You probably know someone who is on a keto diet, and might be wondering if it could have similar health benefits for your canine patients. Read on to learn why keto pet food is the up and coming thing for canine companions.
WHAT EXACTLY IS A KETO DIET?
“Keto is a metabolic state in which your body switches from primarily burning glucose and carbohydrates as fuel, to fat and ketones,” says Paul Raybould of Visionary Keto Pet Foods. “This way of eating typically involves consuming a low carbohydrate, moderate protein, and higher fat diet. When you do this, your body starts to increase fat breakdown, which produces ketones and puts you into a state known as ketosis. A keto/ketogenic diet can help you lose fat, lower your appetite, improve mental focus, and more.”
KETO AND DOGS
Research is ongoing, but feeding dogs a ketogenic diet may offer them a range of additional health benefits. Along with facilitating weight loss, this low-carb, high-fat approach can help reduce inflammation, balance blood sugar, improve insulin sensitivity, boost energy levels, enhance skin and coat health, improve digestion, reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, and even help treat epilepsy.
KETOGENIC PET FOOD
Visionary Keto Pet Foods is a cutting-edge company that formulates their own line of ketogenic foods for dogs. “We searched high and low for a commercially-available, low-carb, ketogenic dog food, but couldn’t find one,” says Paul. “So we created our own.” The line includes dry, freeze-dried, and raw frozen selections, along with freeze-dried treats, all made from top quality ingredients. “Our premium keto dry food is high in fat (40%) and protein (60%), and very low in digestible carbs (less than 1g per cup),” says Paul.
“We were inspired by the work done by our non-profit, KetoPet, which focuses on improving canine health through nutrition,” he adds. “It was founded in 2014 to give shelter dogs with terminal cancer a ‘forever home’ and save them from being euthanized. KetoPet has rescued dozens of dogs from kill shelters and placed them on a ketogenic diet as a form of cancer therapy.” Research has shown that because cancer cells feed on glucose from carbohydrates, a low-carb diet can starve these malignant cells and slow cancer growth.
“We found that a low-carb, ketogenic diet not only improved outcomes for dogs with cancer and other illnesses, but that it also supports optimal health and well-being for all dogs. Remarkably, 55% of the dogs who graduated from the KetoPet program are still going for long walks, eating a raw keto diet, and experiencing a quality of life far beyond their original prognosis. We now believe that a ketogenic diet is the optimal diet for all adult dogs.”
AUTHOR PROFILE
IVC Journal is a division of Redstone Media Group. Innovation is the key to veterinarians staying competitive and being able to provide their clients with the absolute best care possible. IVC Journal delivers the most up to date and compelling information available by bridging the gap between the traditional worlds of allopathic and integrative veterinary care.
