Fabulous Fibre for Dogs

We hear a lot about increasing our own  fibre intake and in this article we will look at how dietary fibre could have lots of benefits for our dogs too.

Fibre can be classified in two ways.  

Firstly, whether or not it dissolves in water, so in other words whether it is soluble fibre or insoluble fibre:

• Soluble fibre and these types include pectins, gums, fructans, guar gum and inulins.  As they are digested they pull water into the gut, forming a gel which slows down digestion.  This helps to keep the dog feeling fuller for longer and gives a slow sustained release of energy from food until the next meal. This can be particularly beneficial for weight loss diets and for dogs with diabetes.  
• Insoluble fibres like wholegrains do not dissolve and so they enter and leave the body unchanged. This means they are not digested and so if we don’t get any nutrition from them.  Their benefit lies in the effect this type of fibre has as it travels through the digestive system.  Firstly, this type of fibre adds bulk to the food, which gives the walls of the intestine something to work against and this helps push food through the gut , keeping everything moving and preventing constipation.  As it reaches the large intestine it absorbs lots of water so stools are softer and easier to pass, which can be especially beneficial for the older dog who’s digestive system may be a little slower than in younger days.

Secondly, fibre can also be  categorized by the ability of the gut bacteria to use them to produce nutrients.  This is called fermentation and so the more soluble the fibre, the more rapidly and completely fermentable it is.  This gives rise to the third health benefit of fibre. 

• Fenrmentable fibres include:
  FOS and MOS added to some dog foods (including all Dogs Delight dog foods) because they are soluble fibres which act as prebiotics providing a source of nutrition for the good bacteria in the gut.  This can be very helpful to general digestive health but also for those dogs with digestive issues as it helps provide what is called a healthy gut microbiome, where the good bacteria flourish and the harmful ones (pathogenic) are less likely to take hold.

So three main health benefits but how do we find a dog food that contains these different types of fibre?  The problem is, it is tricky to be able to compare fibre contents between different dog foods because when fibre is listed as CRUDE FIBRE this includes most of the insoluble fibre but NOT the soluble fibre.  So in other words, crude fibre doesn’t give us an idea of total fibre or how much, if any soluble fibre is present.  

This means two types of dog food which have similar levels of Crude Fibre could in fact have very different total fibre levels and have totally different effects on the digestive system of the dog.  It is these differences in fibre which explain the gut issues owners see when they change their dogs’ food and can be the reason why a dog has more loose stools on one food but a better, formed stool on another type.

Here are some of the health conditions that fibre can benefit:

• Overweight/obesity – soluble fibre can help the dog to feel fuller for longer and so help to avoid hunger between meals
• Cardiovascular Disease- moderate levels of soluble fibre can be helpful to ensure good absorption of nutrients during digestion.  
• Gastrointestinal Disease – Insoluble fibre can help reduce diarrhoea, slowing digestion and making the stools more formed.  Look for Crude Fibre 2% to 5%.  Soluble fibre can also be helpful as it helps with the absorption of nutrients during digestion as well helping to limit the growth of harmful (pathogenic) bacteria by providing nutrients for the good/beneficial bacteria.
• Liver Disease – Soluble/fermentable fibres such as FOS and MOS which act as prebiotics can mop up nitrogenous waste and act as an ‘ammonia trap’ to help reduce blood ammonia levels.
• Kidney Disease – some renal/kidney diets contain soluble/fementable fibre for the same reason as in liver disease, they act as a nitrogen trap and help reduce blood ammonia levels.
• Dental health – Insoluble fibre like the type found in wholegrains can add texture to kibble and to treats which helps to clean the surface of the teeth, helping to remove plaque and prevent the build-up of tartar.

If you think your dog would benefit from more fibre in their diet there are a two main options:

Option 1 – Choose a Dog Food with the right type of fibre

You will need to look on the ingredients list to do this .  Look for FOS and MOS which are the soluble fibres with a prebiotic effect. If you are looking for the effect of soluble fibre which forms a gel in the gut and helps to keep the dog feeling fuller for longer look for ingredients like sweet potato. 

On the other hand,  if you want insoluble fibre to help prevent or treat constipation  this is easier as this is the type of fibre that is listed in the nutritional information as ‘crude fibre’. Look for levels of around 2% crude fibre

Option 2 – Add fibre to the diet yourself.

If you would prefer to keep the dog food the same the you could add fibre yourself, depending on the health benefits you are looking for.  You can do this by adding in fruits and vegetables or through the use of a supplement.

Fruit & Vegetables

It is advisable to try food as a way of adding fibre, before using supplements unless you are dealing with a specific medical condition (in which case you should check with your Vet).

You can simply add small portions of vegetables into the diet such as pumpkin, green beans, peas, carrot, broccoli, berries, pears and apples, mixed cubed frozen vegetables. This will give a lower amount than the concentrated amount from a supplement.

Fibre Supplements

The types of fibre supplements are the same as those we can add to our food but make absolutely certain they do not contain xylitol or any other type of sweeteners.  You can add:

• psyllium seed husk – a mixture of soluble and insoluble fibre
• wheat bran- insoluble fibre 
• inulin – soluble fibre

Remember that an increase in fibre should always go hand in hand with an increase in water so ensure that clean, fresh drinking water is always available.