It is common knowledge that people need fibre in order to function normally. It has a great impact on our body, such as reducing cholesterol absorption or lowering blood glucose. Human beings undoubtedly need fibre but was it ever a priority in your animal’s diet?

If you want to provide your buddy with the best puppy foods, you have to make sure they contain all the necessary elements to help your animal grow healthily. Fiber is often an underestimated nutrient in dogs food, but surprisingly it’s highly beneficial to our little friends.

What is fibre?

Fiber is a plant-based group of substances that are not digested or absorbed in the human body. It forms the structure of the plant and comes in two forms, soluble and insoluble. Each of them has an important role to play when it comes to feeding your dog properly. Below you will find a few of the most important pros of including fiber in your puppy’s diet.

Prevention of colorectal diseases

Fiber dilutes, binds and removes toxic and carcinogenic substances from food. Another advantage is the stimulation of bowel movements and accelerating the passage of food through the digestive tract. This means that the colon stays healthy, which helps prevent bad conditions such as diverticulitis and irritable bowel syndrome. It can even help protect against colon cancer.

Improving Diabetes Mellitus

Some of the fibers are able to slow digestion, which keeps blood-sugar levels from spiking. By slowing the absorption of carbohydrates from the intestines fiber prevents diabetes and hypoglycemia. It also increases insulin performance. The body uses it less in the process of sugar absorption by cells. This may cause fewer fluctuations in the blood sugar of dogs that eat high-fibre diets which as a result can help them manage sugar-connected illnesses.

Prevention of inflammation of the perianal glands

Fiber helps the anal glands work properly. As I mentioned before, fiber is able to absorb water and produce more fecal masses. Larger stools compress the glands at the rectum during defecation and can basically cause a natural outflow from swollen lymph nodes. And relieve your pet.

Help in losing weight

Dog obesity can cause many problems in your buddy’s life. First of all, extra skin folds can contribute to any kinds of bacterial infection. Problems with weight can also cause problems with heart, blood pressure and breath. Overweight puppies are more likely to collapse trachea and laryngeal paralysis. 

Fibre helps the dogs feel full after consuming even very few calories.

Foods high in this diet component require more time to digest, and also have a larger volume, so in that case, switching to a high-fibre food is a good choice for these puppies who need to lose some weight.

Prevention of constipation and diarrhea

In the case of diarrhoea, it happens because insoluble fiber absorbs water more or less like a sponge. It means it can absorb moisture from the outside of the large intestine into the doggy poo to help promote regular bowel movements. Some of the fiber might be broken down in the intestine into fatty acids. These fatty acids aid in preventing the overgrowth of harmful bacteria. It can also help prevent constipation. It occurs when the doggy has difficulty eliminating feces. Most of the time it happens to be dry and hard. The “spongy” power of absorbing the water usually works both ways. When the feces is to dry, fiber by absorbing water from the inside of the large intestine can help to control constipation. 

Where can I find fiber for my puppy?

Basically fiber is present in every vegetable. Here are some examples of the most palatable and digestible format of the fiber you should implement into your buddy’s diet.

  • Carrots – they are rich in carotene which provides vitamins A, K and B6, and help to keep your dog’s eyes bright,
  • Kale – it is known as a real bomb of vitamins. It’s a fantastic source of fibre, iron, thiamine, folate, and riboflavin,
  • Beets – beets have a really positive effect on the entire body. They are a great antioxidant and contain such ingredients as betacyanin, which plays an important role in cancer prevention. A big dose of anthocyanins can also effectively strengthen the body.
  • Chia seeds – they contain vitamins E, the vitamins from group B as well as calcium. They are also a great source of phosphorus, iron and magnesium. With the ability to absorb water, chia seeds can effectively moisturize your buddy’s body

The bottom line

As you can see, fiber can have a big impact on your puppies’ growth with its ability to prevent many different diseases. It might not be the most important of all food ingredients, but including it in the animal’s diet will definitely help your buddy keep the healthy balance and stay fit.