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When most people think about wild dogs, they think of carnivorous predators. In reality, the diet of wild dogs is more varied than that, which is why dogs are best fed on more than meat alone.
Dogs are omnivores, animals that eat animal and plant protein. The misconception that dogs are carnivores and eat only animal flesh probably comes from the fact that dogs in the wild indeed are hunters who feed on their prey - other animals. This prey makes up much of a wild dog’s diet.
However, wild dogs routinely consume grasses, berries, roots and other vegetable matter. The gastrointestinal physiology of dogs is fully capable of digesting and absorbing plant protein sources as well as meat protein sources.
In addition, the prey that dogs eat are herbivores who eat only plants. When wild dogs kill and eat their prey (caribou, deer, elk, rabbit, etc.), they consume the intestinal tract first, which contains grasses, leaves and other plants that the prey consumed.
Since dogs are equipped to handle both plant and animal protein, the quality of protein in food, rather than the source, is a primary concern for animal nutritionists. Most commercial dog food diets include both animal and plant protein to deliver dogs the taste and balanced nutrition they need.
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