Can anyone verify this statement and share some thoughts here. Someone posted this in another forum and I guess here would be a good place to seek some experts opinion.

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As we all know, canine do not produce and do not contain enzymes in their tract to digest greens and seeds and they need to be assisted on that. If you could try giving them boil corns, you will see the undigested corns in their stool, still very much yellow and seedy. The very important digestive enzymes in C*@(D%# are i.e. Hyrolyzes protein, hydrolyzes fats, oils, starches and carbo, it assist for better digestion and absortion of nutrients, Natural live yeast culture for better absorption and finally enzymes like Aspergillus Oryzae, Aspegillus Niger, Basillus Subtilis to help digest greens and hard seeds. This is very important because if we BARF our dogs, we are not able to feed them greens which are rich in vitamins and that is the stuffs your dog miss out on because it cannot be digested anyway when we exclude holistic kibbles which contain teh said enzymes.

And to make it simple, the wolves consume the stomach of a killed animal most of the time 4 legged herbivore, and that is where they get their required greens rich in vitanins and fiber which is almost 80% digested by the enzymes in the herbivore stomach. So, carnivore i.e. canine (C*@(D%#) are assisted in the digested part...
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just remember that raw foods mostly contain the enzymes necessary to digest them whereas the cooked ones have killed enzymes and so are more difficult to digest. its pretty much the same with humans. try eating cole slaw, which is raw cabbage, then a few days later eat some cooked cabbage. which one gives you gas? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Many people feed green tripe as it contains predigested veggie matter. I prefer this when i can get it.

Dgs dont need a lot of veggies and some feed none. I just throw my raw veggies in the blender, mix with yogurt, and throw in the fridge and they get a little bit every day for a week until i make next batch.

Grinding up veggies makes more surface available for bacteria and natural enzymes to work on pre-digesting.....it is like baby food in texture.

Nancy,

I put in a heaping teaspoon of Spirulina algae powder. It's very concentrated being in powder form, convenient and one of the healthiest veggies there is. They sell it in human health food stores. I eat it myself. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Here's a desciption I found on the net:

What is Spirulina?
Spirulina is one of the blue-green algae (single-celled plants); it is named for its spiral shape. Algae are incredibly old life forms, responsible for producing and sustaining our oxygenated atmosphere. They are the basis of the food chain and the primary source of food for the great baleen whales. Spirulina is not a salt-water algae; it grows in fresh and brackish inland waters. Because it is so low on the food chain it has to be packed with nutrients and energy--and it is!

Spirulina as Food
Spirulina is a simply amazing food source that has been consumed variously throughout history by many human cultures. The current state of food production practices and environmental degradation makes it ideal for our own culture. It can be grown almost anywhere, in water supplies that are not suitable for drinking (inland in brackish and fresh water ponds), and in existing desert areas without cutting down trees to make room. It does not require incredible amounts of grain to produce (cows), does not produce methane (cows), but life sustaining oxygen instead, does not have to be fertilized with growth hormones (cows), has never been known to kill children with e-coli (cows again), and nobody has ever been guilty of treating algae in an inhumane manner.

Spirulina is a Concentrated Food
Spirulina yields 20 times more protein per acre than soybeans! It consists of 70 percent protein (compare to beef's 22 percent), 5 percent fat (good fats), and no cholesterol (it's a plant). Spirulina contains an impressive array of vitamins and minerals, including the essential B-12, which vegetarians must seek. This wonder food contains 8 essential amino acids (plus 10 of the 12 non-essential amino acids), fatty acids (including the heart-healthy GLA), digestive enzymes, and the pigments chlorophyll, porphyrin and phycocyanin--beneficial to the liver. Best of all, 10 grams of spirulina has only 36 calories, making it a perfect diet food.

Which Minerals are found in Spirulina?
Spirulina contains chelated versions of potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, selenium, phosphorous, and iron. In addition to these beneficial minerals, you can get your B-complex, A and E vitamins from spirulina.

James,

That's interesting. I'm not an expert on the topic but I do believe when a pack of wolves makes a kill the alpha gets his choice of the meal and I have read he eats the internal organs first. Whether or not he eats the stomach and leaves none for the rest, I don't know. But would one stomach have enough greens for the whole pack? I wouldn't think the stomach would be that big. If they all did get some, I would think it would be very little in comparison to the rest of the kill.

I've also heard that in-between kills they are forced to fast and get real hungry and go eat some raw fruit, berries and veggies where they can find them.

I know my dogs will eat about anything when they have been without food for a couple of days. They'll even eat kibble if they have too <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

James,
The quote you posted is mainly crap with a few factual statements. Dogs, as well as humans, do not have enzymes to degrade certain types of carbohydrates. The corn example is also very misleading. We lack the enzymes to degrade the seed coat, zein, and cell walls efficiently, but we are very capable of digesting most of the rest of the kernel. If you grind corn prior to feeding the digestiblity is quite high. Adding enzymes, particularly those which degrade proteins can be very dangerous for dogs. Additionally, the goal in feeding animals is not just to feed the animal but also the flora that lives in the gastrointestinal tract. By increasing the digestion of certain feeds with the addition of enzymes you will significantly alter the bacterial populations in the hind gut.

James, I noticed the mention of Aspergillus in your quote. I want to warn all of you that I lost a beautiful Dobie from an Aspergillus infection. Aspergillus is a large family of molds which are common and are a causitive agent in human infections as well in dogs. I don't know what form The Aspergillus Niger was presented, in a dietary sense, but it a real bad guy and according to the information I pulled from the web site: http://www.mold-help.org/aspergillus.htm, it can infect important food and feed crops.

Wow Thanks guys, I know this would be the place to post this. U guys are awesome. The mentioned dog food is one of the top 10 selling food in the States and that statement is written by one of their distributor.

I just want to thank u all for the great contribution and facts written here.

Pat, yeah I agree on the BARF part but the doubts is how long can enzymes last in a killed animal left frozen before feeding? Anyone can share?

Nancy, green tripe is great and I think they are the best we can do for barfing. thanks.

Alan, thanks for the spirulina tips. Will try it and see on my dogs.

Chad, I always know I can depend on you for good infos on food. Thanks u have proven it to me again...lol.

Naida, Wow now that is something. Very interesting indeed. If this is the case then why is the top 10 selling kibble company in America introducing this into their kibbles? Anyone to share some opinions?

Not all Aspergillus strains are potentially pathogenic, and many are only potentially pathogenic in immunocompromised animals. Aspergillus niger is approved for use both in human and animal feed, and has been a major source of multiple enzymes used in food and feed processing.

Thanks Chad, That makes sense as I'm sure the company isnt going to be opening up themselves for lawsuits with the use of un-approved pathogens in their products.

What about the naturally occuring enzymes in BARF feeding? Are there any studies link to those research? How effective will the enzymes be let say when the meat is stored frozen for up to a week.