^yes it is true. according to research, dogs are still carnivorous by nature. Yung system/anatomy nila is gaya pa rin ng sa mga wolves, just look at their teeth matatalas, designed for tearing and ripping not for chewing. Their digestive tract is short, they cannot process plant matters properly, raw meat, bones and organs yung kaya nilang idigest.
Dog food, especially the cheap ones contain ingredients which are inappropriate for dogs--grains like corn, soy, wheat are usual allergens, tapos yung meat na ginamit is usually by-products, low quality protein ito. tapos add sila ng kung ano-anong artificial vitamins, colorings, animal fat/oil as flavorings and preservatives, what a great recipe for disaster! Pag hindi akma yung diet, nakakastress ng organs, and it will lead to failure in the long run--ito yung sinasabi ng vet about kidney problems. Ang mga dogs naman kasi very strong and fighters sila, lalabas lang ang symptoms pag grabe na yung sakit. Usually pag ganitong stage may kidney stones na sila.
Kahit yung premium brands, don't depend on them too much kasi void na sila from nutrients since dumaan na sila sa madaming process, artificial na yung vitamins na nakukuha nila dito. Iba pa rin pag natural. Dog food are like our processed food--junkfood, canned goods, instant meals, kung ito lagi kinakain natin, magkakasakit din tayo sa kidney.
I know alot of dogs na nagkaron ng kidney issues due to commercial dogfood, some of them are mine yung iba sa mga friends ko. Actually ito yung naging reason kaya very strict na yung ibang owners sa diet ng dogs nila, sa US may mga dog nutrition activists na, talagang nakikipagusap sila sa mga dog food companies hehe.
to understand it better, here are some helpful links about the anatomy of dogs:
http://rawfeddogs.org/carnivores.htmlhttp://rawfed.com/myths/changed.htmlhttp://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/04/01/raw-food-diet-part-1.aspxhttp://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/04/08/raw-food-diet-part-2.aspxhttp://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/04/15/raw-food-diet-part-3.aspxhttp://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/02/15/raw-meat-the-best-and-healthiest-diet-for-pet-cats-and-dogs.aspxhttp://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/07/21/13-pet-foods-ranked-from-great-to-disastrous.aspxvisit also the Dogfood thread, marami tayong links dun on choosing the right dog food.
Btw, I'm a raw feeder, been researching about this diet since 2008, kahit puppies pa lang mga dogs ko I give them raw meat. I've also tried home cooked and dog food pero sa raw sila pinaka naging maganda--shiny and bright coats, bright eyes, lean and muscular body, less poop and body odor, basta maganda sila pag nakaraw haha! I also give homecooked meals pero di sya maganda sa dental health, prone sa tartar and bad breaths so what I do is I still give raw meaty bones to clean the teeth and as source of calcium na rin. Very effective ang raw bones, naaalis nya yung tartar kahit makapal na haha!
Personally, wala sakin kung masanay sila sa homecooked, bec. this is healthier compared to dogfood. I haven't fed my dogs dog food for more than 2 years now, home cooked and raw na lang kami. I like the results, hindi sila ganun kaamoy at minimal ang poop, tipid kami sa shampoo and water bills hehe. sorry ang haba, favorite topic ko kasi to lolz!