Dog owners often meet conflicting advice when it comes to their pet’s nutrition. It really can be a minefield! Here at My Pet Nutritionist, we love to have a balanced view on certain aspects of nutrition in order to help pet parents make an informed decision. Starchy vegetables are often both shunned and recommended among pet parents – this blog aims to help you decide if you should feed them to your dog.
What Are Starchy Vegetables?
How do we define ‘starchy’ in terms of vegetables? Starchy vegetables are those with high complex carbohydrate content. Of this high carbohydrate content, a large proportion is starch.
Starch is made of a large number of glucose molecules joined together; known as a polysaccharide. Starchy foods are digested very slowly, providing slow-release energy; not the main source of energy for a dog! We must remember the digestive tract of a dog is much shorter than that of us humans, which means there is less time for digestion to occur. The Nutritional Research Council (NRC) state that dogs do not require a large amount of carbohydrates.
Some common examples of starchy vegetables include:
- Potato
- Sweet Potato
- Squash
- Pumpkin
- Parsnip
- Peas
- Banana
- watermelon
Different vegetables contain different amounts of starch, which each have a differing Glycaemic Index. Keep reading to learn about the Glycaemic Index!
The Glycaemic Index
When looking at feeding plant matter, whether that’s fruits or vegetables, we suggest looking at the Glycaemic Index (GI). This index is a means of rating how quickly a food containing carbohydrates will raise blood sugar levels/causes a sugar spike. The three categories are:
Low GI: foods with very low or no carbohydrate content. These foods will usually digest quickly, and either will not cause a raise in blood sugar levels, or will only raise it slightly, and slowly. Some examples include broccoli, green beans, cucumber, courgette, cabbage, peppers, mushrooms and herbs.
Medium GI: foods with a medium amount of carbohydrate. These foods will cause an elevation in blood sugar levels, which will happen at a medium pace. Foods with a medium glycaemic index will generally take a little longer to digest than those with a Low glycaemic index. Examples include berries, apples and pears.
High GI: high carbohydrate foods, usually complex carbs; and where our starchy vegetables fit in! These foods will raise blood sugar levels considerably, and quickly. They are also slower to digest.
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Pros of Feeding Starchy Vegetables
There are certainly some benefits to feeding some starchy vegetables. The key here is to do so with purpose, and in moderation. Here’s how feeding a small amount of starchy vegetables may benefits some dogs:
- High fibre digestive aid: most high starch vegetables, are also high in fibre. These are often used as a digestive aid, for those requiring help with bowel movements. Popular vegetables used for this purpose are pumpkin and sweet potato. These are also great options for those recovering from illness – it is relatively easy to digest, and supports gut maintenance.
- Prebiotic: some high starch vegetables have prebiotic qualities, including pumpkin, sweet potato, apple and banana. Prebiotics benefit the gut microbiome as they act as food for probiotics (the good bacteria in the gut).
- Source of vitamins and minerals: many starchy vegetables are dense in nutrients. Some of the essential vitamins found in abundance in starchy vegetables are Vitamins A, B6, C, E, and K. Mineral-wise, Beta-carotene and Potassium are often found in large amounts in starchy vegetables.
- Increased metabolism in low fat diets: some dogs require a low fat diet, whether this is due to being overweight, or having a health condition that requires a low fat diet such as Pancreatitis. Studies suggest that feeding starchy vegetables can lead to increased fat metabolism, as well as bringing anti-oxidative effects, and improving mucosal barrier function and immunomodulation.
- Increased stamina in active/sport dogs: as starchy vegetables offer a form of slow-release energy, feeding a small portion of these as part of an active, or sport dog’s diet, especially approaching days of high activity, may help to support a healthy stamina.
Findings Here
Findings Here
Findings Here
Cons of Feeding Starchy Vegetables
As with many aspects of healthcare and nutrition, there are some reasons you may wish not to feed starchy vegetables to your individual dog, or at least heavily limit the amount fed. Here are some reasons owners may decide against feeding such ingredients:
- Yeast and itching: many itchy dogs cannot have high starch diets due to their high carb content. The sugars in these items can contribute to itchiness, and feed yeast. Yeast loves carbs, so in those who are yeasty or itchy, we advise avoiding these vegetables, and only reintroducing slowly and in small amounts as part of a full elimination diet.
- Weight gain: when consumed in large amounts, the sugars these starchy vegetables are broken down into can contribute to weight gain.
- Diabetes/Insulin resistance: when large amounts of starchy vegetables are fed to your dog, frequent blood sugar spikes can lead to insulin resistance. This can result in diabetes, which you can read more about here.
- Anti-nutrients: previously, we mentioned how nutrient dense many starchy vegetable options are; however alongside these beneficial nutrients, they often contain relatively high amounts of ‘anti nutrients’ – these are nutrients which can interfere with the absorption of other nutrients through various pathways. Some examples of anti-nutrients commonly found in starchy vegetables include Phytic Acid, Lectins, Oxalates, Tannins, and Glucosinolates.
- Pancreatic stress: those with pancreatitis should be wary of feeding many high starch vegetables, due to the added strain on the pancreas. Starchy vegetables and other starchy food sources can be difficult for the pancreas to process.
- Changes to pH: in the occasion a pet owner feeds their carnivorous pet a high starch/carbohydrate diet, this can cause a change to their natural pH – this process is called Alkalosis as the body becomes more alkaline. Our carnivores naturally have a more acidic pH to be able to digest their natural, meat based diet, so altering this may not be ideal for long term healthy or longevity!
Findings Here
Findings Here
Findings Here
You can read more about high carbohydrate ingredients in dog food in our blog
here!
Having read this blog, and weighing up the pros and cons of feeding starchy vegetables to your individual dog, are you going to introduce some? Reduce the amount you feed? We hope this article has helped you make an informed decision as to whether or not you feed your dog starchy vegetables. If you feel you could improve your dog’s diet, but are not sure how, please don’t hesitate to book a consultation with one of our team.
Team MPN x
