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Diet By Design
Canine, order carnivora, Feline, order carnivora.
Every species has its unique needs based on their anatomy and physiology. By studying the anatomy and physiology of a particular species, we can determine what types of food a species needs to thrive.
The following diagram was created to help understand that. You may have seen this already, as both Dr. Jeannie Thomason and I have released it publicly and Raw Pet Digest has published it.
Every species has its unique needs based on their anatomy and physiology. By studying the anatomy and physiology of a particular species, we can determine what types of food a species needs to thrive.
The following diagram was created to help understand that. You may have seen this already, as both Dr. Jeannie Thomason and I have released it publicly and Raw Pet Digest has published it.
Text from diagram above:
There is no amylase in the saliva. Amylase in saliva is something omnivorous, and herbivorous animals possess, but not carnivorous animals like dogs or cats. As amylase is not present in saliva, the burden is entirely on the pancreas to produce the amylase needed to digest carbohydrates. Feeding dogs as though they were omnivores or herbivores makes the pancreas work harder to digest the carbohydrate-filled foods (instead of just producing normal amounts of the enzymes needed to digest proteins and fats).
Sharp teeth are designed for slicing meat, not grinding plants. Carnivores have elongated teeth designed for tearing and killing prey. Their molars are triangular with jagged edges that function like serrated-edged blades that give a smooth cutting motion like the blades on a pair of shears.
Jaws move vertically unlike herbivores and omnivores that grind their food by side to side chewing, the jaws of dogs and cats operate vertically to provide a smooth cutting motion, and open widely to swallow large chunks of meat.
The ability of dogs and cats to secrete hydrochloric acid in their stomach is exceptional. To facilitate protein breakdown and kill the bacteria found in decaying meats, dogs and cats can keep their gastric pH around 1-2.
Carnivores have short, simple digestive tracts. Protein and fat from an animal source are quickly and easily digested – hence the short digestive system of dogs and cats. The intestines are about 3x the length of the body for rapid elimination of food that goes rancid quickly, and the large intestines reabsorb and solidifies the remains before elimination.
The pancreas produces trypsin which breaks down protein as well as insulin which controls blood sugar levels. The pancreas is not meant to excrete amounts of amylase necessary to break down carbs and does not produce cellulase to break down cellulose into glucose.
Let's take a look at wild carnivores...
For wild canines, wolf packs primarily hunt and kill large ruminants, such as deer, elk, and moose, therefore venison is considered the most natural prey to feed. If whole prey is scarce, a wolf pack will also hunt smaller prey animals. Individual wolves or pairs can't safely bring down a large animal, so they will hunt smaller animals such as squirrels, rabbits, and chipmunks. Foxes also hunt small animals, such as squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, birds, and mice.
Moving into the wild felines, Bobcats will hunt rabbits, rodents, birds, bats, and sometimes adult deer. They will also hunt sheep and pigs, if near a farm. Cougars, also known as mountain lions, primarily prey on deer, but will also feed on smaller animals if necessary, including domestic animals and livestock.
A species appropriate raw food diet AKA prey model raw is a diet that strives to come as close as possible to the diet of a wild canine without going into the woods to hunt wild prey animals. It is based on whole meats, connective tissues, fat, organs, blood, etc from a variety of prey animals in order to achieve balance and to feed all the nutrients in whole prey.
Species appropriate raw diets are all about feeding whole foods. Every part of the animal is used, except hard, inedible bones (such as weight bearing bones of large herbivores like cattle and bison) and stomach contents. No fruits (with a *possible* exception we'll get to later), vegetables, or grains are fed. Shearing, gnawing, and crunching through cuts of meat, bone, ligaments, and cartilage helps oral hygiene, which in turn keeps the entire body healthy. It also provides great stimulation for your dog or cat.
For wild canines, wolf packs primarily hunt and kill large ruminants, such as deer, elk, and moose, therefore venison is considered the most natural prey to feed. If whole prey is scarce, a wolf pack will also hunt smaller prey animals. Individual wolves or pairs can't safely bring down a large animal, so they will hunt smaller animals such as squirrels, rabbits, and chipmunks. Foxes also hunt small animals, such as squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, birds, and mice.
Moving into the wild felines, Bobcats will hunt rabbits, rodents, birds, bats, and sometimes adult deer. They will also hunt sheep and pigs, if near a farm. Cougars, also known as mountain lions, primarily prey on deer, but will also feed on smaller animals if necessary, including domestic animals and livestock.
A species appropriate raw food diet AKA prey model raw is a diet that strives to come as close as possible to the diet of a wild canine without going into the woods to hunt wild prey animals. It is based on whole meats, connective tissues, fat, organs, blood, etc from a variety of prey animals in order to achieve balance and to feed all the nutrients in whole prey.
Species appropriate raw diets are all about feeding whole foods. Every part of the animal is used, except hard, inedible bones (such as weight bearing bones of large herbivores like cattle and bison) and stomach contents. No fruits (with a *possible* exception we'll get to later), vegetables, or grains are fed. Shearing, gnawing, and crunching through cuts of meat, bone, ligaments, and cartilage helps oral hygiene, which in turn keeps the entire body healthy. It also provides great stimulation for your dog or cat.
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