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When feeding your furry canine companion, you want only the best high-quality food containing the best ingredients. When researching the best food, you’ll often run across crude fat in the ingredients and probably wonder what it is or how much should be in your dog’s food. Should it be there at all?
Crude fat is a part of dog food sourced from animals or vegetables, and there should be at least 5% to 18% crude fat in the food you give your pup. We’ll talk more about what crude fat is and how much you should look for in your pet’s dog food.
What Is Dog Food Crude Fat?
The idea of crude fat in your pet’s food isn’t very appetizing, but it is necessary to keep them healthy and happy. In fact, it’s an essential macronutrient. However, alongside the fat in the dog food, your canine needs protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals to round out a healthy diet.
Crude fat is the amount of fat present in the diet before it is metabolized by the dog. The term “crude” refers to the measurement method, not the fat’s quality. Crude fat is a percentage of the weight of the food.
That’s why dog food makers carefully measure every nutrient, including the crude fat, so you know how much fat your dog is eating. Fat is needed for energy and absorption of several essential vitamins that your dog needs to be healthy, including vitamins A, D, E, and K.
Dangers of Too Much Crude Fat
While fat is essential to your dog’s diet, too much can be dangerous for canines. High levels of crude fat in dog food can lead to obesity, which is a condition many breeds are prone to already. Too much fat can also lead to pancreatitis, which is painful and can lead to death if not treated in time.
Diet Tips for Obese Dogs
Sometimes, no matter how much you check the crude fat and other contents in your dog’s food, they still end up being overweight. We’ll give you a few tips to combat weight gain below.
First, you should determine what a healthy weight is for your dog. The best way to find out this information is by visiting your vet.
Try to keep your dog as active as possible without overworking them, as that can cause health problems also. Keeping their minds active with training and games also helps to combat weight gain.
We all want to share our food and treats with our beloved dogs, but sometimes it hurts them more than it helps them. So, limit the number of table scraps and dog treats you give your pal to be on the safe side.
Ensure you’re feeding your dog the right amount, check out our dog food calculator here:
The exact amount of calories an individual animal needs to maintain a healthy weight is variable and influenced by many factors including genetics, age, breed, and activity level. This tool is meant to be used only as a guideline for healthy individuals and does not substitute veterinary advice
Summary
Fat is essential for your dog’s health and happiness, but there are limits. Crude fat should only make up 8% to 18% of the dog food. Make sure that you check the ingredients carefully to determine if it’s the right choice for your pet.
If you’re ever unsure which food to feed your canine, make an appointment with your vet for a checkup. They’ll give you the best recommendations.
Featured Image Credit: dogboxstudio, Shutterstock
My dog has recently experienced moderate pancreatitis and diabetes He also has bladder stones. He is on Hills rx diet w/d. which contains some crude fat 9.5 min / cup. I want to give him a treat during the day . I have natural treats called Farm to Pet Chicken Chips which contains 1% crude fat/ Is that alright for a dog that had pancreatitis. A give him 2 cups a day of the Hills Diet with plain boiled chicken small amt to get him to eat the prescribed food
Hello Jane and Riley!
Thank you very much for your message, although I am sorry to hear about your Riley's pancreatitis, diabetes and bladder stones. From what I understand, you are looking for some nutritional advice for your dog. For this I would recommend you our veterinary telehealth service PangoVet.com. Our veterinarians will gladly consult your dog's health condition, their current diet and let you know if there's anything else you could do for your dog.
Hope this helps. Best of luck!