WHAT VEGAN DOG FOOD IS THE MOST NUTRITIOUS?

Which dog food is the most nutritious, has the most nutritional value, whether that be for a vegan dog food or meat-based dog food, is always going to provide a subjective, and perhaps contentious, answer.

It is important to define what ‘nutritious’ and ‘nutritional value’ actually mean in the context of food.

GAIN (Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition), defines it as food that ‘provides beneficial nutrients (e.g. vitamins, major and trace minerals, essential amino acids, essential fatty acids, dietary fibre) and minimises potentially harmful elements (e.g. antinutrients, quantities of saturated fats and sugars).

Foods with high inherent nutritional value according to GAIN are those which naturally contain micronutrients, dietary fibre, high-quality protein and/or essential fats in significant quantities. No major anti-nutritional or harmful qualities when consumed in recommended quantities. Rich sources of nutrients: fruits and vegetables; legumes; nuts and seeds; unsweetened dairy products; eggs; fish, lean meats.

And Encyclopaedia Britannica defines it as ‘having substances that a person or animal needs to be healthy and grow properly : promoting good health and growth’

According to the Journal of Animal Research and Nutrition, nutritional value refers to contents of food and the impact of constituents on body. It relates to carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals, additives, enzymes, vitamins, sugar intake, cholesterol, fat and salt intake.

In order to survive your dog has a requirement for what are considered essential nutrients. Without eating these nutrients in the correct balance and quantities, their nutrition would be deficient. The six essential nutrients your dog needs include water, fat, protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.

Other than water the rest must come from their food and diet.

To reach any conclusion on what dog food is the most nutritious and has the most nutritional value it is essential to break down these components of nutrition into their parts, as the sum of the parts is often greater than the whole.

Carbohydrates:

Carbohydrates are possibly the most misunderstood, and maligned, ingredients in dog food.

While certified Veterinary Nutritionists promote the many benefits of carbohydrates, yet others disparage the inclusion of carbohydrates in dog food pointing to the fact that their ancestors, wolves, obtained most of their energy from protein and fats.

Carbohydrates are one of the three macronutrients that provide the body energy and help it function (the other two energy-providing macronutrients are fat and protein).

Carbohydrates (carbs) are called “simple” or “complex” based on their chemical makeup and what you and your dog’s body do with them. Because many foods contain one or more types of carbohydrates, it can be tricky to understand what’s healthy for you and your dog and what’s not.

Simple carbohydrates are composed of easy-to-digest sugars for example in milk, refined grains, rice and fruit.

Foods that contain simple carbohydrates aren’t necessarily bad — it depends on the food. For instance, fruits and vegetables contain some simple carbs, but they are drastically different from other foods that contain refined sugar which lack key nutrients both you and your dog’s body need to be healthy.

Then there are complex carbohydrates, which are found in whole grains, legumes, and vegetables, and contain longer chains of sugar molecules. Complex carbohydrates have an additional component — fibre, which is technically a type of carbohydrate, but it's not digested and absorbed. That not only feeds the good gut bacteria, but it also allows the carbohydrate to be absorbed more slowly into the bloodstream, so it doesn’t spike glucose levels and insulin levels like a simple carbohydrate does.

This in turn provides your dog with a more consistent level of energy.

It is also true that not all complex carbs are equal.

Simple or complex is one way to classify carbs, but nutritionists now use another concept to help understand carbohydrates – the glycaemic index (GI)  of a food indicates how quickly you or your dog’s blood sugar will rise after you eat that food, on a scale of 0 to 100.

Foods with a high GI (higher than 70) are easily digested and cause a quick rise in blood sugar. Foods with a low GI (lower than 55) get digested more slowly and the blood sugar response is flatter.

Rice and maize (corn) have both been shown to increase the glycaemic response in dogs when compared with legumes such as peas, lentils, fava beans (4, 5)

Taking this approach one step further, you want to look at the glycaemic load (GL) of a food. The glycaemic load factors in both the glycaemic index and how much carbohydrate is in the food.

A low GL is 10 or less; medium is 11 to 19; and 20 or greater is considered high.

While there has been some debate about the impact of glycaemic index (GI) and glycaemic load (GL) on our dog’s health, most recent research points to it having a very similar impact to that on humans in starch metabolism, glycaemic responses, and methylglyoxal responses. This should not be overly surprising given the current knowledge surrounding health indicators that dog and human share. (3, 6, 7, 8, 9)

Health Benefits of a low GI diet include:

  • Reduced insulin levels and insulin resistance.
  • Increased HDL cholesterol and reduced LDL cholesterol.
  • Protects against cardiovascular disease by reducing inflammation.
  • Reduced risk of some cancers by reducing insulin levels.
  • Lowers abdominal fat (low GI increase insulin sensitivity which allows your dog to burn more fat as a fuel source and process their carbohydrates more efficiently)

With our dogs suffering with weight issues and increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular issues, a low GI diet is one way in which we can help improve the prospects for their health and longevity. (10, 11, 12)

Bonza’s nutrient dense food has been formulated with specific plant-based ingredients, many often referred to as superfoods, that provide a wide variety of complex carbohydrates selected for their superior nutrient levels, their Glycaemic Index (GI) and Glycaemic Load (GL) levels, and equally importantly their environmental impact. You can see both the Glycaemic Index (GI) and Glycaemic Load (GL) levels table of our superfood ingredients here.

These include chickpeas oats sweet potatoes pumpkin carrots quinoa potatoes fava beans peas seaweed. (click on each ingredient to see the health benefits they offer your dog)

Protein:

Protein is a hot topic in both human and dog foods.

Your dog’s nutritional health depends on receiving the correct amounts and proportions of nutrients from the six required groups: water, protein, fat, carbohydrate, minerals and vitamins. With the exception of water, commercial dog foods identified as 100% complete and balanced must contain all of these essential nutrients.

Protein is a very important part of a healthy, balanced dog’s diet. Protein has several roles in your dog’s body, such as building and repairing muscles and other body tissues. It is needed to form new skin cells, grow hair, build muscle tissue, and more. It also assists in creating body chemicals like hormones and enzymes that are needed for normal function. It provides energy (like carbohydrates and fats do) and keeps their immune system strong.

The basic units of proteins are amino acids. There are many amino acids of which 20 are unique and have been genetically coded with each containing carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen and sometimes sulphur in different quantities and configurations. It is the correct balance and levels of these essential amino acids your dog needs to maintain their best health and vitality.

Proteins can be found in plants, algae, fungi and animals. Like us, dogs need nutrients not ingredients, to thrive physically and emotionally. Dogs are capable of digesting protein from a variety of sources and as long as they are getting the correct balance of amino acids from the protein they eat, they will thrive.

AAFCO and FEDIAF, the organisations in the USA and the EU, responsible for providing guidelines for optimum nutrition for our dogs recommend a minimum 18.5% protein on a dry matter basis (what remains after all of the moisture is extracted from dog food) for adult dogs and 22.5% for puppies and nursing mothers.

Many pet food manufacturers are including protein at levels that exceed our dog’s daily requirements, marketing them as high protein (greater than 30%) appealing to those who believe the more protein the better.

Unfortunately, these high protein foods could be harmful to both your dog’s health and the environment.

Dogs, like humans, can only use a certain amount of the protein that is digested and absorbed to repair and maintain muscles and other tissues. Any excess must be disposed of, which means it is broken down and burned for energy or stored as fat, and this fat can be very damaging to their health.

Overweight dogs are more likely to suffer from diabetes, heart disease and cancers as well as joint and mobility issues.

it's not the amount of protein in a dog's diet that is important, but the digestibility and bioavailability of amino acids. Often, high-protein, meat-based dog foods include protein sources that are neither highly digestible nor bioavailable to your dog. Unused protein ferments and goes into faecal matter, making your dog's solid waste smellier.

A medium protein dog food has a protein level between 21-29%. This will provide your adult dog with all the amino acids it requires.

A food with a wide variety of protein sources ensures that their bodies will actually utilise the essential amino acids contributing to better overall nutrition.

Bonza has a protein level of 25.2% and offers your dog a wide variety of hypoallergenic and highly bioavailable and digestible proteins including pea, nutritional yeast, potato, chickpeas, fava (broad) beans, quinoa, seaweed and oats.

Bonza does not include any of the top 12 allergens for dogs, all proteins, beef, dairy, wheat, egg, chicken, lamb/mutton, soy, pork, rabbit, wheat, corn and fish.  

Bonza is formulated to deliver the optimum balance of high-quality proteins.

Fibre:

Good Fibre, Bad Fibre - How the Different Types Affect Your Dog

Fibre can influence many aspects of health and is only found in plants.

From gut bacteria to weight loss, it is often considered a fundamental part of a healthy diet. The truth is that not all fibre is created equal. Some types are highly beneficial, while others can cause digestive problems.

“Fibre” refers to a diverse group of carbohydrates that you and your dog cannot digest.

Fibre is formally classified into two main types ( 3):

  • Dietary fibre: Fibre found naturally in foods.
  • Functional fibre: Fibre that is extracted and isolated from whole foods, then added to processed foods.

However, there is a major problem with classifying fibre in this way. It tells us absolutely nothing about their health effects.

A popular alternative method is to classify fibre based on its  solubility (soluble vs insoluble), viscosity (viscous vs non-viscous) and fermentability (fermentable vs non-fermentable).

Then there is yet another class of nutrients called resistant starches, which are often classified as dietary fibres.

Soluble vs Insoluble Fibre

The solubility of fibre refers to its ability to dissolve in water.

Based on this, fibre has often been categorized as either soluble or insoluble:

  • Soluble fibre blends with water in the gut, forming a gel-like substance. It can reduce blood sugar spikes and has various metabolic health benefits (4).
  • Insoluble fibre does not blend with the water and passes through the digestive system mostly intact. It functions mostly as a “bulking” agent and may help speed the passage of food and waste through your gut (5).

Soluble fibres include gums, pectins, psyllium, beta-glucans and others. Insoluble fibres include lignin and cellulose.

Different plant foods have varying proportions of soluble and insoluble fibres.

Fermentable Fibre

An estimated 100 trillion live bacteria reside in your dog’s gut (you have the same number) mainly in the large intestine.

These bacteria are actually crucial for optimal health in humans and dogs. They play various roles related to weight management, blood sugar control, immunity, brain function and mental health.

They are so important that they are often referred to as the “forgotten organ”.

Because humans and dogs can’t digest fibre, it ends up reaching the large intestine mostly unchanged.

This is where fermentable fibre comes into play. These are fibres that the friendly gut bacteria can digest (ferment) and use as fuel - often referred to as prebiotics.

This increases the number and balance of friendly gut bacteria, which also produce short-chain fatty acids with powerful health benefits.

Most fermentable fibres are soluble, but there are also some insoluble fibres that can function in this way.

Fermentable fibres include pectins, beta-glucans, guar gum, inulin and oligofructose.

The best whole-food sources of fermentable fibres are beans and legumes, Jerusalem artichoke, baobab and chicory root (inulin).

Viscous Fibre

Some types of soluble fibres form a thick gel when they blend with water. These are known as  viscous fibres.

Put simply, the viscosity of a fluid refers to its “thickness.” For example, the sweetener honey is more viscous than water.

When you eat viscous fibre, it forms a gel-like substance that “sits” in the gut.

This slows down the digestion and absorption of nutrients, resulting in a prolonged feeling of fullness and reduced appetite.

A review of 44 studies on fibre treatments found that only viscous fibres reduced food intake and caused weight loss ( 19).

Viscous fibres include glucomannan, beta-glucans, pectins, guar gum and psyllium. Good whole-food sources include legumes, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, oats and flax seeds.

Resistant Starch

Starches are the main types of carbohydrates in the diet.

They are long chains of glucose molecules, found in potatoes, grains and many other foods.

Some starch is actually resistant to digestion, so that it passes through the digestive system unchanged.

This type of starch is called resistant starch, and it functions like soluble, fermentable fibre in the gut ( 20).

Resistant starch has numerous powerful health benefits. It improves digestive health, enhances insulin sensitivity, lowers blood sugar levels and significantly reduces appetite ( 21, 22, 23, 24, 25).

There are several good food sources of resistant starch, including green bananas, various legumes, cashews and oats. A more detailed list can be found here.

Additionally, certain starchy foods tend to form large amounts of resistant starch if they are cooled down after cooking. This includes white potatoes and white rice.

Several fibres have specific health implications and are worthy of highlighting.

Fructans

A fructan is the term used to describe a small chain of fructose molecules.

Oligofructose and inulin are the two main fructan varieties in the diet. They can feed the friendly bacteria in the gut and have been shown to help treat certain types of diarrhoea.

However, fructans are also types of carbohydrates known to cause digestive issues in many people and dogs.

In fact, fructans trigger adverse symptoms in 3 out of 4 people with irritable bowel syndrome, a common digestive disorder (28).

The biggest source of fructans in the modern diet is wheat. Wheat is also one of the foods that causes digestive sensitivities in dogs.

Beta-Glucan

The health benefits of beta-glucans ( β-glucans) have been extensively researched. These fibres have a specific molecular structure that makes them highly viscous in the gut.

Beta-glucans can improve insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar levels. They can also significantly reduce cholesterol levels and increase feelings of fullness and satiety ( 30).

Our superfood’s richest sources of beta-glucans include oats, reishi mushroom, nutritional yeast and seaweed. Sweet potatoes and peas in our food also contain smaller amounts of β-glucans.

Glucomannan

Glucomannan is a viscous fibre that is commonly marketed as a weight loss supplement.

Numerous studies have shown that glucomannan can cause modest weight loss, fight constipation and improve risk factors for heart disease.

Fibre plays a similarly important role in your dog’s diet and health to your own.

Aiding Digestion

Fibre may help reduce the risk of colon cancer in dogs, because it speeds elimination and therefore reduces the exposure of any carcinogens your dog has consumed. Not surprisingly, fibre can also reduce diarrhoea and constipation symptoms, should your dog be suffering from either. Fibre functions to increase bulk and absorb excess water, which aids in bowel regularity and helps produce firm, formed stools.

Managing a Healthy Weight

Fibre is an excellent nutrient for dogs on a weight management program. Obesity is the leading cause of many chronic illnesses in dogs, but owners are reluctant to decrease the amount of food they feed their pets. Fibre allows dogs to feel full while consuming very few calories, so switching to a high-fibre dog food is often a good choice for those trying to take weight off their dogs.

Supporting Healthy Anal Glands

Your dog’s anal glands play a very important part in their social communication with other dogs. Their glands, 2 of them, are positioned at about 8 and 4 around your dog’s anus.

Every time they poo the faeces pass by these glands helping to express them. The pheromones expressed form part of the communication by smell dogs use to identify who has passed their way and when in much the same way dogs urinate on lampposts!

If their stool is too soft to aid this expression, their anal glands eventually build up and impact. This can be very uncomfortable, and even painful, for your dog. It is the reason many dogs scoot their bottoms on the ground in an attempt to express full glands.

The easiest way to help alleviate this unpleasant condition is to ensure your dog is getting sufficient fibre in their diet to promote firm stools which in turn facilitate anal gland expression.

Improving Diabetes Mellitus

Certain fibres slow digestion, which keeps blood-sugar levels from spiking. This causes fewer fluctuations in the blood sugar of dogs that eat high-fibre diets; meaning they may be able to maintain better management of their illness.

Veterinarians have found that fibres can reduce a dog’s sensitivity to insulin, although researchers aren’t quite sure exactly how this works yet. What is known, though, is that many veterinarians put diabetic dogs on high-fibre diets.

Bonza’s food has been scientifically formulated to provide an excellent blend of plant-based sources of all the fibre types, balanced to deliver maximum health benefit for your dog.

Our fibre sources include oats, reishi mushroom, fava beans, peas and chickpeas, sweet potato and potato, seaweed, nutritional yeast, pumpkin, baobab and carrots. (click on each ingredient to see the health benefits they offer your dog)

Vitamins:

Vitamins are vital nutrients that help your dog’s body to grow and repair itself. However too much of certain vitamins can be bad for their health.

Vitamins also help your dog’s body to process other nutrients – without the right balance of vitamins, their body wouldn’t grow or repair itself properly.

Your dog needs vitamins from two different groups: water-soluble vitamins, C and B-complex, and the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.

Water-soluble vitamins: C and B-complex

These vitamins help a dog’s body to build bones, teeth and connective tissues. Because they dissolve in water, they’re continually being flushed out of the body – so regular top-ups are needed. However: while the various forms of vitamin B need to come from your dog’s diet, vitamin C is produced naturally by their body, and you should not feed your dog Vitamin C supplements unless prescribed by your dog’s vet.

Fat-soluble vitamins: A, D, E and K

Your dog’s body absorbs these vitamins through their intestine and stores them for later use. A build-up of too much of any of these vitamins can lead to physical abnormalities, particularly in their bones.

You should not give your dog supplements of these vitamins unless your vet prescribes them for a specific health condition.

The fat-soluble vitamins perform specific functions in your dog’s body.

Vitamin A for Dogs:

Vitamin A is an essential vitamin needed for growth and development, cell recognition, vision, immune function, and reproduction.  It is a powerful antioxidant. It also helps the heart, lungs, kidneys, and other organs to function correctly.

Preformed vitamin A occurs in meat, fish, and dairy produce. Preformed vitamin A can be toxic when consumed in excessive amounts, either through diet or supplementation.

Provitamin A is stored in fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based products.

Beta-carotene, a carotenoid, is a precursor of vitamin A and is found in plants. This "pro-vitamin," in itself an antioxidant, is converted into vitamin A as needed by the body, so there is no risk of overdose or toxicity.

As the Bonza recipe is high in beta-carotene, a natural precursor to Vitamin A, our recipe requires very little added Vitamin A by comparison with other dog foods and lowers risk of unintended toxicity.

Ingredients in our 100% plant-based dog food that provide Vitamin Aincludesweet potato, carrots, spinach, kale, water lentils and papaya

Vitamin D3 for Dogs: (Algae-based, vegan Vitamin D3)

Unlike humans, our dogs have lost the ability to make vitamin D in the skin when exposed to the sun, and thus must rely on dietary sources to receive the vitamin D their bodies need.

Vitamin D is an essential vitamin for dogs, which means it must be part of their diet in order for your dog to maintain optimal health.  Muscles and nerves require vitamin D for proper function because it helps regulate calcium and phosphorus absorption. 

Vitamin D’s role in calcium absorption is also essential to the health of the dog’s bones.  The most important muscle in the body is the heart and insufficient Vitamin D levels can lead to congestive heart failure.  New research is also showing that low levels of Vitamin D are linked to an increased risk of cancer.

There are 2 different forms of Vitamin D – D2 and D3. Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) is derived from plants and Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) from lanolin in sheep’s wool or algae.  While the USA permit Vitamin D2 to be used in dog food the EU ruled in 2017 that it would no longer be permitted for inclusion after June 2019 and that Vitamin D3 must be used.

Vitamin D2 and D3 are not equal when it comes to raising your vitamin D status.  Both are effectively absorbed into the bloodstream. However, the liver metabolizes them differently. The liver metabolizes vitamin D2 into 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 and vitamin D3 into 25-hydroxyvitamin D3. These two compounds are collectively known as calcifediol.

Calcifediol is the main circulating form of vitamin D, and its blood levels reflect your body’s stores of this nutrient.  For this reason, your health care provider can estimate your vitamin D status by measuring your levels of calcifediol ( 6).

However, vitamin D2 seems to yield less calcifediol than an equal amount of vitamin D3.  Most studies show that vitamin D3 is more effective than vitamin D2 at raising blood levels of calcifediol ( 7, 8).

Vitamin D2 is also thought to degrade more over time making it less available for use within our dog’s bodies.  As this is such a vital vitamin for our dogs Bonza only use a vegan-friendly algae-based source of Vitamin D3 in our recipes.

Vitamin E for Dogs:

Vitamin E is more than good for dogs—it’s essential! Vitamin E is an antioxidant that can help defend the body against free radicals in the skin and other cells.

Vitamin E is also an essential, fat-soluble vitamin that is good for a dog’s immune system, muscles, heart health, liver, nerve cell membranes and healthy skin and coat. 

Plants are the best sources of Vitamin E.

Ingredients in our 100% plant-based dog food that provide Vitamin E include quinoa, cranberry, seaweed, spinach, kale and chickpeas.

Vitamin K for Dogs:

Vitamin K is a fat-soluble nutrient essential for the synthesis of coagulation proteins needed for blood to clot. Vitamin K1, or phylloquinone, is the primary dietary source of Vitamin K as it is synthesized in plants and can be consumed through food or supplements. Vitamin K2, or menaquinone, is synthesized by gut bacteria inside an animal’s body, and can also be found in some food sources.

Vitamin K in your dog's diet is used to metabolize calcium into the bones, which prevents calcium deposits in the heart, arteries, and other muscles. Promotes healthy blood coagulation. Vitamin K helps to ensure proper blood clotting and is used to prevent bleeding after surgery or injury.

For most dogs, enough Vitamin K is produced internally by their own gut bacteria, which means they require very little in dietary sources.

The best natural sources occur in leafy greens including spinach and kale.

Choline for Dogs

Choline is a necessary component of the phospholipid cell membrane. It supports healthy brain and liver function and is occasionally used as part of a treatment plan for pets with epilepsy.

Quinoa in Bonza provides a rich, natural source of choline as does kale, reishi mushroom, chickpeas, peas and fava (broad) beans.

In addition, plant foods can be good sources of betaine, a compound that can stand in for choline as a methyl donor. Bonza ingredients with good levels of betaine include quinoa, spinach and sweet potato.

Provitamins:

Taurine for Dogs:

Taurine promotes cardiovascular health, insulin sensitivity, electrolyte balance, hearing function, and immune modulation. In animal research, taurine protected against heart failure, reducing mortality by nearly 80%.

Certain diets, particularly vegetarian or vegan diets, lack adequate amounts of taurine. We use a vegan friendly, plant-based source of Taurine in our recipes to provide your dog with the significant health benefits Taurine offers them.

L-Carnitine for Dogs:

L-carnitine is a nutrient and dietary supplement.  It plays a crucial role in the production of energy by transporting fatty acids into your cells' mitochondria (1, 2, 3).

The mitochondria act as engines within your cells, burning these fats to create usable energy.  Your body can produce L-carnitine out of the amino acids, lysine and methionine.  For your body to produce it in sufficient amounts, you also need plenty of vitamin C ( 4).

In addition to the L-carnitine produced in your body, you can also obtain small amounts by eating animal products like meat or fish ( 5).  Vegans or people with certain genetic issues may be unable to produce or obtain enough. This makes L-carnitine a conditionally essential nutrient (6).  Deficiency of this nutrient can cause a variety of health problems for animals; most significantly, the association with heart disease (cardiomyopathy) in dogs.

We use a vegan friendly, plant-based source of L-carnitine in our recipes to provide your dog with the significant health benefits L-carnitine offers them.

Whatever you decide to feed your dog, they’ll rely on you to make sure that they get the right balance of vitamins in their diet.

Bonza's vegan dog food is formulated to deliver the optimum balance of vitamins for your dog’s nutrition.

Minerals:

More than 18 mineral elements are believed to be essential for all mammals including your dog. Macrominerals are required by our dogs in their diets in larger amounts and microminerals, or trace elements, at far lower levels.

Minerals are an essential class of nutrients that must be included in a healthy, balanced diet. They are crucial for the proper development and function of your dog’s body. Specific minerals must also be present in a dog food in the right amounts to provide optimal health.

Research undertaken by the University of Guelph on the ‘True digestibility of minerals in animal and vegetable ingredient based adult maintenance dog food’ showed that true digestibility of endogenous minerals was similar or greater (in the case of calcium, phosphorous and iron) in dogs fed diets that are largely plant-based than those fed largely meat-based food. (4)

Chelates (or chelated minerals) are organic forms of essential trace minerals such as Copper, Iron, Manganese, Calcium and Zinc which in their non-chelated form are inorganic. Chelates are trace minerals bound to amino acids.

Dogs absorb, digest and utilise mineral chelates better than inorganic minerals. This means that lower concentrations can be used in their food (1). Mineral chelates offer health and welfare benefits in pet nutrition.  In addition, dogs fed chelated sources of essential trace minerals excrete lower amounts in their faeces, so there is less environmental contamination.

The poor retention and high excretion rates of inorganic minerals led to environmental concerns during the 1980s and 1990s, and so in 2003 Europe legislated a reduction in permitted feed concentrations of several trace metals (Co, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn)

As certain minerals (Zinc, Copper and Iron) are vitally important to your dog’s overall health and wellbeing, and are known to absorb better in chelated form, Bonza add these 3 minerals in a blend of the more expensive chelated with inorganic forms to ensure your dog benefits from optimum levels of these minerals.

Scientific studies show that Calcium and Manganese absorption rates are not improved by chelation and therefore there is no benefit to chelation of these minerals. 

Our plant-based ingredients provide very good levels of naturally occurring minerals and means we rely less on added trace minerals than many other dog foods.

Zinc:

The mineral zinc plays an important role in many substances in the canine body including enzymes, proteins, and hormones. Zinc is also important for immune system function and thyroid function.

Zinc deficiency can result in many problems for your dog including:

  • Lack of protection from infection
  • Abnormal iodine metabolism
  • Interference with normal cell development including wound healing, and replacement    of   intestinal lining cells, skin cells, hair, and nail
  • Interference with normal sexual function (important in breeding animals)Puppies affected with zinc-deficiency experience stunted growth, diarrhoea, crusted and cracked footpads, and multiple infections. These puppies do not respond to zinc supplementation, and usually die or are euthanised.

Studies show that chelated Zinc is better absorbed by dogs (2, 3, 4)

Chickpeas, fava beans, peas, oats, spinach and quinoa provide natural sources of Zinc in our vegan, plant-based dog food.

Copper:

Copper is necessary for a number of important bodily functions.  It helps dogs’ bones form, connective tissue, collagen, and myelin, which coats and protects nerves.  The mineral allows the body to absorb iron, boosting red blood cell function.

The formation of melanin requires copper, an antioxidant, and is part of many enzymes, such as monoamine oxidase, lysyl oxidase, ferroxidase and cytochrome C oxidase.

Copper deficiency can result in many problems for your dog including:

  • Bone and joint disease
  • Poor coat colour
  • Ligament and tendon issues. 

Studies show that chelated Copper is better absorbed by dogs (5, 6)

Chickpeas, sweet potatoes, oats, quinoa, spinach and kale provide natural sources of copper in our plant-based dogfood.

Iron:

As its primary function, iron combines with Copper (Cu) and protein to form haemoglobin, the molecule in red blood cells that carries oxygen. Iron also is necessary for certain enzymes in the body to function normally.

Iron deficiency results in the development of anaemia (lower than normal number of red blood cells). In iron deficiency anaemia, the size of each red blood cell and the amount of haemoglobin it contains are also reduced. Symptoms of anaemia include decreased growth rate, weakness, and increased susceptibility to stress or disease. Animals with iron deficiency may also develop constipation.

The absorption of Iron in the body is aided significantly by natural sources of Vitamin C in the diet.

Quinoa, chickpeas, fava (broad) beans, spinach and kale provide natural sources of iron in our plant-based dogfood.

Calcium:

Calcium is known for its role in building strong bones, but it also performs several other functions in your dog’s body. Calcium helps keep your dog’s nails, teeth, and coat healthy.

Calcium is required for digestion, blood clotting, squeezing and relaxing muscles, releasing hormones, and proper nerve function. Calcium even helps your dog maintain a regular heartbeat!

Hypo-calcaemia (calcium deficiency) can be caused by a variety of factors, including low body protein, kidney failure, an overactive parathyroid, and even nursing offspring (since bodily milk takes up a lot of the mother’s calcium). It is often seen in dogs with poor diets - such as all meat diets or when homemade or raw food diets are not administered carefully.

Chickpeas, fava (broad beans), and seaweed provide natural sources of calcium in our plant-based dogfood.

Manganese:

Most minerals share the same functions, in both the human and animal body, when absorbed into the bloodstream.

Manganese helps your dog to digest and absorb proteins and carbohydrates they gets from their diet. Furthermore, this mineral also acts as a catalyst in over 300 enzyme functions in your dog’s body. Some of these enzymatic actions include the conversion of food into energy and fatty acids.

Manganese combined with other minerals, assist in the formation of a healthy skeletal structure for your dog. This is why you will find more of the mineral in the bones than any other parts of the body. Manganese also aids in the optimum functioning of your dog’s internal organs. Organs such as the liver and the kidneys function effectively which in turn promotes good health in your dog.

If you want your dog to look youthful for years, ensure they get their manganese. This mineral is an active antioxidant that stops oxidation in your dog’s body. Internal oxidation releases free radicals that are harmful to body cells.

Manganese deficiency is very rare in dogs and cats; when it does occur, new born and young animals are more likely affected. The symptoms of manganese deficiency include poor growth, skeletal abnormalities, reproductive failure, and ataxia (loss of equilibrium)

Studies show that chelated Manganese is better absorbed by dogs (1, 2)

Oats, chickpeas, sweet potatoes, spinach and pineapple provide natural sources of calcium in our vegan dogfood.

Selenium:

Selenium, like the other trace minerals is necessary to sustain life of canines. It is one of the critical nutritional factors for immune system along with zinc, vitamin E, vitamin B6 and linoleic acid. Adequate selenium is necessary for the normal functioning of the immune system and thyroid gland.

Selenium is a mineral found in the soil. Selenium naturally appears in water and some foods. While dogs and humans only need a very small amount, selenium plays a key role in the metabolism.

Selenium is getting significant consideration for its role in various functions such as anticancer, joint health, skin and coat, immune resistance and antioxidant properties. It is generally found that organoselenium compounds have substantially greater bioavailability than that of inorganic selenium.

We include a highly bio-available organic food-form selenium, Organic Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-3060 together with Sodium Selenite an inorganic form. Oats and Reishi Mushroom offer rich sources of natural, organic selenium in Bonza products.

Bonza is formulated to deliver the optimum balance of high-quality minerals to your dog’s diet.

Phytonutrients:

Finally, we come to what we consider to be the most important part of your dog’s diet, phytonutrients. Often referred to as ‘non-essential nutrients’, it is these nutrients that elevate your dog’s food beyond simple nutrition to a diet that offers both preventative, and curative, health benefits throughout their precious lives.

Phytonutrients are the antioxidants that are naturally used by plants to protect themselves against free radicals. Studies show that dogs (and their owners!) who eat sources of phytochemicals also benefit from the antioxidant properties of the plant through a regulation of highly damaging oxidative stress and overall improvement of physical and mental health. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)

These substances that can slow down the aging process, prevent premature aging, and increase life expectancy, are known as geroprotectors ( 10). Natural antioxidants such as flavonoids have been observed as efficient geroprotectors and lifespan extending compounds through down-regulating the progression of degenerative diseases (11), and are also called lifespan-essential ingredients (12).

Research on impacts phytonutrients from plant-based foods have for both humans and dogs has accelerated as increasing evidence emerges of the significant benefits they have on health and longevity. ( 13, 14, 15)

Phytochemicals are broken down into the following categories:

  • Flavonoids
  • Allyl Sulfides
  • Polyphenols
  • Phytosterols

Dietary Fibres:

Dietary fibres are a group of carbohydrates that cannot be directly used for energy by mammals due to a lack of digestive enzymes to break down structural linkages. Their impacts on the health status of dogs are widely known ( 1), in particular their influence on body condition, gastrointestinal (GI) health and immune parameters.

Carotenoids:

Carotenoids, including beta-carotene, alpha-carotene and lycopene, are vitamin A precursors that act as antioxidants and may counteract oxidative damage to the body, which plays a role in the development of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

Beta-carotene has received attention for its possible role in the prevention of several chronic diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Although alpha-carotene is chemically similar to beta-carotene, studies have suggested that alpha-carotene is around ten times more effective than beta-carotene in inhibiting the development of cancer cells, and that it has more potent results in reducing the effects of liver cancer and inhibiting the tumour-promoting actions of glycerol in lung carcinogenesis and skin tumours. ( 1)

β-carotene - β-carotene is the most potent carotenoid precursor to vitamin A. Vitamin A is essential for biochemical and physiological processes in the body including vision, reproduction, cellular differentiation, gene expression, immunity and growth. Carotenoids are pigments in plants that are usually yellow or red[1] Antioxidants such as beta carotene play crucial roles in the body’s fight against free radicals. There’s a lot of evidence to support the intake of antioxidants to help reach optimal wellness.

Foods Rich in Beta-Carotene include:

α-Carotene - like beta carotene, alpha carotene is found in a variety of vegetables and fruits and is a precursor to Vitamin A. Cleavage of alpha carotene in the body produces retinol and alpha retinol whereas cleavage of beta carotene produces two retinol molecules.

α-Carotene has been shown in large numbers of studies to offer significant health benefits including

decreasing risks of mortality from cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other causes. ( 1)

Other benefits include improved colon, heart, bone and eye health (2, 3, 4, 5)

Foods Rich in Alpha-Carotene include:

Lycopene - is a nutrient in the carotenoid that’s naturally found in some plants. Lycopene provides the pigment that gives red and pink fruits like tomatoes, red carrots, watermelons and papayas their colour and is known to have antioxidant properties.

Clinical trials have shown that lycopene benefits include reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, lowering cholesterol, blood pressure, inflammation, and oxidative stress, including free radical damage to LDL cholesterol. ( 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

Foods Rich in Lycopene include:

Beta-Cryptoxanthin - belongs to the class of carotenoids, more specifically the xanthophylls. In the human body, beta-cryptoxanthin is converted to vitamin A (retinol) and is considered as a pro-vitamin A.

Beta-cryptoxanthin is a strong antioxidant and prevents the free radical’s damage to the body’s cells and DNA. Studies have shown it to reduce the risk of lung cancer and colon cancer as well as reducing the risk of rheumatoid arthritis and age-related macular degeneration. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)

Food Rich in Beta-Cryptoxanthin include:

Flavones - Natural flavones, as well as some of their synthetic derivatives, have been shown to exhibit several biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, anti-allergic, neuroprotective, cardioprotective and antimicrobial. The antioxidant properties of flavones allow them to demonstrate potential application as preventive and attenuating agents in oxidative stress, i.e., a biological condition that is closely associated to aging processes and to several diseases. (1)

Apigenin (Flavones)

A large number of studies carried out have indicated that apigenin has many interesting pharmacological activities and nutraceutical potential. Its properties as an antioxidant are well known, and it can also be a therapeutic agent to overcome diseases like inflammation, autoimmune, neurodegenerative disease, and even several types of cancers. (1)

Although it is found in many fruits, vegetables and herbs, the amount of it varies.

The richest natural sources of Apigenin are:

Luteolin (Flavones)

The flavone luteolin has numerous useful actions that include: anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, microglia inhibition, neuroprotection and memory increase.

Rich Sources of Luteolin (Flavones)

Isoflavones - Isoflavones are a class of flavonoids that exhibit antioxidant, anticancer, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. Increasing evidence has highlighted the potential for isoflavones to prevent the chronic diseases in which inflammation plays a key role. (1)

Foods Rich in Isoflavones:

Flavanols - represent a specific group of bioactives, or plant-derived nutrients, within the larger family of natural compounds known as flavonoids. Published research has shown regular consumption of dietary flavanols can promote healthy blood vessel function and slow oxidative damage. (1)

Rich sources of Flavanols include:

Flavanones - Flavanones are associated with a number of health benefits because of their free radical-scavenging properties. They are linked to cardiovascular health, relaxation and general antioxidant as well as anti-inflammatory activity.

Sources of Flavanones include:

Flavan-3-ols

cardiopreventive, antimicrobial, anti-viral, and neuro-protective agents. (1)

Sources of Flavan-3-ols include:

  • Tea (green and black)
  • Berries (including cranberries)
  • Grapes
  • Apples
  • Pears

Phytosterols:

Phytosterols include plant sterols and plant stanols and are structurally related to cholesterol.

Phytosterols may offer health benefits in both animals and people, including lowering cholesterol, reducing the risk of diabetes and coronary heart disease, anti-inflammatory effects, activating apoptosis in cancer cells, and disease prevention and treatment. (1)

Rich sources of Phytosterols include:

Bonza’s ultra-premium, plant-based dog food contains a more diverse range of proteins, carbohydrates and fibres, which together with PhytoPlus®, a unique and proprietary blend of phytonutrients, provide the potent protective and preventative health benefits your dog deserves.

A rapidly growing body of scientific research is beginning to reveal the positive effects that plant-forward and plant-based, vegan diets have on our dogs’ health and wellness in much the same way it is known to affect our own.

In conclusion, whilst we acknowledge it is a very biased viewpoint, we believe that Bonza is the most nutritious dog food, vegan or meat-based, available today.

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