Beet pulp in dog food: what it is and is it just filler?

You may see “beet pulp” or “dried beet pulp” on a bag of dog food. It sounds like a scrap. Here is what it is, why it is there, and what the studies say.

What is beet pulp in dog food?

Beet pulp is what is left of the sugar beet once the sugar is taken out. The beets are cut into slices. The sugar is washed out with water. The slices left are pressed and dried.

The EU list of feed foods describes dried beet pulp as slices of sugar beet that have had sugar taken out with water, then pressed and dried. It calls it a product of the making of sugar. The same list has wet, pressed and dried kinds. Some kinds have molasses, a thick sugar syrup, mixed back in.

Why is beet pulp in dog food?

It is there for fiber. Some fiber feeds the germs that live in the gut.

Researchers say beet pulp has long been used in pet food as a source of soluble fiber.

In a lab test, gut germs from dogs and other animals were fed four fibers. Beet pulp broke down more than cellulose but less than citrus pulp or pectin. So it is in the middle.

Is beet pulp good for dogs?

Studies in dogs show it does what fiber is meant to do. It feeds gut germs. It adds bulk to poop. Big amounts make dogs poop more often. One small study found lower taurine, a nutrient the body makes from parts of protein, in dogs on a low protein food with beet pulp. Your vet can tell you what fits your own dog.

It feeds gut germs. When gut germs break down fiber, they make small acids. In one study, dogs fed beet pulp had more of these acids in their poop than dogs fed no added fiber or cellulose. The diets with fiber that gut germs can use also had more of a germ group called bifidobacteria.

It changes the poop. In a study of 30 dogs, daily wet poop went from 117 to 374 grams as beet pulp went up. Dogs on the highest amount, 12.5% of the food, went 5.2 times a day, compared to 2.8 for the rest. In another study, dogs fed beet pulp had softer poop than dogs fed two other fibers.

The amount matters. In the study of 30 dogs, the authors said up to 7.5% of the food, by dry weight, looked fine as a fiber source. A study with 8 dogs found a 12% level made more poop than a 2.7% level.

It can lower how much protein dogs digest, or break down and take in. Dogs fed beet pulp digested 81.4% of their protein, compared to 85.5% and 85.8% with the other two fibers.

A note on taurine. Taurine matters for the heart. In a study of 18 dogs fed a low protein food for 12 weeks, the beet pulp group had lower taurine in the blood. The authors said beet pulp may lower taurine by pushing more bile acids out in the poop. That was one small study on a special low protein food. It does not tell you about every food with beet pulp. If you have questions about your dog’s heart, ask your vet. To learn more about taurine and heart questions, see is grain-free dog food bad for dogs’ hearts.

Is beet pulp just filler?

Beet pulp is studied and used as a fiber source. That is a real job in the food. Studies set out to find how much of it works best.

One study set out to find the best amount of beet pulp to use in a meat-based dog food. Another tested new fiber blends as stand-ins for beet pulp. That study used it as a standard fiber to compare with.

Whether a food is complete is a different question. That is about the whole recipe, not one ingredient. See what “complete and balanced” means.

Does beet pulp have sugar?

Plain beet pulp has most of its sugar washed out. But some kinds have molasses mixed back in. EU feed rules say those kinds must state how much sugar they have.

The EU list says wet and pressed beet pulp has low sugar that drops toward zero over time. For plain dried beet pulp, the sugar must be stated if it is over 10.5%. For dried beet pulp with molasses, the sugar must always be stated.

How can you spot beet pulp on a label?

Look at the ingredient list. It may say “beet pulp,” “dried beet pulp” or “sugar beet pulp.” US rules say ingredients are listed from most to least by weight. So a spot near the end means less of it.

For a full walk through the label, see how to read a dog food label. Other words on the list are worth a look too, like natural flavor and by-products, the parts of an animal left after the cuts people eat.

If you want to spot beet pulp fast, you can scan the label with Altie.