wolfworthy.co.uk\/blogs\/word-of-the-wolf\/why-we-believe-meat-is-best
Why we believe Meat is best!

Why we believe Meat is best!

Why we believe Meat is best!

Our values mean we believe dogs thrive on a high meat diet. 

This is why we based our food on the diet of the Grey Wolf - mainly meat and fish (80%) with some fruit and veg (20%) and no grain. Proper meat is incredibly important to your dog because it is packed with protein, nutrients and vital amino acids.

We also never add artificial colours, flavours, preservatives, sugar or salt.

Dilated cardiomyopathy

The debate around grain-free diets, originating in the USA, has highlighted the problem of including vegetable protein rather than protein from meat in dog food. 

Just a quick summary for those of you who have not heard of DCM. Dilated cardiomyopathy is a life threatening heart disease where dogs develop an enlarged heart with a weakening of the muscles. DCM can cause death but is very rare, affecting only 0.5% - 1.1% of the dog population [1]. Back in early 2000 some links were made to grain-free diets. This created a bit of a media storm but was based on no real research.

Twenty years on and the sales of grain-free foods have increased 5 fold but the cases of DCM remain steady [2]. Research is on-going but what interests us is the persistent reference to peas and lentils. 

It is a known practice by pet food companies that a cheap way to raise the protein level of their food is to include peas and lentils instead of meat. Put simply, meat is more expensive and you can still get a high 'protein' rating on the packaging if you include peas, lentils or legumes. 

We have never done this, even before the DCM debate. It would go against our values. Dogs and wolves have done just fine on mainly meat for thousands of years which is good enough for us.

Taurine

To hammer home the point even more, meat provides some essential amino acids that are not found in legumes, like taurine. A deficiency in taurine has long been linked to DCM and other heart conditions. This was first discovered in the 1970's when the issue of diets low in taurine, which is found in meat, was found to be responsible for heart problems in cats.

Taurine is an amino acid that is necessary for the development and function of the heart and muscle cells. It also plays an important role in eye, brain and immunity. 

Amazingly most dogs have the ability to make taurine themselves from other amino acids. But some larger breeds including Great Danes, Retrievers, Dobermans and Irish Wolfhounds can struggle to make enough taurine when fed a diet low in animal protein. For dogs diagnosed with taurine deficient DCM, taurine supplementation has been found to improve the condition.

The reassuring news is that one of the best natural sources of taurine is actually organ meat and poultry meat. Which is why we include both in our food.

Our promise

We will never use cheap protein fillers in Wolfworthy. Our protein comes from meat, fish and eggs. We do not use cheap protein sources such as peas, pea fibre, chickpeas, lentils and other legumes.

Research into this complex topic is on-going. Genetics, breed, infection and nutrition are all being discussed but at the end of the day dogs have evolved for centuries eating a diet consisting mainly of meat and fish. So choosing the best food you can will give your dog the greatest chance of leading a healthy, happy life.

Wolfworthy is mainly meat (including organ meat) so you can rest knowing your dog will get taurine naturally. It also has the added advantage of being incredibly tasty and satisfying. Your dog will thank you for switching! 

1. Dilated cardiomyopathies in dogs. Dr. Eric de Madron, DMV, Dipl. ACVIM (Cardiology) and dipl. ECVIM (Internal Medicine).

2. frontiers in Animal Science, 2022, Incidence of Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy Diagnised at Referral Institutes and Grain-Free Pet Food Store Sales: A Retrospective Survey, https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fanim.2022.846227/full, 20/05/22