Are dogs carnivores, omnivores or opportunists?

What's actually in kibble? Kibble is easy, there's no denying it. A bag keeps for months in the cupboard, you scoop a portion into the bowl and you know exactly what it costs each month. But easy isn't the same as good for every dog, and the difference lies mainly in what you can't see on the bag. Kibble is new, the dog is old Dogs have lived alongside us for more than 10,000 years, and all that time they ate whatever was going: scraps of meat, grains, vegetables and bones. Kibble as we know it has only existed since the 1950s and 60s. Living alongside humans, dogs came to produce far more amylase, the enzyme that breaks down starch, than wolves do. As a result, they digest starch well and also get much of what they need from plant and microbial sources. What suits them less well is the format: the same dry, hard pellet every single day. What is that "meat" in kibble, really? The label often says "meat and animal derivatives". In law, this is called Category 3 material, the animal by-products with the lowest risk. Of every slaughtered animal, around 60% becomes food for people and the remaining 40% is by-product. Some of that is perfectly good offal that doesn't reach the shops for commercial reasons. But the same heading also covers hides, hooves, horns, feathers, hair and blood, as well as parts rejected for human consumption even though the animal wasn't ill. Because ingredients can be listed in groups on the label, you can't see which parts are in your bag. Take feathers. They make up around 7% of a chicken's weight and consist of keratin, a protein that a dog can barely digest on its own. After intensive heating, it may be used in animal feed as feather meal. How well a dog digests it depends on the processing and the amount. In research, protein digestibility fell at very high percentages of feather meal. If the bag says "40% fresh meat" in large letters, do the maths. Fresh meat is mostly water, and that water disappears when kibble is made. Of that 40%, around 13 to 18% is left after drying. To keep kibble stable for months up to a year after opening, manufacturers use technological additives, such as antioxidants, preservatives, binders and flavourings. That's handy for shelf life, but it says little about what your dog needs. Where kibble often falls short 1. Dry and hardKibble is about 10% moisture; home-cooked food is 70 to 80%. A dog on kibble has to make up the rest by drinking, and not every dog drinks enough. Many kibbles also contain extra salt, which makes them even thirstier. In dogs who gulp their food and in sensitive dogs, the hard pellets can irritate the lining of the mouth, stomach and intestines. 2. One texture, little chewingKibble often goes down in one gulp, without much chewing involved. Chewing helps a dog relax, and he misses out on that variety if he gets the same pellet for years. Some dogs eat one type of kibble their whole lives. 3. Highly heatedKibble is made under heat and pressure. That makes it keep for a long time, but some of the vitamins can be lost and the protein structure changes. Heating also produces Maillard compounds, through the same reaction that turns a bread crust brown. The protein bound up in them is poorly digested and putrefies in the large intestine. 4. Energy-dense, so it's easy to overdoKibble is compact and often consists of around 45% carbohydrates. Even a small scoop contains a lot of calories, and without scales, excess weight creeps on in no time. The feeding guidelines on the bag are on the high side for many dogs. If you stick to the amount on the packaging, you can easily overfeed your dog. 5. Fat that oxidisesOnce the bag is opened, the fat in the kibble can oxidise. You can't always smell rancid fat, but your dog's body certainly notices it. Antioxidants such as vitamin E slow this down, provided there is enough of them. "But isn't kibble good for the teeth?" You hear that a lot. In practice, kibble mainly rubs against the tips of the teeth. Plaque is a biofilm, and the only way to remove it is with proper chewing. So give your dog a good chew once a week that suits his size and chewing style, always under supervision and never cooked bones. Take charge yourself Not all kibble is bad. But it does help if you decide for yourself what goes in the bowl and know what the food is made of. When you cook yourself, you choose the ingredients and where they come from: organic, free-range, local or simply from the supermarket. That way you can make a conscious choice for: More moisture and variety, with food that is 70 to 80% moisture.A smaller pawprint. With planet-friendly cooking, no more than 20% of the protein comes from animal sources (less is fine too), and the rest from good plant and microbial proteins.Good fats, such as algae oil as a source of DHA, with added vitamin E.A complete menu, calculated for protein and its digestibility, with vitamins and minerals tailored to what your dog needs and checked against FEDIAF 2025 and NRC. The Jus from Jus'Cani tops up everything else your dog needs, so you always know what goes in the bowl. Would you like to try it first? Then start with the trial pack: 45 grams of Jus and tailor-made recipes for €6.95.

by vet Annette van Weezel Errens, MVSc A happy tummy, a happy dog Your dog's gut is home to a whole city of bacteria: the gut flora. When it's in balance, you can see it in his stools, his energy, his mood and his coat. When the balance is off, you often get wind, loose stools, itching or a dog who is more easily wound up. Gut and brain work together The gut and the brain are in contact with each other through nerves, such as the vagus nerve, and through substances produced by gut bacteria. This is known as the gut-brain axis. Gut bacteria influence, for example, the production of signalling substances such as serotonin, which play a role in mood and calmness. Good bacteria also convert fibre into short-chain fatty acids, the main fuel for the cells of the gut wall. A well-nourished gut wall absorbs nutrients better. What's more, a gut that isn't constantly irritated costs the body less energy. So in many dogs, a calm gut goes hand in hand with a calmer and more energetic dog. Gut and skin belong together A strong mucus layer and a healthy gut wall keep unwanted substances out. When more irritants get through the gut wall, the skin has a harder time too. That's why tummy troubles and skin problems often go together. Why kibble can sometimes be tricky Kibble is convenient, but not every tummy copes well with it. Kibble is dry. It is only about 10% moisture. The hard pieces can rub against the mucous membrane, and in dogs who gulp their food this can cause small injuries. Kibble is heated to high temperatures. This produces Maillard compounds, and the protein bound up in them is poorly digested. It reaches the large intestine undigested and putrefies there, which can throw the gut flora off balance. Little variety. A gut flora with many different bacteria benefits from variety, yet many dogs eat the same kibble for years. You don't know exactly what's in it. "Meat and animal derivatives" can cover all sorts of things, from offal to skin, bone and feathers. Animal raw materials are often preserved at the supplier's with acids or sulphites that inhibit bacterial growth. These don't have to be listed on the label, and they can also inhibit the good bacteria in the gut. Not every kibble causes problems. But if your dog has tummy or skin trouble, diet is one of the first things to look at, alongside a visit to the vet. Why freshly cooked food often agrees better Freshly cooked food contains 70 to 80% moisture and is gentler on the gut and mucous membranes. It also makes it easy to vary the ingredients. With the Jus added, your dog gets: Prebiotic fibres, such as FOS, MOS and beta-glucans, which feed the good bacteria. DHA from algae oil, the same omega-3 fatty acid as in fish oil, but fish-free. DHA has an anti-inflammatory effect and supports skin and coat. All the vitamins and minerals tailored to your dog to make the meal complete And in the recipes themselves, we pay attention to the protein: Less animal protein. With planet-friendly cooking, which takes both dog and planet into account, no more than 20% of the protein comes from animal sources (less is fine too). Highly digestible protein. Every recipe is calculated for protein and its digestibility. The less protein that ends up undigested in the large intestine, the less there is to putrefy. What does the research say? In an Italian study from 2024, 167 dogs were given a personalised, freshly cooked diet with a vitamin and mineral supplement. After just over a year, owners of healthy dogs saw a glossier, softer coat in 70% of cases. In dogs with chronic gut problems, 95% of owners saw an improvement. In dogs with skin problems it was 10 out of 12, and the 12 dogs with both tummy and skin problems all improved. According to their owners, dogs who stuck with the diet also more often had more energy than dogs who switched back to their old food. These are owners' experiences, without a control group, so it isn't conclusive proof. But it fits well with what you would expect if gut and skin work together. Source: Pignataro et al. (2024), Veterinary Sciences 11(9):438 With Jus'Cani, you stay in control You cook fresh and choose the ingredients yourself. The Jus tops up with vitamins, minerals, prebiotics and DHA, and every recipe is calculated for your dog and checked against FEDIAF 2025 and NRC. That way you know exactly what goes in the bowl, and your dog's gut flora gets something to work with every day. Would you like to try it first? Then start with the trial pack: 45 grams of Jus and tailor-made recipes for €6.95.

Planet-friendly & animal-friendly feeding with Jus'Cani by vet Annette van Weezel Errens, MVSc What goes in the bowl counts You want to take good care of your dog and look after the planet at the same time. That's no small thing, because our pets take a sizeable share of the planet's resources. Worldwide, dogs and cats eat around 9% of all livestock animals, and in the United States as much as 20%. If every dog in the world ate a meat-free diet, it would save more greenhouse gas emissions each year than the entire United Kingdom emits in a year.1 Why a maximum of 20% animal protein? Scientists on the EAT-Lancet Commission have worked out how we can eat healthily within the planet's limits: the Planetary Health Diet.2 That diet is largely plant-based, with, for example, 210 grams of fish, 210 grams of white meat, 105 grams of red meat and 2 eggs per week. Put another way, roughly a fifth of the protein comes from meat, fish and eggs. That diet was designed for people, and a dog is not a person. So rather than copying it one-to-one, we used it as inspiration and checked every recipe against the nutritional standards for dogs. That led us to Jus'Cani: recipes in which no more than 20% of the protein comes from animal sources (less is fine too, and we also have recipes with a little more). The fatty acids a dog would otherwise get mainly from fish then come from algae oil. Why algae oil? Algae oil is a plant-based source of DHA, the same omega-3 fatty acid found in fish oil. Fish get it from algae themselves, and algae oil simply skips that step, so no fishing is needed. A dog can only convert plant-based omega-3, from linseed for example, into DHA to a limited extent, which is why it comes ready-made in the Jus. Because omega-3 fats oxidise quickly, we always add vitamin E. What does "a maximum of 20% animal protein" mean? Your dog gets all the building blocks he needs; they simply come from different sources than he is used to. A small proportion of animal protein, such as chicken, heart, egg or quark, for flavour and protein. Meat isn't a must: with eggs and dairy you cook vegetarian, and without any animal products, vegan. The rest of the protein comes from plant and microbial sources, such as lentils, peas, soya and yeast. The fat comes from algae oil and a little vegetable oil. This way you shrink your dog's ecological pawprint, while his menu stays complete. What needs to go in the bowl? Good proteins. A mix of sources for muscles and coat. Every recipe is calculated for protein and its digestibility, so your dog gets enough without undigested protein ending up in the large intestine. Healthy fats. Algae oil for DHA, in the right balance with other oils. Vitamins and minerals. Tailored to what your dog needs and checked against FEDIAF 2025 and NRC. Fibre for the gut. Prebiotic fibres feed the good gut bacteria. Flavour. A tempting smell and a pleasant texture, even for fussy eaters. How to switch over gradually Start by mixing. For the first few days, give half a portion of the new food together with the current food. The Jus is packed with good nutrients, but some dogs need a little time to get used to the taste. Weigh out the portions. That stops your dog from quietly putting on too much weight. Watch your dog. Keep an eye on his coat and his stools. Keep treats small, no more than 10% of what he eats in a day. Not sure? Then ask your vet, or ask us. Why Jus'Cani makes it easy The recipes are tailor-made, taking into account your dog's age, weight, activity level and any sensitivities. You cook with little or no animal protein, and your leftovers get used up too. That means less waste, and you decide for yourself where the animal protein comes from. The menu is complete and easy to digest, and you choose what goes in the pan. And your wallet? Planet-friendly feeding is good for your wallet too. Plant-based protein sources are much cheaper than meat. If you compare the price per gram of protein, rather than per kilo of product, the difference is considerable: Protein source Price per kg (approx.) Protein per 100 g Price per 100 g protein (approx.) Lentils or split peas (dried) €3 24 g €1.25 Eggs €5 12 g €4 Chicken breast €11 22 g €5 Beef mince €10 19 g €5 Steak €25 21 g €12 Indicative Dutch supermarket prices, 2026. So protein from pulses costs only a quarter to a tenth of protein from meat. Because no more than 20% of the protein in Jus'Cani comes from animal sources, you pay the plant-based price for most of the protein. That leaves room to choose quality for that small amount of animal protein: organic, local, or your own leftovers. Further reading Vet and professor Andrew Knight has been researching the sustainability of pet food for years: andrewknight.info On the Planetary Health Diet: Voedingscentrum (Netherlands Nutrition Centre, in Dutch) Sources1. Knight, A. (2023). The relative benefits for environmental sustainability of vegan diets for dogs, cats and people. PLOS ONE.2. EAT-Lancet Commission, Planetary Health Diet; Voedingscentrum. Want to know more about planet-friendly and animal-friendly eating? Then read the Caring Movement's Planet-friendly and Animal-friendly Covenant (in Dutch).