Oatmeal vs. rice

[Amelie]

Hello everyone--

Reese the Rottweiler gets a homemade dinner (and Sensible Choice kibble in the a.m.). I use Strombeck's _Dog and Cat Diets_ for Reese's "recipes." For grains, Strombeck recommends white rice or pasta (mixed in with protein and veggies). Last night I was at Borders browsing in the Dog section and came across the Pitcairn book on dog nutrition, and they recommend oatmeal (or brown rice, I think) instead. I am wondering what the advantages/disadvantages are of using one or the other. Any thoughts?

Amelie

[groupieindenial]

Brown rice is a long grain type of rice which is much less starchy then white rice. Oats are very starchy too. All are fillers regardless, which I assume its primary value is to add fiber to thier diet. Of the 3, I would presume long grain brown rice is the best choice.

Pasta?? totally bad choice. Way too processed, definately will make your dog fat if you fed it regularly.

[moondog]

Hi Amelie,

I home-cook for my dog using Dr. Strombeck's book, too. Carbohydrates play an important role in a home-cooked diet by providing an energy source for the body so the protein source can be exclusively used for tissue repair and growth. Carbohydrates also provide nutrients and varying amounts and types of fiber depending on the source.

Brown rice and oatmeal are more calorie dense and higher in fat and protein than white rice and pasta. They both contain higher amounts of most nutrients. Brown rice is higher in fiber. Both are much higher in phosphorous than white rice with similar amounts of calcium.

If you want to compare their nutrient content, you can do a food search in the USDA Nutrient Database: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/

I lean towards oatmeal, nutrientwise, as long as the dog agrees with me.

[Amelie]

Thanks for the advice! I'll try to transition Reese to oatmeal, albeit slowly so it doesn't upset her tummy.

Amelie

[hcelsa]

Originally Posted by groupieindenial

Brown rice is a long grain type of rice which is much less starchy then white rice. Oats are very starchy too. All are fillers regardless, which I assume its primary value is to add fiber to thier diet. Of the 3, I would presume long grain brown rice is the best choice.

Pasta?? totally bad choice. Way too processed, definately will make your dog fat if you fed it regularly.

Just a quick reminder that every dog is an individual, and therefore every dog may have different dietary/nutrition needs. An author that addresses this VERY well (and rather than being fanatical about one method of feeding addresses the value in kibble and home-cooked as well as raw) is Monica Segal (I highly recommend the book K9Kitchen: Your Dog's Diet, the truth behind the hype to ANYONE interested in alternative feeding plans). There is nothing inherently wrong with pasta (though I'd choose a whole grain, organic type...good pasta is minimally processed--especially compared to kibble). Pasta will not make your dog fat...too many calories in vs. caloric needs will make your dog fat .

For some dogs carbohydrates (in the form of cooked whole grains, oatmeal, 9 grain hot cereal, sweet potato, potato, acorn squash, whole grain pasta etc) are an important part of their diet--not merely "fillers" (and they DO contain vitamins and minerals as well!). I feed raw, and I own a dog like this...he is VERY high energy (and works very hard 3-5 days a week). Without the addition of a portion of daily carbs (at this time of year its acorn squash since they're two for 98 cents) to his diet we have a very tough time maintaining his weight and keeping him healthy. Prior to me coming to the conclusion that carbs were NOT "evil" (per the raw "cultists") poor Arnie was eating a very large amount of protein daily (to the point where his system couldn't process it all and he did not have consistant stools) to no avail.

JMHO...I have a hard time with ultimatums...and its important to realize that all dogs are different, so I can't tell you what your dog needs (and vice versa). I do think oatmeal (or other whole grain cereals), brown rice, and whole grain pastas are better carbohydrate choices than white rice in general.

[groupieindenial]

True, but regular pasta out there is made from "enriched white flour" enriched, because the grain has been raped of all its nutrients, and them some put back in. Ofcourse if your dog is very active, or a working dog, then pasta and carbs like give the stored energy thats needed.

Maybe my answers are too blunt, but my point is generally speaking, of the three, the brown rice on its own contains the most nutritional value.