Kelsey from Instagram account @the_smooch_patrol joined us for our second Instagram LIVE. We talked about the domestication of dogs and the evolution of their digestive systems. You can watch the whole video here.
We wanted to make sure that all information about our discussion is being shared for people to read. Get in touch if you would like to contribute to these resources! hello@fleetful.co.uk
The evolution of a dog’s digestive system
This paper on the 'Nature' journal is amazing. It links the theories about the domestication of dogs and the evolution of their digestive systems with actual differences in the genetic sequence of the domesticated dog compared to the wolf. Essentially we don't just have theory, we can link theory with physiology at the level of the genome, which is pretty awesome stuff!
It requires an academic log-in to access the journal, so uni students can get it for free. Kelsey has downloaded a copy as a PDF, so for anyone who hasn't got free access, let us know at hello@fleetful.co.uk and we will email you a copy!
In Defence of Dogs - John Bradshaw
The book Kelsey discussed is 'In defence of dogs’, and this is the one that looks more at the domestication process itself.
Kelsey suggests that people read the journal article above and the chapter in the book called ‘How Wolves Became Dogs’, so you can link the evolutionary theories of domestication with the physiology outlined in the journal.
Raw Feeding - The Risks
This is a brilliant article with journal articles for everything they discussed provided in the reference section at the end. It focuses on whether you should feed your dog grain or grain free, but also addresses the other cards that dogs are capable of processing, but really interestingly, it cites a study that found 95% of food allergens come from beef, then dairy as the next biggest culprit.