Natural Fiber For Dogs, Know All Its Benefits

It is essential that our dog consumes a balanced amount of food, but also that it has all the nutrients it needs to maintain itself properly.

Therefore, we can affirm that, when feeding our pet, we must take into account both the quantity and, of course, the quality.

Something that has to be present in your diet is fiber. Otherwise, you will suffer from serious intestinal problems. However, you may be wondering how to get it and why it is so important.

In this article we will tell you why natural fiber is so necessary for dogs.

What is natural fiber

First of all, surely you are interested in knowing that natural fiber is the part of foods of plant origin that is not digested and that, in addition, it is in no case absorbed by the body. There are two types of fiber: insoluble and soluble.

The insoluble fiber passes through the digestive tract of the animal and as the name does not dissolve in water. That this happens makes it easier to give body to the stool, which allows its expulsion to be easier.

The soluble fiber, in turn,  absorbs water and slows down the digestive process. It forms a kind of gel that makes the nutrients are assimilated by the stomach and intestine walls slowly, which is useful to control certain pathologies in the dog.

Benefits of natural fiber for our dog

Next, let’s see a series of benefits that our dog will achieve if he consumes natural fiber:

• It serves to improve your intestinal transit.
• By improving transit, it prevents the dog from suffering from constipation, with all the discomfort and difficulties that it entails.
• It is very suitable to combat the formation of hairballs in your intestine, as it helps to expel them.
• It helps pets have a lower level of cholesterol in their blood, and also of triglycerides, so that we prevent them from having complications in their health.
• It allows them to eliminate possible excess fats in their blood.
• It helps the dog to better eliminate toxins from its body.
• Improves the intestinal flora of the dog.
• When our animal consumes natural fiber, it feels satisfied before, so we calm its appetite. Thus, it is very effective both for those who need to lose weight and for those who eat too much and need to control that craving.

• It facilitates the reduction of the glycemic index, which is essential to fight diabetes, a disease that also affects dogs.

How to administer natural fiber to our dog

One of the options to give our dog the natural fiber it needs is to use feed that has it incorporated (which you will find without great difficulties). however, you can also choose to include the following foods in your diet:

• Wheat bran.  Try pouring half a teaspoon into your dog’s food. If you moisten it a little, it will facilitate its digestion.
• Apple.  This fruit is very rich in fiber so it is very beneficial in these cases, but be careful with the quantities since if you exceed it it can be harmful. In addition, it prevents him from eating the heart of the fruit and also its seeds, as they can be toxic.

Cook an apple and then make a puree with it. Then add a tablespoon to your feed. It is a good way to include it in your diet.

• Rice.  A third option is to give our dog some brown rice from time to time. You can leave it a bit soupy to make it more attractive and eat it more easily.
• Cooked pumpkin. In small portions it is also very appropriate to achieve our goal. We can incorporate a tablespoon into one of your daily meals.
• Cooked vegetables like peas, carrots, or green beans. You may have to present them to your dog with some other food, as not all of them find them attractive.

As we have seen, natural fiber is essential for our dog. Now you know why and where to get it. Even so, consult your veterinarian who will always give you all the necessary guidelines so that your pet has the most appropriate diet.