Cape hunting dogs forage in packs and set out at dusk to start their predations. With their alert ears and shining coats they make an ideal marketing picture for grain free dog food. They may never have taken a mouth full of the top dog food brand sold in supermarkets but seem none the worse for that. They're lean and mean and shining with good health.
Like other dogs these creatures are omnivorous rather than carnivorous. Before they tear another animal to pieces they will forage in the bush. Beetles, eggs, insects and a good deal of herbivore dung will be consumed.
The main goal remains protein rich meat. When the kill is done meat will be torn off and swallowed with hair and bone, and the contents of intestines and stomach slurped down. Afterwards the pack will find fresh water and mouthfuls of leafy grass will be taken from damp patches near the water.
In the profusion of dietary items available in the wild there will be relatively few grains. The main item on the menu will be raw meat. Pure protein will outweigh everything else in a successful pack of hunters.
Canned feed may contain too much water and maize meal for optimum nutrition. The few scraps of meat or meat flavor in a can may encourage an animal to wolf down the contents in preference to dry food but the preponderance of carbohydrates may lead to unhealthy obesity.
Some dry food brands announce that they are a complete formula. They encourage owners to feed nothing but the formula. Dogs often eat only a minimum amount of such foods, possibly because it is so distasteful or so salty that they can't ever satisfy their hunger and remain lean though unsatisfied. This scientific method does not seem to pay much attention to the emotional needs of owners or their pets.
A switch to a grain free dietary regime is often recommended because the carbohydrates in maize and wheat meal can make an animal feel replete without supplying the proportion of protein that is needed. This can lead to obesity and the associated health problems. Vets may recommend a switch in diet as a pet gets older and needs more protein.
On one hand the cost of foods with more meat will be higher because pure protein is expensive. On the other hand an animal might need less of such feed on account of the higher protein content. Quality can be played off against quantity. Good brands of feed will also have vitamins and supplementary elements.
Potatoes, tomatoes, peas and canola oil may be included as supplements, depending on availability. These will supply vitamins and trace elements that would occur naturally in a scavenger's diet. In fact, due to scientific formulations there could be a good chance that the commercial brand would be better than the completely natural diet.
Aside from costs, another consideration to be taken into account is the composition of fat in a grain free dog food. Again, economics might determine the use of inferior meats with large fat content. In this respect it might be a good idea to look for grain free dog foods that contain fish rather than chicken or beef.
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