Dog food

This article is about food that is produced to feed dogs. For the human consumption of dog flesh and parts, see Dog meat. For other uses, see Dog food (disambiguation).
Dry dog food in a bowl

Dog food is specifically formulated food intended for consumption by dogs and other related canines. Dogs are considered to be omnivores with a carnivorous bias. They have the sharp, pointed teeth and shorter gastrointestinal tracts of carnivores, better suited for the consumption of meat than of vegetable substances, yet also have ten genes that are responsible for starch and glucose digestion, as well as the ability to produce amylase, an enzyme that functions to break down carbohydrates into simple sugars – something that obligate carnivores like cats lack.[1] Dogs evolved the ability living alongside humans in agricultural societies, as they managed on scrap leftovers and excrement from humans.[2][3][4]

Dogs have managed to adapt over thousands of years to survive on the meat and non-meat scraps and leftovers of human existence and thrive on a variety of foods, with studies suggesting dogs' ability to digest carbohydrates easily may be a key difference between dogs and wolves.[1]

The dog food recommendation should be based on nutrient suitability instead of dog's preferences. Pet owners should consider their dog's breed, size, age, and health condition and choose food that is appropriate for their dog's nutritional needs.[5]

In the United States alone, the dog food market was expected to reach $23.3 billion by 2022.[6]

  1. ^ a b Axelsson, E.; Ratnakumar, A.; Arendt, M.L.; Maqbool, K.; Webster, M.T.; Perloski, M.; Liberg, O.; Arnemo, J.M.; Hedhammar, Å.; Lindblad-Toh, K. (2013). "The genomic signature of dog domestication reveals adaptation to a starch-rich diet". Nature. 495 (7441): 360–364. Bibcode:2013Natur.495..360A. doi:10.1038/nature11837. PMID 23354050. S2CID 4415412.
  2. ^ Arendt, M; Cairns, K M; Ballard, J W O; Savolainen, P; Axelsson, E (13 July 2016). "Diet adaptation in dog reflects spread of prehistoric agriculture". Heredity. 117 (5): 301–306. doi:10.1038/hdy.2016.48. PMC 5061917. PMID 27406651.
  3. ^ Pajic, Petar; Pavlidis, Pavlos; Dean, Kirsten; Neznanova, Lubov; Romano, Rose-Anne; Garneau, Danielle; Daugherity, Erin; Globig, Anja; Ruhl, Stefan; Gokcumen, Omer (14 May 2019). "Independent amylase gene copy number bursts correlate with dietary preferences in mammals". eLife. 8. doi:10.7554/eLife.44628. PMC 6516957. PMID 31084707.
  4. ^ "Did Eating Human Poop Play a Role in the Evolution of Dogs? | Psychology Today".
  5. ^ Song, Hee Seok; Kim, Young Ae (March 2021). "A dog food recommendation system based on nutrient suitability". Expert Systems. 38 (2). doi:10.1111/exsy.12623. ISSN 0266-4720. S2CID 225422919.
  6. ^ "Dog Food in the US". Euromonitor.com. Archived from the original on 13 August 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2018.