Читать книгу The Complete Book of Dog Breeding - Dan Rice - Страница 44

Carbohydrates are a principal source of glucose in human food, but are much less important in canine diets. They are another source of calories derived from plants. Canine metabolism produces glucose from fat (through its glycerol), and from protein (through its amino acids). Dogs, therefore, do not depend on carbohydrates for glucose.

Eight-week-old “designer” puppies from a Yorkshire Terrier and Toy Poodle cross.

Starches or carbohydrates have low caloric density, and in dogs, they lack good digestibility and palatability. Although carbohydrates are not required by dogs, diets without them are impractical to produce. Diets high in carbohydrates, in which most of the protein and fat are also of plant origin, are not recommended for breeding dogs.