The Role of Fibre in Your Pet's Diet

Written in consultation with Dr Claire Stevens, Registered Veterinarian.

Keep Tummies Happy: The Power of Fibre for Your Cat and Dog!

When it comes to keeping our pets healthy and happy, diet is key. With this in mind, let’s look at the important role fibre plays in your cat or dog's diet and how it contributes to their health and wellbeing. Not only does fibre support healthy digestion and promote regular bowel movements, it also supports your pet’s overall gut health. Various sources of fibre even play an important role in supporting your pet’s immune system. Let's explore why fibre is so important in your pet’s diet and how you can easily incorporate it into their daily mealtimes. 

Fibre: Your Pet's Digestive Buddy!

Fibre is an essential nutrient for both cats and dogs. There are two forms of fibre, soluble, which can be broken down easily in water and insoluble, which doesn't break down in water, but rather, holds its shape to aid in digestion, providing what’s often referred to as “roughage” in your pet’s diet.

A lot of foods have a similar ratio of soluble to insoluble fibre and can multitask. For example, beet pulp, broccoli, sweet potatoes and potatoes are all great sources of both soluble and insoluble fibre. However, some foods are higher in one or the other. Let’s get to the guts of these two fibre variations a bit more:

Soluble fibre: can be broken down in water.

Soluble fibre is slowly broken down in your pet’s intestine and gut which supports the release and absorption of essential nutrients. This aids in your pets' overall immune health and supports more balanced glucose levels which can help lower your cat or dogs' cholesterol and help them feel fuller for longer. Foods like carrots, apples, non-refined grains like oats and brown rice are all great sources of high soluble fibre and are used in a lot of the Paw Pantry pet food range. Hypro Premium’s Whole Grain range, for example, contains these soluble, fibre-rich, whole grain ingredients like brown rice and oats.

Insoluble Fibre: does not break down in water.

This type of fibre aids digestion by passing through the digestive system largely intact and adding bulk to stools to support healthy, regular bowel movements for your pet. Foods like beans, lentils, spinach and kale are all great sources of insoluble fibre to support regularity.

"Insoluble fibres don’t dissolve in the gut, so they help clump up your pet’s poop as it moves through their colon. This helps to give your pet the feeling of being full, which helps with weight management and promotes regularity." - Dr. Claire Stevens

Signs Your Cat or Dog May Not be Getting Enough Fibre

Some common signs to keep an eye on that can indicate your dog or cat aren’t getting enough fibre in their diet include:

Constipation and strain toileting:
If your pet struggles to pass stools or their poop is hard, dry and formed in little nuggets as opposed to soft, long log shapes it could be an indication they’re lacking fibre in their diet. A fibre-rich pet food that contains some of the ingredients we’ve noted above, can help to add bulk to the stool, making it easier for your pet to pass comfortably.

Infrequent bowel movements:
If your pet is not having at least 1-2 regular bowel movements a day, their digestive system might not be getting the support it needs. Think about increasing the amount of soluble fibre in their diet to help promote good gut bacteria and digestion, which should help to set their system on the right track and promote regularity.

Bottom trouble:
There’s no elegant way to explain this one... Dogs, especially smaller breeds, can experience problems with their anal glands if they aren't passing firm enough stools. If your dog is often seen scooching their booties across the ground before or after going to the toilet, or you experience an odd, persistent smell or discharge coming from your pooches hiney, these can all be signs of overly full anal glands and your pooches attempt to relieve themselves, essentially massaging the area to help release the pressure. Vet’s will often encourage a higher fibre diet to prevent and manage this ongoing.

"Insoluble fibre helps to create a more solid stool which supports healthy anal gland expression during toileting," says Dr. Claire. 

Fibre-Rich Foods for Cats and Dogs

There are ways to boost your pet’s fibre intake, one easy way can be to simply incorporate more fibre-rich foods into your pet’s diet. Fruits and vegetables and non-refined or whole grains are a natural and gentle yet effective way to boost fibre intake for both cats and dogs. Here are three key things to look for in your pet food to ensure you are feeding your pet a fibre rich diet:

Fruits and Vegetables: Sweet potatoes, broccoli, spinach, and apples are just a few examples of fibre rich, natural foods that help to form solid stools and support your pet’s healthy bowel movements. A firm stool is particularly important for dogs to assist with anal gland expression.

Non-refined wholegrains: Ingredients like brown rice and oats are excellent sources of fibre that promote good gut bacteria to maintain a healthy gut environment. The benefits of wholegrains like these in their natural, non-refined state are two-fold. 1) The outer layer is a great source of minerals and fibre to support digestion, helping your cat and dog maintain good energy levels and have regular bowel movements. 2) Pets also benefit from the nutrient-packed core, or germ of the grain which remains intact to provide a natural source of vitamins B and E supporting a healthy immune system.

Superfoods: Ingredients like peas, carrots, blueberries, and spinach, featured in Paw Pantry’s ranges including Pure Life and Hypro Premium, are not only high in fibre but also packed with natural antioxidants to boost immunity and support overall health. 

Health Perks of a Fibre Fuelled Diet for Pets

A fibre-rich diet offers numerous benefits for pets, including:

Energy and weight management: Just like their hoomans, cats and dogs use fibre to help regulate their insulin and glucose levels. A fibre rich diet with a good balance of soluble fibre helps your pet to feel energised and, bonus, fuller for longer. This keeps them raring to go and full of activity and reduces their need to frequently revisit the food bowl or loiter round the kitchen*. (*Sorry Lab owners are excluded from this statement, nothing we can do about that...).

Digestive and immune health: Fibre has a role to play in supporting gut health by feeding good gut bacteria which in turn helps your pet absorb the vitamins and minerals in their food and support their overall immune health and lowering their risk of cardiovascular conditions.

Reduce digestive concerns: By promoting healthy gut bacteria and a balanced digestive system, fibre can help lower the risk of certain digestive issues like constipation. Ensuring your pet has a good amount of insoluble fibre in their kibble and diet, aka “roughage” helps to keep your pet’s bowel movements regular.

Embrace Fibre for Your Cat or Dog!

If you are concerned about your cat or dogs' fibre intake, or they’ve been displaying some of these signs that suggest they may be low in fibre, take a look at the ingredients that go into their pet food. You can support your pet’s digestion and keep them feeling their best with our Paw Pantry kibble for cats and dogs. All ranges incorporate wholesome, natural sources of fibre from fresh fruits and vegetables to lentils and for an added fibre boost, the Hypro Premium Wholegrain range specifically incorporates, non-refined wholegrains to help support your dog’s optimal digestion and health.