Do Dogs Metabolise Fat, More Efficiently

[Azzachazza]

Hi all,

Just a quick question. Was wondering if dogs metabolise fat better than us. What i mean is, do their bodies deal with fat intake differently? For example i was inclined to feed chicken wings every other day, or even every day, however i couldn't imagine myself eating that much skin and fat on a daily basis, and just wondered if this was the same for dogs.

Is it unhealthy to feed skin and fat so often, or do their systems deal with and make use of this intake better than us, in regards for example to cholesterol...?

Thanks

Aaron

[~Anne~]

Cholesterol does not leave fatty deposits in dogs to my knowledge. One of my Pugs was part of a university study where they tested several things and looked at diet (the test was directly related to epilepsy and diet) and he had high cholesterol. The specialist told me at the time that cholesterol doesn't have the same detrimental affect in dogs as with humans.

The canine digestive system is very different to ours. Exactly how and where all the differences are though I am not sure. This is why barf and raw feeding is frought with problems as people tend to base their dog's diet on that of a healthy human diet.

[Aidan]

The specialist told me at the time that cholesterol doesn't have the same detrimental affect in dogs as with humans.

There is a lot of debate about what it does to humans too.

The short answer is that dogs can deal with a high percentage of fat quite readily. Some people do also. It would appear that a diet which includes a lot of fat (including saturated fat) is actually quite good for me, whereas when I was following a vegetarian diet my cholesterol and blood sugar were elevated.

[W Sibs]

what i know about this is.. vitamin D is fat soluble, so it is stored in fat.

So natural sources of vitamin D are quite fatty. Except I guess the fish sources. So fatty meat is better than lean meat for Vitamin D.

I know this because Charlie's health issues.. so we do feed Charlie fat. Not a whole lot, but once in a week, we will eat steak and give him the fatty part of it.

Hope this make sense.

[Nekhbet]

fat is an energy source. The dog not being a grain/carb eater derives its energy from animal fats and proteins

Cholesterol does not leave fatty deposits in dogs to my knowledge.

It can in some dogs. My Malinois started to get lipid deposit on her eyeball right on top of her lens. She had to go on a low fat diet and it dissapeared, so now we keep her fat intake relative to the work she does.

[~Anne~]

fat is an energy source. The dog not being a grain/carb eater derives its energy from animal fats and proteins

Cholesterol does not leave fatty deposits in dogs to my knowledge.

It can in some dogs. My Malinois started to get lipid deposit on her eyeball right on top of her lens. She had to go on a low fat diet and it dissapeared, so now we keep her fat intake relative to the work she does.

Fat and cholesterol are 2 different things. Cholesterol is essential in the digestion of fat you consume.

Cholesterol is a waxy substance that occurs naturally in all parts of the body and that your body needs to function normally. It is present in cell walls or membranes everywhere in the body, including the brain, nerves, muscle, skin, liver, intestines, and heart. Your body uses cholesterol to produce many hormones, vitamin D, and the bile acids that help to digest fat.

I would assume the deposits on your dog's eye was nothing to do with cholesterol.

[SilverHaze]

An interesting article that also includes sections on how dogs metabolise fat different to humans.

http://outside.away.com/outside/bodywork/2...research-1.html

[~Anne~]

An interesting article that also includes sections on how dogs metabolise fat different to humans.

http://outside.away.com/outside/bodywork/2...research-1.html

Interesting article. Thanks!

[4Kelpies]

Here are some more articles that might be helpful.

http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/fats-fatty-acids/

http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/octob...e-fats-in-diet/