Is Sugar Bad for my Dog? - 4 Reasons Why the Answer is YES.
Knowing what is in your dog’s food is key to ensuring they get the best chance at a happy, healthy life. Choosing a high-quality dog food that nourishes and supports a healthy immune system will give your dog that chance. Your dog doesn’t need any added sugar because:
It can contribute to diseases
Foods that contain added sugar are bad for your dog because just like humans they can contribute towards, obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Sugar can be listed in the ingredients as sugar, caramel, sugar beet pulp, syrup and sucrose. The Kennel Club estimates that around 45% of dogs in the UK are overweight and believe it or not, dogs do like the taste of sugar and are more likely to eat more when eating foods containing sugar. Your dog has more in common with a wolf than a human – his diet should be mainly meat.
It is being used as a taste enhancer
Some commercially produced dog foods add sugar as a taste enhancer. It can mask an otherwise boring food and dogs do like the taste, so by adding sugar, your dog loves it and it quickly becomes their favourite brand. Owners who have fed this kind of food may find that their dog turns their nose up at healthier options. Be careful with treats too. Dogs that are fed treats containing sugar (and this included the odd human biscuit) may stop eating their usual food because the treat is so much more interesting!
Tooth decay
No surprises here. If you have ever seen a dog with a toothache you would think twice about allowing your best friend to have sugar in their diet. Cleaning a dog’s teeth can be challenging and even the best owners can still miss areas. Decay is caused when the bacteria in your dog’s mouth use the sugar from their food to produce acid that rots the teeth. A carnivore that has had teeth removed (and let's face it who needs that expense) has suffered from something that could have been avoided.
Hyperactivity
Sugar causes glucose levels to rise and crash. Having a hyperactive dog is no fun. What you want is a dog who has plenty of energy to sustain a good walk, then have a sleep later in the day. Not a dog that is bouncing off the walls half an hour after eating their lunch.
What can you do?
- Check the back of your bag for ingredients like sugar, caramel, sugar beet pulp, syrup and sucrose.
- Check for xylitol, a sugar substitute, this can be toxic and lead to death in dogs, avoid any product containing it.
- Do not feed treats with added sugar.
- Do not feed human treats to your dog.
- Feed a high-quality food where the first ingredient is meat.
- If your dog is already eating a diet which includes sugar, consider changing and if you are worried about fussiness read our blog on fussy dogs here
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Wolfworthy 60g Sample
FREE Delivery
Based on the whole-prey diet of the Grey Wolf, Wolfworthy has many of the health benefits of a raw food diet, such as better skin & coat condition, smaller firmer poos, healthier weight, few allergies & intolerances, reduction in joint inflammation and stable energy levels; but without the hassle of cold storage, remembering to defrost, long prep times, clean up or worry when travelling. Now you can feel satisfied you are feeding your dog a diet that they will thrive on with the added convenience of kibble. Wolfworthy, because feeding your dog a great diet without any added rubbish doesn't have to be a hassle.
Wolfworthy costs only £1.07 per day for a 14kg dog when you subscribe including FREE UK mainland delivery straight to your door. Click Here to see how much it would cost to feed your dog.
TIP: Our 60g sample is great as a taste test to ensure your dog loves Wolfworthy but for a longer trial, our 1.5kg bag is much better value. Click Here to order a 1.5kg bag instead.
Suitable for Puppies, Adults and Seniors
Rated One of the Best British Dry Dog Foods by AllAboutDogFood.co.uk
THE DRY FOOD ALTERNATIVE TO FEEDING RAW