Three interesting facts about canine digestion

Fact 1. A human intestine goes on for yards and yards (up to 28 feet) whereas a dog’s intestine is never more than two and half times its length. What is the significance of this? Dogs simply can’t digest all sorts of things that humans can, including grain. I mention grain specifically because there’s a lot of it in processed dog food.

Fact 2. Human digestion really starts in the mouth. Our teeth are designed for chewing and our saliva begins to break the food down long before it reaches our stomach. Canine digestion is different. All the serious action takes place in the stomach. Canine teeth are made for ripping and tearing, not for chewing. It is why dogs gulp much of their food.

Fact 3. In the wild a dog will digest its food in 4 or 5 hours. Processed food, on the other hand, can take 8 to 15 hours to break down, clear the stomach and pass through the small intestine.