Dogs are classified as members of the family Canidae and the order Carnivora, but this does not necessarily translate to behavior, anatomy or feeding preferences.
Judge for yourself
Some animals may look like carnivores or act like carnivores. But, are they really true carnivores? You be the judge.
The acid test
Strict or true carnivores, such as cats, have a higher nutritional requirement for taurine (an amino acid), arachidonic acid (a fatty acid), and certain vitamins (niacin, pyridoxine, vitamin A), which are readily available in animal protein and fat sources.
Omnivores, such as dogs and people, don't have higher requirements for taurine and certain vitamins and can create their own arachidonic acid from vegetable oils.
Omnivore qualities
There are other nutritional, behavioral and physical factors that separate the omnivore and carnivore worlds:
Confusion in their conclusion
Some folks have come to the erroneous conclusion that dogs must be carnivores because they fall under the order Carnivora. A close look at the anatomy, behavior and feeding preferences of dogs shows that they are actually omnivorous — able to eat and remain healthy with both animal and plant foodstuffs.
1 Lewis L, Morris M, Hand M. Small Animal Clinical Nutrition, Ed. 4. Topeka, KS, Mark Morris Institute, 2000;294-303,216-219.
2 Walker J, Harmon D, Gross K, Collings G. Evaluation of nutrient utilization in the canine using the ileal cannulation technique. J Nutr. 1994; 124:2672S-2676S.
3 Morris JG, Rogers QR. Comparative aspects of nutrition and metabolism of dogs and cats, in: Nutrition of the dog and cat, eds. Burger IH, Rivers JPW, Cambridge, UK, Cambridge University Press, 1989;35-66.
4 Ruckebusch Y, Phaneuf L-Ph, Dunlop R. Feeding behavior in: Physiology of small and large animals, B.C. Decker, Inc. Philadelphia, PA, 1991;209-219.
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