In simple terms, YES. all dog breeds that can do a regular amount of protein in their diet, will do better with a protein boost from kangaroo chews.
Please understand, this isn’t a glib comment. There are some breeds, and some dogs with illnesses that mean that they can’t do the minimum required level of protein as listed by aafco guidelines.
For regular dogs, its usually a kidney related issue. Though Protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) is an intestinal disease that limits the uptake of protein and many other nutrients. More typically it is an issue with dogs not getting enough protein, because plant-based diets often are grain laden – the grain itself often having half the minimum protein required, and relying on the addition of meat to reach that bare minimum.
This article is more about the WHY of using kangaroo dog treats, than about IF they can use them.
Kangaroo meat has begun finding itself into commercial dog food for a while now. But in its pure form, it’s a much more interesting proposition.
You see, kangaroo meat has long been known by vets to be hypo-allergenic. Providing quality protein that doesn’t trigger allergy reactions. It is so good, it has been the ‘go-to’ in exclusion diets, to assist vets in working out what other ingredients a dog might be allergic to.
Besides its unique amino acid mix (the components that make up the protein) adding a valuable mix to a dog’s regular dog food, it is also considered ORGANIC.
That is because it is not farmed, and so has very low levels of herbicides and pesticides when compared to many animals used for dog treats or dog food.
Roo, the lean alterative
Besides the amazing protein value, kangaroo meat is also leaner than almost any other land-based animal. And of the fat that it does contain, it is one of the highest in Omega 3 – that means that it is anti-inflammatory too.
This means that for dogs requiring more protein, without the fat, kangaroo meat in dog treats is an exceptional proposition.
ROO trace elements
Most commercial dog food is so high in grain, that they miss out on the elements that a dog really needs like quality bio available minerals. Roo is high in zinc, vitamin B and Iron.
BIO-availability
Something that commercial dog food brands give lip service to. There are actually ways of measuring how much of a food is taken up by a dog, and the more it is used for nutrition, the less that a dog’s body has to work at hard of either extracting the nutrients, or getting rid of the waste.
Just like you get commercial dog foods that claim to be hypo-allergenic, there are ones that are branded as low fat. Well kangaroo ticks a third box in being easy to digest, and so assists gastro-intestinal health.
Funnily enough, the quality of the fat in kangaroo, and that it is overall naturally low fat, assists in the digestion for a dog, and greatly decreases the chances of fat related conditions like pancreatitis or loose stools.
It should be noted that a natural based dog treat store, might also be one that mostly sells products full of grains, even though we consider grains and plants in a dogs diet FAR from natural. A good healthy dog treats store we believe is one that mostly sells single ingredient dog treats, based on meat. But even then, your dog might have a specific intolerance to the protein or fat in such things as lamb or pork.
Natural or healthy as a dog treat prefix doesn’t ensure that its going to be good for your specific dog. It should however mean, minimum processing, and maximum meat, you will just have to experiment (or as the vets say, try trial and error, to see what your dog likes, and also what is good for it.
ENJOYMENT in eating
Because kangaroo is a relative rare meat – particularly when given as a single ingredient, dogs seem to love eating this gamey meat more than many others. If you can interest a dog via its incredible strong smell abilities then you are well on the way to having it be interested in eating the dog treat.
A single ingredient dog treat means that they can shred it with their teeth, clean their teeth, and really enjoy the natural process of consuming meat. It’s a massive primal thing that gives immense mental satisfaction too.
