page_title: Dog food
section_title: Contents
hierarchical_section_title: Dog food / Commercial varieties / Contents
caption_attribution_description: עברית: שוק צ'אטוצ'אק, שוק סוף השבוע של בנגקוק, תאילנד English: Chatuchak Weekend Market, Bangkok, Thailand
context_page_description: Dog food is food specifically formulated and intended for consumption by dogs and other related canines. Dogs are considered to be omnivores with a carnivorous bias. They have the sharp, pointed teeth and shorter gastrointestinal tracts of carnivores, better suited for the consumption of meat than of vegetable substances, yet also have 10 genes that are responsible for starch and glucose digestion, as well as the ability to produce amylase, an enzyme that functions to break down carbohydrates into simple sugars - something that carnivores lack. Dogs evolved the ability living alongside humans in agricultural societies, as they managed on scrap leftovers from humans.
  Dogs have managed to adapt over thousands of years to survive on the meat and non-meat scraps and leftovers of human existence and thrive on a variety of foods, with studies suggesting dogs' ability to digest carbohydrates easily may be a key difference between dogs and wolves.
  In the United States alone, the dog food market is expected to reach $23.3 billion by 2022.
context_section_description: Many commercial dog foods are made from materials considered by some authorities and dog owners to be unusable or undesirable. These may include:
  Meat and bone meal
  Offal (wild canines, however, do eat offal as a vital part of their diets)
  Animal digest
  Sucrose and/or fructose
  Animal by-products
  Less expensive dog foods generally include less meat and more animal by-products and grain fillers. Proponents of a natural diet criticize the use of such ingredients, and point out that regulations allow for packaging that might lead a consumer to believe that they are buying natural food, when, in reality, the food might be composed mostly of ingredients such as those listed above. More expensive dog foods may be made of ingredients suitable for organic products or free range meats. Lamb meal is a popular ingredient.
  According to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), animal by-products in pet food may include parts obtained from any animals that have died from sickness or disease,  provided they are rendered in accordance to law. Cow brains and spinal cords not allowed for human consumption under federal regulation 21CFR589.2000 due to the possibility of transmission of BSE are allowed to be included in pet food intended for non-ruminant animals. In 2003, the AVMA speculated changes might be made to animal feed regulations to ban materials from "4-D" animals – those who enter the food chain as dead, dying, diseased or disabled.
caption: Dog treats are special types of dog food given as a reward, not as a staple food source.
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