Just because beet pulp comes from beetroots, don’t think it’s healthy for your dog! Beet pulp is a cheap by-product of sugar beets that’s commonly used in dry dog food and is associated with hidden danger to pups – in particular it’s linked with low levels of the essential amino acid, taurine, which is associated with a serious health condition called dilated cardiomyopathy.
What is beet pulp?
Once the sugar is extracted from sugar beets, what’s left is fibrous beet pulp that’s normally sold as feed for livestock and other animals, including dogs. Beet pulp is often used as filler in processed dog food and not only lacks nutrients, but may actually be harmful to your pup.
Why is beet pulp bad for your pup?
Beet pulp is very high in fibre, which isn’t always a good thing for our puppers. Research indicates that beet pulp in dry dog food impairs digestion and results in bigger and more frequent poos. But that’s not the main reason we don’t use beet pulp. There’s a more significant danger associated with beet pulp – and that’s dilated cardiomyopathy.
Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a serious condition where the heart can’t generate sufficient pressure to pump blood around the body. Symptoms can be hard to see, and can include lethargy, weakness, weight loss, or coughing – it can be fatal.
DCM can be caused by low levels of the amino acid, taurine. Your dog normally gets the taurine they need from meat and from synthesizing taurine from other food sources, but some pups need taurine supplantation in their diet.
The problem with beet pulp is it has been linked to decreased taurine levels – and low taurine levels may put your dog at risk of DCM.
So, is beetroot powder different?
Beetroot powder is very different to beet pulp, and is an ingredient we love at Lyka! Beetroot powder is simply dehydrated beetroot, so it contains a whole range of healthy nutrients, including antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. You can find highly nutritious beetroot powder in our Grass-Fed Lamb bowl.
What do we use instead at Lyka?
Safety means everything to us at Lyka. It’s why we check the research and why we don’t use fillers like beet pulp in our food.
Meaty Fact: Lyka meals have a high meat content (50-60%) compared to kibble, which normally contains only 20-30% meat.
Fibre fact: Fibre in our meals comes from vegetables such as butternut squash, purple sweet potato and carrots – the amount of fibre means many of our customers report their pups have smaller, more regular poos with a Lyka fresh food diet.
Lyka: science-backed nutrition, no fillers needed
Our meals are designed by our in-house vet, Dr Matthew Muir, so you can trust that all of our ingredients are good for your pup. We ensure that recipes exceed the minimum requirements for dogs to synthesise important amino acids, taurine and L-carnitine, making your dog less susceptible to DCM.
What we DON’T use: Nutrient-poor filler ingredients like beet pulp, rice or wheat
We DO use: High-quality fresh meat, vegetables and superfoods – that are not only healthy, but taste yum too!
