Are dogs carnivores?Updated 3 years ago

Dogs are omnivores. They need carbohydrates, too. 
 
Sure, your dog may refuse to leave the kitchen if you're frying bacon for breakfast, but a true carnivore or "obligate carnivore" - as in, a meat-only eater - is rare in the animal kingdom. Only ferrets and cats meet this strict definition - house cats as well as big cats like lions and tigers.

Dogs are sometimes referred to as "facultative carnivores" - a meat eater than can also digest plants - or omnivores like humans. 

During digestion, both facultative carnivores and omnivores convert beta-carotene from fruit, vegetables, and other plants into vitamin A in the liver. Vitamin A is critical for the eyes, skin, mucus membranes and the immune system. True carnivores lack liver enzymes to convert beta-carotene. 

Cats consume a huge amount of meat and those in the wild get their vitamin A by eating the livers from an omnivore. With house cats, the huge protein load of a carnivore lifestyle strains their livers and kidneys over time. That's why many old house cats end up with liver or kidney disease. But for dogs, who can happily digest carbohydrates, a balanced diet is best.