The Importance Of Fats In Your Dog’s Diet

An important nutrient that all dogs need and one that is
responsible for furnishing energy in their body are fats.
Fats supply energy for the body to use. It also has a small
role in building strong cells and promoting the absorption
of nutrients.

However, similar to the essential amino acids,
a dog’s body isn’t able to produce these essential fatty acids,
and therefore has to come from an outside source, from the
food they eat.

Dogs do not usually develop a deficiency in fatty acids because
their basic diet normally provides them with sufficient amount
of energy from fat. In fact, a small amount of extra fats
benefit their body in several ways.

It protects them from the cold; it provides cushion to their
body; and it serves as a protective layer of covering around
different organs in their body. Actually, dogs are very
efficient in using their stored fats because their bodies
have the ability to easily turn these fats into energy when needed.

Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing

Fats are very beneficial, but it can become a concern when the
dog eats too much of it. Too much fuel in the dog’s body,
regardless of where it came from, is converted into body fat,
which is then stored in the body.

Too much fat in the body results in obesity and other conditions
that are related to obesity such as diabetes, canine
osteoarthritis, and heart disease.

There is only a limited amount of fat that is used for protection
against cold, cushion, covering, and extra energy. But when the
maximum amount of stored fat is reached and applied for these
purposes, the dog still continues to stock up fat and does so
to the same degree that is equivalent to the excess energy that
it consumes.

For instance, every 3,500 calories that a dog eats
in excess to what his body requires will be turned into 1 pound
of body fat.

It is important for all dog owners to know that the only way
for their dogs to get fat is if they take in more calories than
their bodies use. Similarly, the only way for the dog to lose
weight and get rid of the excess fat is by taking in less
calories than what their body requires.

Rick