the Link Between Nutrition and Behavior
How Holistic Foods Influence Your Pet's Mood
By Toni Shelaske
All of my dogs I've ever owned have been rescues, and each one of them was on a kibble diet from the moment they were weaned. As a pet retailer that specializes in natural products for cats and dogs, I choose to feed my pets real, whole foods. This means I’ve had to transition each of them off a from a heavily processed, kibble-based diet.
How Nutrition Improved My Great Dane’s Behavior
Take for example, my newest pet, 18 month old Layla. She’s a beautiful Great Dane that is often featured on my Instagram. I’ve watched her go through a dramatic shift in her diet with incredible results that’s more than just outgrowing her puppy phase. She still has incredible energy but it’s calm, focused, and not scattered or spastic.
Just like with people, what our pets eat can directly affect how they feel and how they behave. From hyperactivity to anxiety, I’ve seen firsthand how much of a role diet plays in shaping a pet’s mood and mental state. These days, I’m seeing more and more anxious pets, and it often starts with what’s in their bowl. If you’re feeding a kibble-based or high-starch diet, you’re likely feeding more sugar than you think. Starches break down into sugar in the body, which spikes insulin and triggers hyperactivity and anxious behaviors. Think about how we feel after eating a donut or giving kids a sugar-packed snack. It's the same concept for our pets.
The Link Between Sugar, Starch, and Anxiety in Dogs
Take a look at some of the formulas on the market. Some start with brown rice instead of meat because it’s cheaper. But brown rice is a starch, and when starch is the first ingredient, it’s going to impact your pet’s behavior. If you’re feeding kibble, one easy thing to avoid is anything with artificial coloring. Colored kibble often contains dyes like red 40, which have been linked to hyperactivity in kids and can have similar effects on pets. That’s why some of these dyes are finally being phased out.
Our pets already have more energy than we often give them credit for so when we load up their food with sugars, dyes, and unnecessary carbs, we’re giving them fuel they don’t need and can’t regulate.
One of the first things I recommend is looking at the ingredient panel. I know it can be overwhelming. Just focus on the first five ingredients. Meat should be first. There should be no dyes, no artificial ingredients, and minimal starch.
Biologically Appropriate Diets for Dogs
I realize that the term holistic gets thrown around a lot and can mean different things to different people. I prefer to think in terms of biologically appropriate. I feed my dogs a raw, species-appropriate diet, where starch intake is minimal to none. Their meals are 95% meat, bone, and organs, with only about 5-10% fruits and vegetables. No potatoes. No peas. No rice.
If you’re ready to explore better nutrition for better behavior, I recommend checking out Raw Dynamic Pet Food or Solutions Pet Food. Your pet’s behavior starts from the inside and what you feed them today shapes how they’ll feel tomorrow.
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