Yes, diet plays a crucial part in regulating energy levels in dogs. Fats are the major source of energy for dogs, followed by protein and carbohydrates. A high quality, balanced meal gives all-day, sustained energy and focus, while a low-quality meal stuffed with sugar, starch and fillers often causes energy spikes, hyperactivity, energy crashes and, ultimately, lethargy.
Why does this matter?
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Providing your dog with the right kind of calories is crucial because one can help sustain their day to day activities while the other can cause systemic inflammation and diseases like obesity, diabetes, etc.
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Sugar, starch, etc., may provide an energy spike but is often accompanied by a major energy crash. Therefore, carbohydrates shouldn’t be a big part of the energy source for your dog.
What do vets generally agree on?
Diet plays a major part in the energy levels of a dog. That’s because a major part of energy for dogs comes from fat metabolism. Next, protein also provides some energy, although the more important function of protein is to maintain muscle mass. Unlike humans, carbs are not one of the primary sources of energy for dogs.
AAFCO recommends 5.5% fat content in dog food based on dry matter for adult dogs. So, a dog that is not getting enough fats in their diet can have very low energy. On the other hand, protein provides long-term, sustained energy that helps regulate blood sugar levels to prevent energy crashes, and increase stamina. By AAFCO standards, the protein content of dog food for adult dogs should be 18% on a dry matter basis.
When to be careful?
If your dog is showing low energy levels, diet may not always be the only issue. Many systemic illnesses, such as liver and kidney issues, diabetes, hypothyroidism, infections, etc., may also cause a crash in energy and lethargy. Therefore, if their energy is unusually low, make sure you get a vet check up done. However, 100% natural, zero preservative dog food like BLEP dog food has high digestibility, bio-availability, and contains high-quality ingredients. It helps in giving sustained energy to dogs and also helps manage various health conditions.
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