Summary: In this blog, we sort the fact from the fiction when it comes to these popular 7 dog myths…
Owning a dog can come with doubts, struggles and mistakes – we’re human, it’s bound to happen. With the pressure of making sure you’re doing a good job and providing your pup the best start (or new beginning) in life, it’s easy to get caught up in all the doom and gloom of the dos and don’ts.
While you’re trying to navigate the minefield of being the perfect puppy parent, it is important to know what is fact and what is fiction! Through word of mouth and fear-mongering, you may find that you’re living with a myth, disguising itself as fact.
Here at PetLab Co., our aim is to help make yours and your pup’s life as smooth, healthy and happy as possible, so we have listed 7 of the most common dog myths we pet owners may have fallen victim to – with some that you can stop worrying about…
Dog Myths
Lamb Is Hypoallergenic
Unfortunately, this is definitely a dog myth! Our furry friends can also suffer from allergies, just like us, so finding the correct food that won’t upset their sensitivities can be difficult at first – especially if you’re following a myth as fact! There is no meat that is less allergenic than another, that is fact. When hypoallergenic dog food first developed, lamb meat was used due to its limited previous use in dog food – a lower chance of dogs reacting to the meat.
However, due to more and more owners feeding their dogs lamb regularly, pet food companies have started to use other meats in their hypoallergenic products. It is important to remember that all dogs are individuals with unique sensitivities and needs, so to some, lamb may be the cause of their allergy. Our advice? Make sure you know what effects your dog and avoid it – simple.
High-Protein Diets Cause Kidney Failure
Myth! You may or may not be aware of this one, but it is thought that large amounts of protein in your dog’s diet can cause kidney failure. When the kidneys begin to fail and struggle, urea is released – a by-product of the protein metabolism, which will build up in the blood, resulting in a very poorly puppy. Having a low protein diet will, in turn, reduce this from taking place.
However, if your pup’s protein levels are too low, the body will create and sources its own, taking it from muscles, causing more harm for your furry friend – not good! Our advice is to try to make sure that you provide your pup with a balanced amount of high-quality protein in their diet and they’ll be just fine.
Pork Is Bad For Dogs
A myth, but an interesting one. You see, people have come to believe that pork is bad for your pup due to the high levels of fat in the meat which has been linked to pancreatitis in dogs and ‘toxic’ levels can damage a dog’s liver, causing extreme health problems. When pork is uncooked, there is a higher chance of trichinosis, making many people avoid it as a raw-food ingredient for their pets.
Firstly, pork contains less fat content than beef, which is a popular ingredient in most dog foods. So, if it isn’t due to the high-fat content, why don’t companies put pork meat into their pet products? We’re not sure. The fact is, pork is an excellent source of amino acids and is agreeable to lots of dog’s digestive system. With more calories per pound than other meats, it is a great white meat alternative.
Avoid Grain
This topic is extremely hot at the moment in the pet world, with many puppy parents deciding to remove grain from their dog’s diets completely. With the more awareness we have when it comes to our pup’s health and wellness, it has become apparent that there is a large percentage of dogs experiencing allergies to grain. This doesn’t, however, mean that all grain is bad for your dog, making this a myth.
Just like us humans with different allergies and digestive sensitivities, our dogs can be allergic to a variety of things too; meat, pollen, and grain. For most dogs, grain is absolutely fine and can provide more nutrients than the replacement food for non-grain diets, as these can be packed with unwanted and unnecessary additives and preservatives that will not benefit your pup’s health.
Dog’s Don’t Like Variety
Dogs have their own personalities, all with their individual quirks, preferences, and dislikes. Some are lazy, some are soppy and, well let’s face it, they ALL love their food! Whether it is down to the breed or the diet they’re raised on, dogs are normally easy when it comes to dinner time.
Some people have come to believe that a dog will stick to what they know; a dog raised on a non-varied diet will prefer to stay on it. However, this is not true. You see, when you keep a dog on a non-varied diet, they will be missing out on a wide range of vital nutrients, leaving their bodies craving for these missing benefits. The more variation will help your pup but giving their bodies a multitude of beneficial nutrition.
Raw Eggs Make Their Coat Shiny
You may have heard that raw eggs are great for keeping your hair shiny? Well, this is also believed when it comes to your pup’s furry coat, too. Although there is some sense to it; raw egg contains a lot of protein, vitamins and healthy fats, all important when it comes to healthy hair growth and condition, feeding your dog raw egg for the purpose of a glossy coat isn’t necessary.
So, why a raw egg? When cooked, eggs do lose a lot of their vitamins – a very important vitamin for hair growth and health is biotin, widely accepted as being extremely helpful for human hair – so does this have the same effect on canine fur? The yolk of an egg will contain a lot of biotin, but this isn’t the only way you can achieve a glossy coat on your pup. Either way, an egg is a great way to provide protein and other important vitamins to your pup, but you can achieve a glossy coat with a simple, healthy diet.
Wet Food Is Healthier Than Dry
It is incredibly common for many pet owners to believe that feeding their dog wet food is better than dry – why? The process of making dry food compared to wet food is to be blamed for this myth. During the cooking process for dry food, it is more demanding, removing a lot of the original nutrients. This may be the case for some dry foods, but on the other hand, there are plenty of wet foods on the market packed with low-quality ingredients, preservatives and fillers, making them worse for your pup than dry food.
When it comes down to storage and shelf life, dry food is a better value. It all depends on what works best for both you and your pup. If they prefer dry food, just make sure you’re providing them food that contains the right nutrition and vitamins to help support their health every day.
Dog Myths
It can be hard making sure that you’re doing the right thing for your pup – they depend on us entirely, so we need to make sure that we’re providing the best for our furry companions. It can be incredibly stressful when you think you’re doing the right thing for your pup, only to discover that it’s wrong. But, with our help, these dog myths have been busted, making decisions such as going grain-free or sticking to wet food a lot easier, helping you to make the right choice for your favorite fluffy pal!
Sources
“Trichinellosis FAQs” Centers For Disease Control And Prevention, Sep 04. 2020 https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/trichinellosis/gen_info/faqs.html
