Cape hunting dogs forage in packs and set out at dusk to start their predations. With their alert ears and shining coats they make an ideal marketing picture for grain free dog food. They may never have taken a mouth full of the top dog food brand sold in supermarkets but seem none the worse for that. They're lean and mean and shining with good health.
Like other dogs these creatures are omnivorous rather than carnivorous. Before they tear another animal to pieces they will forage in the bush. Beetles, eggs, insects and a good deal of herbivore dung will be consumed.
When the kill is done they will gorge on the contents of their prey's stomach contents which will be largely vegetable matter. Raw meat will be mixed with hair and bone. After the feeding frenzy water will follow, and some mouthfuls of fleshy grass growing in the damp soil near the water.
In the profusion of dietary items available in the wild there will be relatively few grains. The main item on the menu will be raw meat. Pure protein will outweigh everything else in a successful pack of hunters.
Some cans of dog food contain too much water and maize or wheat meal. The few scraps of meat or flavoring in the can will encourage the pooch to eat enthusiastically. He will prefer the canned food to dry food but it will not necessarily do him much good.
Some dry food brands announce that they are a complete formula. They encourage owners to feed nothing but the formula. Dogs often eat only a minimum amount of such foods, possibly because it is so distasteful or so salty that they can't ever satisfy their hunger and remain lean though unsatisfied. This scientific method does not seem to pay much attention to the emotional needs of owners or their pets.
A switch to a grain free dietary regime is often recommended because the carbohydrates in maize and wheat meal can make an animal feel replete without supplying the proportion of protein that is needed. This can lead to obesity and the associated health problems. Vets may recommend a switch in diet as a pet gets older and needs more protein.
On one hand the cost of foods with more meat will be higher because pure protein is expensive. On the other hand an animal might need less of such feed on account of the higher protein content. Quality can be played off against quantity. Good brands of feed will also have vitamins and supplementary elements.
Potatoes, tomatoes, peas and canola oil may be included as supplements, depending on availability. These will supply vitamins and trace elements that would occur naturally in a scavenger's diet. In fact, due to scientific formulations there could be a good chance that the commercial brand would be better than the completely natural diet.
One consideration to be taken into account when switching to a grain free dog food is the amount of fat in the composition. Lower grade meat may be fatty and this could be unhealthy. Possibly a fish based protein would be better than chicken or beef.
Author Resource:
I'm a canine health guru who specializes in raw pet food .
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