High Five to High Fibre!

Ahh, glorious complex carbohydrates. Tasty and good for us. Fibre is a very important part of the human diet- it lowers our cholestorol, keeps our digestive system ticking over nicely and can even help our heart to stay strong and healthy. But what about our canine chums? Should you be exercising the same philosophy with your dog?

Over to our nutritionists…

As with humans, the function of dietary fibre for dogs is primarily to maintain the health of the gastrointestinal system. Chomping on foods high in fibre can aid the prevention of certain diseases such as diabetes, obesity, irritable bowel syndrome and colitis. Fibre facilitates smooth bowel movements and helps to prevent constipation.

So, how much fibre should you feed your pooch? A healthy dog diet should contain between 2% and 4%. Fibre can be classed as both soluble and insoluble, both types are important and affect the health and function of the gastrointestinal tract.

What are the Best High Fibre Foods for Dogs?

Oats

Porridge made with water is a great snack for hungry dogs! The oats in our Weight Control+ Chicken & Oats food make it fibrous and generally oats are a great way to keep dogs – and humans – feeling fuller for longer.

Brown Rice

As well as having tonnes of other health benefits, brown rice is high in fibre making it a great ingredient to use in dog foods. It’s so good in fact, that we use it in the majority of Burns diets.

Vegetables

Broccoli, sprouts, cabbage and carrots are all brimming with gold dust health benefits to dogs, and are high in fibre.

[Discover our guide to Veggie Superheroes and Villains for Dogs]

High Fibre Food for Weight Loss

Does your paunchy pug or bulky beagle need to shed the puppy fat? High fibre dog food is their friend. Fibre increases bulk in the diet and promotes a feeling of fullness without adding calories. This provides the dog with a satisfying meal whilst consuming fewer calories.

Dogs that are an ideal weight but appear hungry / greedy may also benefit from the extra fibre and in some cases additional fibre can help to reduce the incidence of the dreaded coprophagia (poo eating) in dogs.

High Fibre Dog Food for Diabetic Dogs

High fibre dog food is useful for diabetic dogs. Feeding a high fibre diet to a diabetic dog can help control the swings in blood sugar which minimises the peaks and troughs in blood glucose levels that accompany the disease.

High Fibre Dog Food for Diarrhoea

In cases of unpleasant diarrhoea, fibre will absorb moisture and along with its binding and gelling properties, it is a good aid the treatment of diarrhoea. Fibre’s water absorbing properties also aids the treatment of constipation.

High Fibre Dog Food for Anal Gland Issues

High fibre dog food for anal glands issues. Many vets will also recommend a higher fibre food to increase stool volume. A bulkier stool can help to empty the anal glands and may benefit dogs with recurrent anal gland issues. This method is helping to deal with the symptoms of anal glad issues but is not getting to the route cause of why the glands are filling up. In our experience a good quality, standard lower fibre diet will help prevent the glands filling up in the first place. There are other factors that can cause the glands to fill up, its best to talk our team of nutritionists who will be happy to provide tailored advice to meet your dog’s individual needs.

How Our Diets Can Help

We recommend our higher fibre diet, Weight Control+ Chicken & Oats which contains 7.5% fibre. In comparison, our standard dry dog food diets contain 2-3% fibre, depending on variety.

Burns Weight Control+ is formulated with whole grain oats which provide both soluble and insoluble fibre. Both types of fibre are needed to maintain a healthy digestive system and ideal body weight .

If you think your dog may benefit from a change to one of our higher fibre foods, please get in touch with one of our nutritionists via Live Chat on our website, email or call our freephone number 0800 083 6696.