Dogs Need and Use Fat

When we think of fat in the diet, our first instinct is to minimize it as much as possible.  It’s true that although humans need a small amount of fat in their diets, too much can cause serious health consequences.  Not only can it cause obesity, it can also contribute to health problems such as diabetes and heart disease.

So when feeding our dogs, it seems like common sense to avoid giving them much fat.  After all, dogs can become overweight and suffer from the same types of ailments as humans.  But you might be surprised to learn that a dog’s fat requirements are quite different from a human being’s.

Humans get most of their energy from carbohydrates.  If they do not have sufficient amounts of carbohydrates in their diets, the body burns fat instead.  But a dog’s digestive system is not equipped to handle grains, which are the primary source of carbohydrates.  Grains also break down into sugar when digested, which is very bad for dogs.  Therefore they depend on fat and protein for their energy needs.

Fat is good for your dog for many reasons.  It keeps the skin and coat healthy.  It helps regulate metabolism, immune function, and body temperature.  And it can help control inflammation.

How Much Fat Should a Dog Have?

There is not a real consensus on how much fat our dogs need, but virtually all veterinarians agree that they need it consistently included in their diets.  Even commercial dog food manufacturers list the minimum amount of fat on their products.

Many raw diet proponents advocate a diet that contains a minimum of 30% fat.  That is close to the maximum amount recommended for human adults, so according to that figure a dog needs significantly more fat than we do.  The fat in a raw diet is also believed to be better for dogs, because their digestive systems do not handle cooked fat well.

It’s not as difficult as you might think to include the right amount of fat in a raw diet.  Prepackaged raw foods are nutritionally balanced so that you don’t have to worry about it.  If you’re feeding meat from the local butcher, you can ask for information about the content of fat and other nutrients or find it online.  And it’s not necessary to achieve the optimal amount every day.  As long as the diet balances out over a period of a week or two, it’s fine.

If a dog eats too much fat, he can become overweight.  But many dogs do not get nearly enough fat in their diets.  It’s important to remember that a dog’s nutritional requirements are quite different from a human’s.  A raw diet low in carbohydrates and high in fat might not be good for us, but it’s just what our canine friends need.