Once again, I am not a scientist or medical professional and don’t pretend to be.  I am a self-professed longevity junkie and spend a lot of time researching what I should be eating and what my dogs should be eating.  Consequently, when I was attending the Azawakh seminar in Orlando, and the presenter casually mentioned that the 3,000 year old sighthound had the glucose isomerism allele and was the first breed to have all of the AMY2B copies needed to digest starch (wolves have none of the genes), my radar definitely went up.  I was even more fascinated to find out the Azawakh eat what their nomad owners eat—a rolled barley mixture.  They only get protein twice a week and it isn’t even what they hunt and catch (rabbits and gazelles). 

I knew nothing about the AMY2B gene nor the fact that humans have the equivalent AMY1 gene.  Humans that have the most AMY1 genes actually start digesting starch in the mouth—the rest of us have to chew each bite 20 times to get the equivalent effect.  Those of us who aren’t as good at digesting starch have more problems with diabetes and other metabolic driven diseases.  The same seems to be true of dogs. 

The Nordic breeds have the fewest AMY2B copies and seem to have the highest incidence of diabetes.  When I first started researching, Samoyed’s had the highest rate of diabetes—2% of the breed.  My current research will pull up breeds with a propensity towards diabetes but doesn’t rank them in order of occurrence. However, two months after attending the Azawakh seminar, I attended the Siberian Huskey seminar and found out that most Sibes only have two of the starch digesting genes and also have a problem with diabetes.  The presenter said there are ongoing research studies on the metabolism of Siberians and a lot of people feed them a raw diet since they have problems digesting starch.  Which brings us to the issue of . . .

Peas and Lentils

In addition to having problems with digesting starch, Siberians have an auto immune disease (zinc-responsive dermatosis—Type 1) caused by plant phytates blocking zinc and taurine absorption:

“Finally, diets that are supplemented with higher levels of calcium or phytates can reduce
plasma levels of zinc by directly binding or interfering with zinc uptake and absorption. Phytate is a plant-based protein source. Lesions start relatively early in age and include thick crusts, erythema, scaling and occasional purulent exudation symmetrically around the eyes, mouth, pressure points, muco-cutaneous junctions (vulva, prepuce) and scrotum.”
(https://www.dvm360.com/view/canine-zinc-responsive-dermatosis)

“Type 2 zinc-responsive dermatosis is primarily seen in fast-growing large- and giant-breed dogs, including Great Danes, German shepherds, Labrador retrievers, standard poodles, and Doberman pinschers. This condition is directly related to dietary supplements that interfere with zinc absorption by binding with zinc, specifically phytates (plant-based antioxidants) and calcium.

These dogs may have lesions like the Alaskan breeds, but they may also have thick crusts on their foot pads. If severely affected, dogs may have poor appetite, lethargy, and enlarged lymph nodes.”  (https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/zinc-responsive-dermatosis-in-dogs

I have long suspected dogs and cats are not really supposed to eat peas and lentils.  When was the last time you saw a dog (or cat) grazing in a field of peas?  And on paper (and the back of the dog food bag), peas look like they have a lot of protein (as does shoe leather and chicken feathers).  However, it is not very bioavailable and supposedly you would have to eat a thousand peas a day to get adequate protein.  And the problem with the plant phytates blocking zinc and taurine absorption, is that supplementation doesn’t help because absorption is still getting blocked.

So why are so many dog food companies putting peas and lentils in their dog foods?  The “nice” explanation is provided below by the Whole Dog Journal.

“In recent years, peas and legumes have become increasingly common ingredients in
commercial dog food, especially as pet owners seek grain-free or high-protein diets for their dogs. Ingredients such as peas, lentils, chickpeas, and beans are now frequently used in place of traditional grains like corn and wheat. They are often marketed as healthier alternatives and are promoted for their protein content. However, their growing prevalence has sparked debate among veterinarians, nutritionists, and dog owners alike as to whether they are a good choice for use in pet food.”(https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/food/are-peas-bad-in-dog-food/)

The not nice explanation is: dog food companies are trying to find the cheapest sources of “protein” they can find—especially since “grain” has its own set of issues and the companies are feeling pressure to come up with more versions of “grain free” food.  Unfortunately, there is also a link between grain free food and Dilated Cardio Myopathy.  When dogs first started showing up with DCM everyone said of course it’s genetic.  However, it was in many different breeds and it became apparent it was somehow diet related.  In 2018 DCM seemed to be linked to some of the foods that were highest in legumes and the speculation was that the legumes were somehow blocking taurine absorption.  Once again, this lack of bioavailability can’t be cured just by adding taurine to the diet.  The research is still ongoing but unfortunately so is the addition of peas and lentils.  (https://iere.org/are-peas-linked-to-cardiomyopathy-in-dogs/)

Still looking for Answers

I keep searching for a list of which breeds have how many AMY2B copies.  Unfortunately, that list doesn’t seem to be out there and when you do find a list, it frequently contradicts another list. And even when you find a number for a particular breed, there are always outliers within that breed.  Like anything nutrition connected, everyone is an individual and although you can generalize for a particular breed (or heritage), there may be individuals within that breed who don’t fit the template.  As far as I can determine, Samoyeds have 2 to 6 of the AMY2B genes as do American Eskimo Dogs (leaning towards 2 copies).  But there doesn’t seem to be any American lab that tests for those gene copies—in dogs or people.

Conclusion

I am continuing to search for information on both the canine AMY2B copies and the human AMY1 gene.  I have found laboratories in Australia that do DNA tests (humans) to determine how well you process starch and even have programs, based on your test results, that help you know what carbohydrates to eat.

As far as I know, there are no such commercial labs in the canine world although possibly Embark or Pawprint could eventually include a test. 

In the meantime, I am going to assume my American Eskimo Dogs and Tibetan Spaniels (which are apparently on the top 10 most likely to get diabetes list) are like me:  no starchy carbohydrates (luckily, I hate chickpeas), but lots of berries, certain fruits, broccoli, and fish, of course. 

In any event, if you have a Nordic breed, you would probably be wise to find a fish-based food that does not contain legumes.