Did you know that 70% of a canine's immune system is found in the stomach and intestines? This makes fibre a very important element in every meal that our fur baby eats.
First, let’s understand what is fibre:
Fiber is categorized as either soluble or insoluble. Soluble fibre dissolves in liquid. As it travels through the gastrointestinal tract, soluble fibre absorbs water, swelling into a gel-like substance that slows down the digestive process, helping control the release of sugar from foods, maintaining our pets sugar levels.
Insoluble fibre does not dissolve in liquid and passes through the GI tract largely intact. Insoluble fibre adds bulk to the stool and speeds up the passage of food and waste through the digestive system, helping our pets to have a smooth and easy bowl movement.
Most foods contain a combination of soluble and insoluble fiber, with one type dominating.
So, what does roughage or fibre really do to your doggo’s health?
Roughage can:
Which fiber is best? Both soluble and insoluble fibers offer benefits, so healthy dogs should eat a combination of both types.
A word of caution:
At one time or another, most dogs suffer from acute diarrhea. In these situations, adding soluble fiber can help manage the situation by absorbing water in the intestinal tract and slowing down the digestive process.
If your dog suffers from chronic diarrhea, it’s important to know if the problem originates in the large intestine (colon) or the small intestine because while large-intestinal diarrhea is shown to benefit from added dietary fiber, small-intestinal diarrhea is not fiber-responsive. So do check on what your pet is suffering from, before add more fibre to its meals.
Here are a few foods that can get your doggo it’s healthy share of roughage?
We use most of the above and launched 3 new recipes to bring your doggos the best, with our seed recipes which will include Chia seeds, Flaxseeds and Pumpkin seeds, so your fur baby gets the best of everything.
Soluble fibre
Insoluble fibre
Pumpkin
Broccoli
Sweet Potato
Spinach
Carrots
Apples
Beans
Brown rice
Flaxseeds
Chia seeds
Oats
Zucchini
