose to eat vegetables and even fruit. To offer just one example, my late English pointer, Darling (much missed) used to pick her own blackberries (very
delicately with her lips) and harvest her own carrots (which was extremely annoying). Moreover, canines eat the gut contents of their prey, which usually contains vegetation. They also scavenge vegetation, which includes herbs, vegetables and fruit.
Anyway, to my mind feeding vegetables to a dog can only be beneficial. Here are nine reasons why:
1 For dogs who need to come down a collar size or two they help make them feel full. Indeed, for all dogs the vegetables mean there is more food to eat... something that most dogs appreciate!
2 Some organs (the heart, liver, pancreas, etc.) work better in a more alkaline environment and the same is true of some hormones. Vegetables help to balance the alkalinity and acidity. If there’s too much acidity, it can lead to inflammation. And inflammation causes many chronic diseases.
3 Vegetables contain a wide array of nutrients – especially phytonutrients – that your dog needs. Phytonutrients are one of the most important kinds of nutrients you can give your dog – they kill cancer cells, reduce inflammation, promote gut health and support a healthy liver. But they are only found in fruits and vegetables. So if your dog only eats meat, he or she is missing out. Research published in the Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition found that phytonutrients could potentially benefit many aspects of dog health, concluding:
‘Phytonutrients possessing anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties may have notable roles in the prevention of chronic diseases, whose underlying development involves accumulated oxidative stress and chronic low- grade inflammation or altered immune function.’
4 Vegetables help hydrate your dog.
5 Vegetables provide your dog with a host of vitamins including B vitamins, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin E and Vitamin K.
6 Vegetables contain important minerals including calcium, potassium and magnesium.
7 Some vegetables are rich in enzymes, which can help with anti-aging.
8 Vegetables are packed full of antioxidants like lutein and beta-carotene. These help to protect your dog against unstable molecules called free radicals. Free radicals are a major cause of aging and disease.
9 Vegetables are high in fibre. Fibre passes through your dog’s intestines largely undigested. Once it reaches the colon, the bacteria living there ferment the fibre to create short chain fatty acids aka SCFAs. SCFAs are then used for energy, to build immune cells and protect the mucous lining in the gut. Fibre reduces cancer risk, has antioxidative properties, clears toxins and helps with gut health (more about which below).
Why dogs need vegetables