Beet Pulp

[Gallien Jacks]

Good or Bad?

 

[showpug]

When used in the right amount and properly, it can be a functional ingredient. I have heard that when used correctly, it is a healthy fiber source.

This has some good info: http://www.eaglepack.com/Pages/HS_Fiber.html#Beet

 

[Zoom]

Showpug is like Lil' Mordy anymore...I'm so proud!

 

[showpug]

Showpug is like Lil' Mordy anymore...I'm so proud!

LOL! I wish I knew half as much as she does!!!

 

[Herschel]

I still think its unnecessary...

 

[DanL]

I still think its unnecessary...

Agreed.

 

[Gallien Jacks]

I used to look for a food without it, but I was told that its a great source of fiber and fiber is needed in the diet. I guess I am still a little un decided

 

[DanL]

My jury is out on whether fiber is needed. These are dogs, not people. My dogs haven't had a source of fiber for over a year since I've been feeding raw and there have been no ill effects. I do keep some pumpkin on hand in case of extreme gastric distress but I've only used it one time.

 

[shadowfacedanes]

Here is a little info.

*Beet Pulp (Sugar) - CONTROVERSIAL
AAFCO - Beet Pulp is the dried residue from sugar beets which has been cleaned and extracted in the process of manufacturing sugar.
Natura uses it because - "it as a good source of fiber and a stool hardener". However, it is not found in their Innova or California Natural products.
Solid Gold doesn't use it because they believe it is: "Added to pet food to slow down the transition of rancid animal fats (think toxic waste). This holds the waste in. Kidneys and liver work overtime. Dogs may chew their lower backs. Feet may swell, so the dogs lick their feet. Sugar is a contributing factor to ear infections and cataracts".
Beet pulp is rather controversial, many think that it is an excellent additive and source of fiber and that all sugar has been completely extracted before being added as a pet food ingredients. If this is the only "problem" ingredient in a kibble, other factors will have to help you decide.

http://www.greatdanelady.com/article..._pulp_myth.htm

A quote from the Eagle website:

Beet Pulp is a quality fiber and also a food source for essential good bacteria in a pet's gut. These good bacteria thrive and crowd out the bad bacteria that cause diarrhea and vomiting. Beet pulp also gently cleans the intestinal wall, allowing more nutrients to be absorbed. Some state that excess amounts of beet pulp artificially reduces stool size. We include only optimum amounts that provide the stated benefits.

 

[Lissa]

I personally do not think beet pulp is a quality ingredient! It's not digestible so the dogs aren't getting any nutrients from it...It's simply a stool hardener that can have quite a bit of sugar in it (not to mention it could mask a problem). When you can offer your dog natural, digestible and nutrient dense sources of fibre, I do not think beet pulp is good!!

 

[StealthDog]

When you can offer your dog natural, digestible and nutrient dense sources of fibre, I do not think beet pulp is good!!

I don't understand why beet pulp isn't considered "natural"... I mean, it certainly isn't synthetic!

 

[papillon806]

While beet pulp may not add nutrients, it greatly aids in digestion! Yes, there are other fiber sources, but beet pulp is equal (if not better) than others. Fiber adds bulk to the stool, which helps the contents move slower through the digestive tract (regulates contractions of the intestines). When food moves slower, more nutrients are digested!

 

[Lissa]

The saponins (toxic glucoside) in the beet pulp is why I think of it as unnatural (but I also think of it as unnatural because dogs and cats cannot digest it). There's plenty of cheap and digestable fillers in kibble to bulk up both the food and the poops to avoid needing beet pulp.

 

[papillon806]

The whole point to fiber is that it cannot be digested...

 

[StealthDog]

Here's what "Small Animal Clinical Nutrition" says about fiber:

"Fiber refers to a multitude of compounds categorized as complex carbohydrates. Fibers differ from starches in that fibers resist enzymatic digestion in the small intestine. As a result, fibers are usually fermented by microbes in the colon... The primary function and benefit of adequate dietary fiber are to increase bulk and water in the intestinal contents. Fiber appears to shorten intestinal transit rate in dogs with normal or slow transit time and prolongs it in dogs with rapid transit rate. Together, these fators help to promote and regulate normal bowel function. In addition, the typical end products of microbial fermentation of fiber (acetate, propionate, and butyrate) are important in maintaining the health of the colon... The antibacterial properties of short-chain fatty acids may decrease pathogenic intestinal bacteria, increase resistance of the gut to colonization by pathogenic bacteria, and may be important in prevention of and recovery from intestinal disorders and cancer...

... Fiber is not considered essential in the diets of cats and dogs, although it is often included in commercial foods. Overall, dogs and cats do not derive much energy from absorbing the typical end-products of bacterial fermentation; however, short-chain fatty acids are important in maintaining the health of the colon. Therefore, a small amount of fiber (less than 5%) that contains both rapidly and slowly fermentable fibers is recommended in foods for healthy pets."

There aren't really any comments about beet pulp specifically, except a table that shows that it's moderately fermentable (compared to cellulose, which is slowly fermentable, and guar gum/pectin, which are rapidly fermentable):

"As fermentation rate of fiber increases, GI transit time decreases, fecal bulk decreases, and fecal bile acid excretion decreases."

 

[papillon806]

Um...What about anything that you just quoted from that article suggests that fiber is NOT essential? OF COURSE it's not essential as as main ingredient, but foods that contain beet pulp have it far down the list anyways...

 

[StealthDog]

I suppose it isn't considered essential because dogs who do not receive it in their diet don't die (DanL's dogs are evidence of that). Essential nutrients are things like protein and glucose... Without those, dogs don't live long.