Digestive System of Dogs By Kelly Marshall At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Dogs are primarily carnivorous creatures that have short and fast digestive tracts. They do not eat like human beings, who are omnivores, and they certainly don't eat anything like cows or other herbivores. It is important to make this distinction because most of the health problems of our furry friends can be attributed to their diet. That is, their human engineered diet. The fact is that dogs in the wild eat differently than domestic dogs. They are hunters and they are scavengers. While they prefer fresh meat and flesh, they will often have to eat carcasses, bones, or even insects.

But when we take a domestic dog into our home, we often ignore the history of the animal and begin to feed them food that does not contain the vitamins or protein they need to grow up healthy and to maintain their energy. That is why many veterinarians recommend a combination diet that includes mixing bits of raw or cooked meat in with their regular dry or canned food. This provides domestic dogs with the protein and nutrients they so desperately need.

In fact, the digestive system of a dog is specifically designed to break down, absorb protein, fat, and even bones. Their stomachs actually have higher levels of acids that help them quickly break down meats. Dogs have absolutely no need for plants, vegetable or any kinds of carbohydrates in their diets.

But, as we mentioned, most dog owners are completely unaware that what they are feeding their beloved pets is unhealthy. Truth is that most commercial products use grains, corns or wheat as their primary ingredients not only because it's cheaper, but also because they know most pet owners don't know any better.

Though some people still maintain that dogs are omnivores because they sometimes see their pets eating grass, you can clearly see when we take a quick look at their digestive systems that they are mistaken.

The Mouth

The first thing you notice when you examine the mouth of a dog is, of course, its large fangs. These teeth are used for grabbing and holding onto prey. The front teeth help the dog scrape meat off the bone, while the incisors act as scissors to cut meat. Lastly, the molars are there to crack and crush bones. As you can see, all of these teeth are specifically designed for hunting and tearing meat.

Saliva

While human saliva contains chemicals that help us break down food, dog saliva is simply used as a lubricant and is chemical free. It is also true that dogs do not and cannot grind or chew their food. They just break it down and swallow it whole or nearly whole. The stomach is responsible for all of the digestion in dogs, just as it is in other carnivores.

Intestines

The intestines of dogs are shorter than those of either the omnivore or the herbivore. As a result, they are simply not long enough to digest plants or vegetables, which require more time to break down.

As you can see from this brief look at the digestive system of the dog, they are clearly carnivores and therefore should not be feed plants or vegetables. Though a dog may in fact eat these foods if they are mixed in with meaty flavoring, like many commercial dog foods, it they will not help him grow up healthy and strong.

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