Dietary nutrient profiles of wild wolves: insights for optimal dog nutrition?
Domestic dogs diverged from grey wolves between 13 000 and 17 000 years ago when food waste from human settlements provided a new niche. Compared to the carnivorous cat, modern-day dogs differ in several digestive and metabolic traits that appear to be more associated with omnivorous such as man, pi...
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Online Access: | https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/dietary-nutrient-profiles-of-wild-wolves-insights-for-optimal-dog https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114514002311 |
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ftunivwagenin:oai:library.wur.nl:wurpubs/478782 2024-01-14T10:06:04+01:00 Dietary nutrient profiles of wild wolves: insights for optimal dog nutrition? Bosch, G. Hagen-Plantinga, E.A. Hendriks, W.H. 2015 application/pdf https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/dietary-nutrient-profiles-of-wild-wolves-insights-for-optimal-dog https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114514002311 en eng https://edepot.wur.nl/323010 https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/dietary-nutrient-profiles-of-wild-wolves-insights-for-optimal-dog doi:10.1017/S0007114514002311 info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Wageningen University & Research British Journal of Nutrition 113 (2015) S1 ISSN: 0007-1145 bialowieza primeval forest cats felis-catus deer capreolus-capreolus fatty-acid-composition food-habits foraging ecology gray wolves paleolithic nutrition wolf canis-lupus yellowstone-national-park info:eu-repo/semantics/article Article/Letter to editor info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2015 ftunivwagenin https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114514002311 2023-12-20T23:17:48Z Domestic dogs diverged from grey wolves between 13 000 and 17 000 years ago when food waste from human settlements provided a new niche. Compared to the carnivorous cat, modern-day dogs differ in several digestive and metabolic traits that appear to be more associated with omnivorous such as man, pigs and rats. This has led to the classification of dogs as omnivores, but the origin of these ‘omnivorous’ traits has, hitherto, been left unexplained. We discuss the foraging ecology of wild wolves and calculate the nutrient profiles of fifty diets reported in the literature. Data on the feeding ecology of wolves indicate that wolves are true carnivores consuming a negligible amount of vegetal matter. Wolves can experience prolonged times of famine during low prey availability while, after a successful hunt, the intake of foods and nutrients can be excessive. As a result of a ‘feast and famine’ lifestyle, wolves need to cope with a highly variable nutrient intake requiring an adaptable metabolism, which is still functional in our modern-day dogs. The nutritive characteristics of commercial foods differ in several aspects from the dog's closest free-living ancestor in terms of dietary nutrient profile and this may pose physiological and metabolic challenges. The present study provides new insights into dog nutrition and contributes to the ongoing optimisation of foods for pet dogs. Article in Journal/Newspaper Canis lupus Wageningen UR (University & Research Centre): Digital Library British Journal of Nutrition 113 S1 S40 S54 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Wageningen UR (University & Research Centre): Digital Library |
op_collection_id |
ftunivwagenin |
language |
English |
topic |
bialowieza primeval forest cats felis-catus deer capreolus-capreolus fatty-acid-composition food-habits foraging ecology gray wolves paleolithic nutrition wolf canis-lupus yellowstone-national-park |
spellingShingle |
bialowieza primeval forest cats felis-catus deer capreolus-capreolus fatty-acid-composition food-habits foraging ecology gray wolves paleolithic nutrition wolf canis-lupus yellowstone-national-park Bosch, G. Hagen-Plantinga, E.A. Hendriks, W.H. Dietary nutrient profiles of wild wolves: insights for optimal dog nutrition? |
topic_facet |
bialowieza primeval forest cats felis-catus deer capreolus-capreolus fatty-acid-composition food-habits foraging ecology gray wolves paleolithic nutrition wolf canis-lupus yellowstone-national-park |
description |
Domestic dogs diverged from grey wolves between 13 000 and 17 000 years ago when food waste from human settlements provided a new niche. Compared to the carnivorous cat, modern-day dogs differ in several digestive and metabolic traits that appear to be more associated with omnivorous such as man, pigs and rats. This has led to the classification of dogs as omnivores, but the origin of these ‘omnivorous’ traits has, hitherto, been left unexplained. We discuss the foraging ecology of wild wolves and calculate the nutrient profiles of fifty diets reported in the literature. Data on the feeding ecology of wolves indicate that wolves are true carnivores consuming a negligible amount of vegetal matter. Wolves can experience prolonged times of famine during low prey availability while, after a successful hunt, the intake of foods and nutrients can be excessive. As a result of a ‘feast and famine’ lifestyle, wolves need to cope with a highly variable nutrient intake requiring an adaptable metabolism, which is still functional in our modern-day dogs. The nutritive characteristics of commercial foods differ in several aspects from the dog's closest free-living ancestor in terms of dietary nutrient profile and this may pose physiological and metabolic challenges. The present study provides new insights into dog nutrition and contributes to the ongoing optimisation of foods for pet dogs. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Bosch, G. Hagen-Plantinga, E.A. Hendriks, W.H. |
author_facet |
Bosch, G. Hagen-Plantinga, E.A. Hendriks, W.H. |
author_sort |
Bosch, G. |
title |
Dietary nutrient profiles of wild wolves: insights for optimal dog nutrition? |
title_short |
Dietary nutrient profiles of wild wolves: insights for optimal dog nutrition? |
title_full |
Dietary nutrient profiles of wild wolves: insights for optimal dog nutrition? |
title_fullStr |
Dietary nutrient profiles of wild wolves: insights for optimal dog nutrition? |
title_full_unstemmed |
Dietary nutrient profiles of wild wolves: insights for optimal dog nutrition? |
title_sort |
dietary nutrient profiles of wild wolves: insights for optimal dog nutrition? |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/dietary-nutrient-profiles-of-wild-wolves-insights-for-optimal-dog https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114514002311 |
genre |
Canis lupus |
genre_facet |
Canis lupus |
op_source |
British Journal of Nutrition 113 (2015) S1 ISSN: 0007-1145 |
op_relation |
https://edepot.wur.nl/323010 https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/dietary-nutrient-profiles-of-wild-wolves-insights-for-optimal-dog doi:10.1017/S0007114514002311 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Wageningen University & Research |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114514002311 |
container_title |
British Journal of Nutrition |
container_volume |
113 |
container_issue |
S1 |
container_start_page |
S40 |
op_container_end_page |
S54 |
_version_ |
1788060380162949120 |