# Varied Diet



## sarah4810 (Jul 26, 2011)

Good morning everyone!!

I have a chi named Scrappy and I would like to start incorporating fruits and veggies into his diet. The vet said this can be really great for him and also a nice variety vs. the same old food everyday.

I tried green beans and carrots. He did NOT like either one. I tried to trick him by putting some gravy on his green beans....I thought it worked when he started eating them but when I walked by his bowl later I saw he just sucked all of the gravy off of the green beans and then spit out the actual green beans! lol. 

What other healthy foods could I incorporate into his daily diet? I know pumpkin is good for dogs but I've read it's something I shouldn't really give on a daily basis. 

Any recommendations?


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## 20887 (Mar 16, 2011)

One of my chis, Lion, LOVES edamame. I don't think they get much nutrition from fruits or veggies, but it is ok to give it as a treat. I used to boil the edamame in unsalted water and give him one. He figured out how to open it and get the little beans out.


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

I have a recommendation - listen to Scrappy! He knows what he is doing!  Dogs are carnivores. They are opportunistic, in that they will often eat other things and appear to really like them... grass, some veggies or fruit, worms, dirt, poop, etc. 

But anatomically, they ARE wolves. They do not contain amylase in their saliva which is used to break down the cellulose in fruits and veggies. So why do dog food companies add fruits and veggies to their foods? It is a marketing gimmick because most people think they are healthy. And they ARE healthy if you are an omnivore. But they do nothing for carnivores, they will just pass on through.

Your vet is mistaken. Dogs don't get much, if any nutrition, out of fruits or veggies. Certainly don't give gravy! It's full of additives and salt and is a very poor choice. 

If you choose to feed fruits or veggies, they should be pulverized into a mush or slurry in order for the outer cellulose wall to be broken down and nutrients used. Even then, the nutrients dogs absorb from these foods are minimal. They are mostly just filler ingredients or used as fiber and passed on through.

Dog food companies have spent billions of dollars brainwashing the public into thinking that veggies and fruits are good for dogs. The truth is - they aren't usually harmful, but they are not beneficial. Take a look at your dogs teeth. Do you see molars which are used for grinding? Do their jaws move side to side? Flat teeth for grinding foods and jaws that move side to side (think how a cow eats) are essential for processing plant matter. All omnivores have amylase in their saliva. As mentioned earlier, this enzyme is absent in a dogs.

Dogs have sharp pointed teeth that are made to rip and tear meat. They are meat eaters. They are carnivores. And I feel strongly that they should be fed as such. If you'd like to give treats to your dog, please consider giving bits of meat. Preferably raw, but cooked would be OK. Chicken, beef, pork, turkey, venison, rabbit, etc. are all great choices. And Scrappy will be much healthier for it. 

A few links if you are interested in learning more .....

Myths About Raw: Are dogs omnivores?

Comparison Between the Digestive Tracts of a Carnivore, a Herbivore and Man. Part 2: The gut of a carnivore — the Dog, UK

Dogs Are Carnivores


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## jesuschick (Dec 5, 2010)

+1 to everything Tracy said.


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