Fibers: The Unsung Heroes in Your Dog's Diet
This is our series on the ingredients in Wild Earth’s Clean Protein dog food called ‘Ingredients With A Purpose’. We understand there are A LOT of options when it comes to what you feed your dog. We also understand you want to feed them the best food possible and labels can be confusing. The goal of this series is to give you insight into the role each ingredient plays in our food and the components that make a complete dog diet. We’ve broken the articles down into the components that make a healthy dog diet: Protein, Fats & Carbohydrates, Fibers, Vitamins & Minerals, Essential Fatty Acids, Superfoods, Amino Acids, Prebiotics & Probiotics.
Fibers
Fibers are the unsung heroes in a complete dog diet. They do much more than help with digestion. The scientific community is learning more all the time, but healthy, soluble fibers can help with everything from digestion to reducing cholesterol, controlling blood sugar, and boosting heart health.
What do Dogs use Fibers for?
Much more than you might realize! While fiber is most often associated with using the restroom - it has some incredible additional benefits. Certain fibers - known as beta-glucans - found in fungal proteins like yeast and certain plants like oats have been studied to improve disease resistance, enhance vaccine efficacy, and aid in immunity against infection. Much of the benefits of these beta-glucans are due to the healthy bacteria they create in the gut - also known as the microbiome. While we’re currently learning the benefits in dogs, in humans a healthy gut is associated with stronger immunity, healthier skin, even mood, and fighting autoimmune diseases.
There is still much to be learned about the benefits of fiber. At Wild Earth, we feel we’ve only begun to scratch the surface with discovering the short and long-term benefits of dietary fibers.
Try Wild Earth Dog Food!Ingredients
Yeast
Our favorite superfood. Yeast is a large contributor to the protein AND fiber content of our food. Containing those powerful beta glucans (and alpha mannans!), yeast is our not-so-secret ingredient.
Koji
Koji is a fungus that contains healthy dietary fibers.
Oats
Oats are extremely healthy grains that add protein, carbohydrates, and fiber to our food. Like fungi (yeast and koji), oats contain beta-glucans.
Sweet Potato
Sweet potato contains the soluble fiber pectin which reduces blood sugar spikes and helps with digestion.
Chickpeas
Similar to sweet potatoes, chickpeas are a source of both plant-based carbohydrates, protein, and soluble fibers.
Pumpkin
While not as prevalent in our food as other ingredients on the list, pumpkin is well known to help a dog’s digestion. The good news is a dog doesn’t need much pumpkin to see the benefits.
Spinach
Spinach is high in vitamins, fiber, and minerals.
Dogs Love It!
We’ve made a nutritionally complete, high-protein adult protein dog food that dog’s love (read the reviews!). If you haven’t already, check out Wild Earth Clean Protein for your pup!
