Animal Fats & Carbohydrates For Dogs

Animal Fats: While most animal fats hold just as numerous calories as vegetable oils, only two hold necessary fatty acids in amounts sufficient to deliver a dog's requirements. These are the fat of the pig, commonly called lard, and horse fat. The tallow of beef and mutton should at no time be used as the lone source of vitality for a dog because of their low volume of essential fatty acids. Animal fats contain around 126 calories in every tablespoonful.

Cereal grains: One of the main sources of carbohydrates, both for dogs and man, is the cereal grains. The useful carbohydrate in these grains is predominantly starch. Starch can also be bought in pure form, and contains about 29 calories per tablespoon, or around 464 calories per cup. Other sources of carbohydrate energy from cereal grains can be obtained from dry and cooked breakfast cereals, boiled rice, hominy grits, corn meal, and in the milled form, such as flour. Cereal grain products should at no time constitute more than about 50 percent of the dry matter of a dog's diet.

Potatoes: Except for the fact that potatoes have more water in them, the amount of carbohydrates in potatoes is almost the same as in the cereal grains. Potatoes can be used interchangeably with those cereals that are fed in the boiled state. Like cereals, potatoes should never constitute more than 50 percent of the dry stuff of the diet.

Bread: As a source of carbohydrates in a diet, white or whole wheat bread ranks among the superior ''natural'' foods accessible to a dog feeder. It mostly is fortified with vitamins and minerals, is palatable to most dogs, and is usually available and low-priced. Some dog owners who feed their pets natural ingredients demand that bread should be toasted before being fed to a dog. While such a routine makes the slices easier to break up and mix with the rest of the diet, the starches in bread have already been subjected to cooking and about all toasting does is to improve the feel of the bread.

Specialty flour products: A carbohydrate source regularly overlooked by a dog owner is the specialty product made from flour noodles, macaroni, and spaghetti. These have an energy content comparable to other cereal grain products. And, like rice and hot cereals, they have the dominance of being able to be added dry to a food, then being cooked after the water has been added. This gives the means of mixing a large amount of dry food at one time, then adding water and cooking little amounts as it is needed.