It’s not uncommon for people to be on restrictive diets. If you plan to entertain, you will need to come up with a menu with options for glucose free, lactose intolerant, veggie, and vegan guests (to name a few). People that follow these diets benefit with improvements to health, wellness, and the planet.

But what about our pets?  Do our pets need to be on restrictive diets as well?

Many pet owners are getting on board by introducing health boosting diets to their furry friends, and the ketogenic diet for dogs is a popular trend. Read on to find out why you may want to get your canine eating keto.

What is Keto?

A ketogenic diet is based on low carbs, high fat and moderate protein. It forces the body to burn fat instead of carbohydrates as an energy source.

Cells can either use fats or carbohydrates for energy. If a person is on a high carb diet, the body will convert the carbs to glucose or store glucose in the liver as glycogen where it will later be used as fuel.

If the diet consists mostly of fat, the body will convert the fat into ketones, or short chain fatty acids, that it will use to produce energy. This makes for a metabolic process called ketosis.

Why Should My Dog Go Keto?

Dogs out in the wild are already close to a ketogenic diet. They live off other animals to get a moderate amount of protein, high amounts of fat and few carbs. This compares to a kibble diet that’s lower in protein and fat and high in carbs.

Switching your dog to keto makes for a diet closer to what nature intended.

Furthermore, keto provides several benefits to both dogs and humans including the following:

·  Reduces inflammation

·  Boosts fat burning and weight loss

·  Balances body sugar

·  Improves insulin sensitivity

·  Suppresses the hunger hormone

·  Increases energy

·  Boosts liver health

·  Has anti-aging effects

·  Reduces the risk of chronic disease

·  Increases mitochondria production

·  Helps with epilepsy and neurodegenerative disorders

The keto diet is still being looked into for safety reasons. Longer term studies will let us know how effective these diets are. In the meantime, you may consider switching your dog on and off keto mimicking his or her diet out in the wild.

How to Get Your Dog on a Keto Diet

There are various keto dog food products on the market that are designed to help your dog achieve optimal states of wellness. Vital Planet’s Living Meal Food Topper for Dogs Powder is one you can trust.   

The Vital Planet brand is known for producing innovative health products for pets. Their living food meal topper is a powdered probiotic and enzyme supplement that supports dogs’ digestive health. It contains 5 billion live cultures that maintain a healthy balance of flora and fauna in the gut.

It’s important to give your dog the nutritional support he or she needs. A keto diet may be the right solution for your pet. Will you be introducing high fat low carb foods into your canine’s dietary routine?