I often hear that potatoes are toxic to dogs. But then how is it possible, that they are often a part of high-quality dog food? Are they harmful, suitable or even beneficial for dogs?
Many people believe that potatoes are harmful to dogs, but not all potatoes are alike! Only raw unpeeled potatoes are toxic because of the solanine they contain in their raw state. Not even boiled potatoes are entirely suitable for dogs, as they digest potato starch poorly and they could cause intestinal problems in large quantities.
So why do potatoes appear in high-quality dog food? The key is the way in which they are processed - extrusion (simplified processing at high temperature and pressure). This radically reduces the content of antinutrients and natural toxins. This means that the dog only gets the valuable and highly digestible components from the potatoes.
The digestibility of starches after extrusion is even similar to the digestibility of animal proteins. In addition, potato starch crystals perfectly clean the surface of the intestines and significantly improve the health of the digestive tract, as well as the immune system.
So what benefits do potatoes offer dogs? They particularly contain a large amount of minerals such as magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc and calcium. They are also rich in vitamin C, A, B and E. Thanks to their carbohydrate content, they are also a great source of energy.
Another advantage is that they don't cause allergies unlike grains, which dogs can't even digest. These allergies result in digestive and skin problems. Potatoes are also less caloric than grains.
Some dog food contains up to 50% of potatoes, particularly for dogs with higher energy demands. Conversely, dogs with diabetes would not be able to eat so many potatoes.
Do you have any experience with potatoes? Have you noticed a difference between potatoes and grains in your dog's diet?
tradiční dárky pro psy .jpg/30x20/FIT)
tradiční dárky pro psy .jpg/600x400/FIT)
Christmas is coming and it’s the time we are thinking of how we can please our loved ones. Besides family and friends, we should also not forget about our loyal companions that have stood by our side through our highs and lows during the whole year....
In this article, we’ll introduce you to another discipline of Disc Dog – our focus will be on Parallel Time Trial. The most important thing in it is the time within which a dog catches a flying disc. What does this discipline look like, in what...
Coronavirus pandemic has had an impact on the lives of most people. Our travelling has been limited, we started spending most of our time at home – with our furry friends in many cases. However, it has also been a change for them. They suddenly had...
Most of us dream about having a long and happy life, and ways to ensure it have been sought for centuries. Recent scientific studies, however, suggest that the answer has been right before us all along: Our cats, in addition to being nice companions,...
Defence Training is a process in which we try to encourage and develop the predatory instinct. We differentiate between practical and sports defence. In the case of sports defence, the dog is controllable and it isn’t headless stimulation of...
This animal is a wild predator that also likes to just relax on the couch. We are, of course, talking about the American shorthair cat, which can be considered similar to its European counterpart, just on the American continent. What makes this breed...
Wolves belong to the Carnivora order, and the thought of meeting them in the wild scares many of us. It is therefore quite surprising that wolves are very shy and wary animals that will try to avoid human contact at all costs. All the more if the...
Like humans, our pets may experience adverse reactions to some food or ingredients. Whether we give them dry food or raw meat, there is always a risk that the food will not suit our pets, perhaps simply because they cannot digest it. How to recognize...
On our blog, we have already written about dogfrisbee, a sport where dogs catch flying discs. Its advantage is that both the dog and the owner play sports together. Dogfrisbee is also a great sport for its diversity – it includes various disciplines...
Sport cynology is sometimes also called the royal discipline. It is mainly because of its difficulty – very versatile skills are needed for it both from the dog handler as well as the dog. What aspects are the most difficult and what is its...
The Vizsla comes from Hungary where it arrived with nomadic tribes. The written references about this breed can be traced back to 14th century, but it started to be more significant in 18th and 19th centuries, mainly in association with races just...
As well as people, dogs are unique living beings which differ in their nature and in what they like and don’t like. A significant part of it depends on upbringing of course, but owners need to accept some characteristic features of a dog and learn...
