Dogs are classified as carnivores and are members of the order Carnivora. However, they do not have to adhere strictly to this classification, as they do not read biology textbooks. Dogs have teeth adapted to consuming meat and have short intestines. While various studies have indicated when the domestication of dogs occurred, it can be confidently stated that dogs and humans have shared a common dwelling and diet for tens of thousands of years. In 2013, Erik Axelsson published a paper in the renowned journal Nature describing differences in genes associated with starch and fat metabolism between dogs and wolves. The authors explain this as an adaptation to a change in diet. Thus, it can be concluded that dogs are not strictly carnivores. However, this is something that anyone who lives with a dog already knows.
The basis of the dog diet is animal products, but the dogs can also benefit from plant-based foods. These foods provide the animals with mineral elements, vitamins and other biologically active substances. However, food of plant origin must be well processed technologically to increase digestibility. This is the approach taken in the development of modern dog food.
Yoggies s.r.o. has been developing dog food for 20 years. Thanks to many years of experience and cooperation with the Veterinary Research Institute, it has been confirmed that dogs need a varied diet for proper functioning of their intestines and overall health. Therefore, it is not true that a dog should ideally have the same pellets throughout its life. We recommend rotating the types of food considerately and creating a diet consisting of both pellets (ideally cold-pressed) and raw or cooked food with appropriate supplements and treats, tailored to your dog's preferences. If done correctly, the result will be a long and happy life for your dog.
But let's go back to the research. The aforementioned research institute in Brno is involved in the development and particularly in the verification of the health effects of new or innovative products for animals, with a special focus on assessing the impact of feed on the composition of the animal intestinal microbiota, which significantly influences the digestibility of the food, the health of the gut, and the functioning of the immune system. An increasing body of research is exploring the connection between the gut bacteria, known as the microbiome, and the individual's mood or behaviour. It is no coincidence that the microbiome is also referred to as the body's own organ, or second brain.
Collaboration on the development of new innovative feeds with the company Yoggies s.r.o. is implemented and financially supported under the project of the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic "National Centre for Biotechnology in Veterinary Medicine - NaCeBiVet". The Centre is dedicated to supporting collaborations between research organisations and companies whose products contribute to animal health, whether pets or farm animals. Healthy animals, whether kept for pleasure or as livestock, are more resistant to diseases, thereby reducing the consumption of antibiotics in livestock farms. In both cases, healthy animals raised in good conditions (where high quality nutrition is a fundamental aspect) can fully develop, fulfilling the reasons why we raise and care for them...
