Why is Kibble Dog Food So Full of Carbs?

Carbohydrates, those pesky little macronutrients take up so much press in the news. Are they bad? Are they good? Which ones are bad or good? How do I know if the carbs in my pet’s food are healthy? Why is kibble so full of carbs?

Those irksome pet food labels don’t give much information at first glance. Maybe, it’s too much information! Honestly, if you’ve ever really looked over your pet’s food label, you’ve probably noticed that carbohydrates aren’t listed. At all. Actually, pet foods are not required to list carbs on their labels. As a result, very few pet food companies list carbs on their labels. Go ahead, check out your pet food label to find the carb content.

While most dogs do live on carb-based diets, it’s a hotly contested topic. Many veterinarians agree resoundingly, “YES”, your dog needs carbs to live and thrive. Like us, our dogs need carbs for energy!

Look no further than the National Research Council publication, Nutrient Requirements of Cats and Dogs (NRDC). This is the go-to, bible of pet nutrition. The NRDC sets clear daily requirements of vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients. However, missing from the publication are requirements for carbohydrates. In summary, the publication actually states that carbohydrates are not a necessary part of an optimum canine diet.

“Thus, there appears to be no requirement for digestable carbohydrates in dogs provided enough protein is given to supply the precursors for glucogenesis.”

Given in the publication are examples of sled dogs fed diets of only protein and fats. These dogs accomplished athletic feats beyond measure. In fact, many studies in the NRDC found that the amount of carbohydrate fed had little effect on performance. So why is kibble so full of carbs?

Why is Kibble So Full of Carbs?

An Abundant Source

Many pet foods, even grain-free options are often loaded with carbs.

• They’re abundant and widely available
• Carb fillers are inexpensive
• They give pet food a long, stable shelf life
• Carbs are necessary for the extrusion process of making kibble

Quality sources of carbohydrates in pet foods state, “whole” on the label. Watch out for cheap filler sources such as Brewer’s Rice. This is a waste product from human food production and has no nutritional value.

As for grain free foods, they aren’t carb free or low carb. Grain free pet foods use pea and potato starches for their extrusion process. These too, are high in carbohydrates.

Problems with too Many Carbs in Pet Foods

Carbohydrates in their unadulterated, whole-food state aren’t necessarily bad for dogs. However, too many carbs in a dog’s diet can cause problems. Eventually, after consuming too many carbs, pathogenic bacteria begin to grow in the gut microbiome. This can cause:

• Immune system issues (gut microbiome health is closely tied to immune health)
• Inflammation
• Autoimmune diseases
• Skin issues
• Yeast infections (especially in the ears)
• All over body allergies

Sadly, 52% of dogs are overweight or obese. This is often related the carbs in pet food. To process carbs, the body breaks them into glucose for the cells. Next, insulin moves glucose from blood cells to body cells when it gets depleted. However, the body cannot lower sugar when too many carbs (sugars) are present. As a result, glucose is stored as fat. Unfortunately, when the body is in this constant state of spiking insulin from too many carbs, weight loss is difficulbt, if not impossible.

Calculating the Carbs in Your Dog’s Food

1. Check out your pet food label:
   • Add the protein + fat + moisture + ash (often, ash is not listed on pet food labels. Ash is the left over minerals if the bag of food was incinerated)
   • Most foods contain 5%-8% ash content; If you cannot find ash on the label, use 8%
   • Then subtract this number from 100
   • The remaining number is the % of carbs in your dog’s food

These pictures are from the high-dollar, limited ingredient, premium kibble my 2 dogs eat for breakfast each day. Obviously, I am disappointed (but not shocked) that the carb count is so high. All things considered, the main binders used in this food are garbanzo beans and lentils (which are both starchy).

The Future of Processed Pet Food

You’re probably aware of a whole new crop of fresh dog food companies. Currently, raw feeding and commercially produced raw diets are having a moment. Additionally, many kibble companies are waking up to the reality that pet parents ARE paying attention to what’s in their Best Friends’ foods. Understandably, people want their pets to live long, healthy lives.

As the keeper of your pet’s health and nutrition, you want them to thrive. It’s up to you to educate yourself on how to read these tricky pet food labels in order to feed the most nutritious diet you can.