Atkins Diet for Dogs?
Should you consider a low-carbohydrate diet for your dog?
MetPet.com Staff Writer
 The
Atkins Diet
for people is moderately high in protein, high in fat and is
very low in carbohydrates. The primary point of The Atkins Diet is to
reduce carbohydrate intake. Since foods are either protein, fat or
carbohydrate in varying combinations, reducing carbohydrates necessitates
increasing either protein or fat.
The Atkins Diet is based on the idea that excess carbohydrates in the
diet lead to surges in blood sugar and insulin and subsequent blood sugar
instability. When carbohydrates are ingested, excess calories are
stored as fat. Excess calories are those not immediately used for
energy.
The standard American diet can consist of 300 grams of carbohydrates per
day. The initial phase of the Atkins Diet reduces the daily intake to
just 20 grams per day. The later phases of the Atkins Diet gradually add in
more carbohydrates primarily in the form of green vegetables, dairy, berries
and nuts. The Atkins Diet says goodbye to glazed doughnuts, sugary sodas
and white bread.
In other words, eat many sugars, starchy vegetables and
grains and you will become both hungrier and fatter. Pet food companies
now
offer low carbohydrate diets for dogs with some products available only from
your vet. There were initial problems developing a kibble that was not mushy
since pet food companies had to eliminate or reduce the quantity of
traditional 'filler' grains such as corn or wheat. Now that pet food
companies have overcome the technological hurdle, your dog can join your low
carbohydrate lifestyle.
Your low carbohydrate dog can
also eat beef, chicken, fish, eggs and low starch green vegetables like
spinach, lettuce and kale all day but kibble is definitely easier and tends
to be just a fraction of the cost of fresh, human-grade food. Low
carbohydrate kibble for dogs is also much easier to prepare (no preparation
required), serve and store. Just note that excess protein converts to
glucose so make sure that there is enough fat on the menu to make up for the
reduction in carbohydrates.
Although this approach is counterintuitive and still very controversial,
it may be a worthwhile idea to consider in order to have a slimmer,
healthier dog. Researchers have found that dogs are able to taste the
proteins and fats in food. Diet foods for dogs that are full of fiber
but low in fat and protein are often unpalatable to your dog. Your dog
may
remain hungry and unhappy during the day on these types of foods. A
chronically hungry dog can become irritable and anxious. A low
carbohydrate diet may provide an answer for overweight dogs just as they do
for people.
Always make sure your dog is an adult in good health before
changing his diet. Puppies, pregnant or lactating females and elderly
dogs require special consideration. Dogs with kidney disease and other
disorders may require special diets. If you are preparing your dog's
food yourself, make sure that your dog gets basic vitamin and mineral supplements made for dogs.
Whenever you change your dog’s diet, make the change
gradually over a week. Simply add more of the new food to the old food
until your dog is eating only the new food. This process helps reduce or
eliminate any digestive problems. Always ask your veterinarian for advice
before making major changes to your dog's diet.
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