Whether or not domestic dogs should be considered carnivores or omnivores has been a point of controversy for years and years.
Many people argue that because dogs can and have survived on a diet of plant matter, the label of "omnivore" is more apt. After all, vegan kibbles exist, and occasionally you hear mention of a dog with meat intolerances that has to be plant based in order to soothe allergic reactions.
Homemade vegan dog food by @fitlauraxo.
Anecdotes aside, studies suggest that the ability to efficiently digest plant matter played a big part in the domestication process. Unlike wolves, domestic dogs produce amylase not only in their pancreas, but also in their saliva. It is speculated that this occurred during the early days of the dog, when they were subsisting on a diet of food scraps and human feces.
A pair of village dogs.
I must admit that the evidence is compelling, but then...
There is no denying that fresh food diets are better for anyone, human or animal, and I've seen many dogs not only survive but thrive on diets of fresh meat, bone, and offal. They have teeth built for tearing flesh, not for grinding like ours.
Homemade raw dog food by @rawfed365.
I watch my dog run down a rat, shake it, and break its neck so fast it doesn't have the chance to squeal. I hear her break bones with her teeth, and I see her rip intestines from the abdomen of a hare. I think to myself, "this is it, this is what she was designed to do. She is a predator."
Cinder eating a whole prey hare.
So, where does that leave me? Well... on the fence. My own answer to the question I present is "inconclusive."
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