Are carbs just fillers in dog food?

Carbohydrates provide important calories and nutrients that help reduce the reliance on protein and fat for calories.

While carbs are called many bad names - from "empty" and "cheap" to "filler" - they play a valuable role on our plates and in our bowls. Carbs not only provide beta-carotene but also calories for energy - about 3.5 - 4 calories per gram, the same as meat. They also provide glucose, which our cells need.

Potatoes, for example, provide potassium - a mineral that supports the nervous system and the heart, helps muscles contract, regulates fluid and mineral balance and helps keep blood pressure down by mitigating sodium intake. Feeding your dog a mix of meat and potatoes, for example, allows you to provide him the energy and nutrients he needs without overloading on protein.

Russet potato, baked with skin
(per 100 grams)

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Spinach, also a carb (though with a better reputation), is loaded with calcium and minerals. But its low caloric content means your dog needs other carbs (such as potatoes), for energy.

Spinach, boiled and drained
(per 100 g)

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What is the most important nutrient that humans and dogs make themselves? Glucose, which we get from starch (or from breaking down our own muscle and fat, in the absence of starch in our diet). Glucose is indispensable to life and is the most basic unit of carbohydrate. The common misunderstanding of the the term "essential nutrients" can lead people to assume that carbs are unnecessary fillers. Nothing could be further from the truth.

NOTE: Cheap fillers do exist. Such as sawdust, an insoluble, indigestible filler that can be labeled as "hemicellulose" on a bag of kibble. This is a filler no dog needs.

Are carbs just fillers in dog food?Updated 3 years ago