Miscanthus Grass: Not Just Another Pretty Grass!
No, Miscanthus is not just another pretty grass; it’s technically a rhizomatous perennial grass. This means it has rhizomes, a type of underground stems that typically grow horizontally. Rhizomes help the plant store starches, proteins, and other nutrients, and they play a crucial role in the plant’s ability to spread and regenerate quickly and efficiently. That’s just one of the things that makes Miscanthus grass for dogs such a great fiber option.
Giant Miscanthus: A Nutritional Powerhouse For Dogs
The fiber that comes from Miscanthus giganteus is predominantly insoluble, which is essential for promoting intestinal health and regular bowel movements in dogs. Unlike soluble fiber, which ferments in the gut and can feed probiotics, insoluble fiber adds bulk to the stool and helps it move through your dog’s digestive system at just the right speed. This is how it can help manage both diarrhea and constipation–it’s a regulator that either bulks stool or draws water into the colon so that it’s the perfect consistency for optimal nutrient absorption.
Enhancing Digestive Health
The main reason we chose to use Miscanthus in our Perfect Poop was because the science backs it as a great support in the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut. This is so important for your dog to have a healthy microbiome, and to help enhance nutrient absorption. When your dog gets the maximum nutrient absorption from the food you feed, it can live healthy, more active lives.
Environmental and Economic Benefits
For us, one of the standout features of Miscanthus giganteus was its environmental sustainability. It thrives on marginal lands where other crops may not fare as well, and doesn’t take nearly as much water as other crops do. There’s no pesticide used as it’s mechanically processed and we love that the ecological footprint is gentle. Even better, it’s powerful but also cost-effective, which allows us to use premium ingredients while still seeking to offer affordable options for dog health and well-being.
Application In Pet Food Industry
The pet food industry is increasingly turning to Miscanthus giganteus as a fiber source because it just has so many benefits! When we created Bernie’s Perfect Poop, we had every intention of using the best for our Bernie. At the time, only a handful of dog products on the market used Miscanthus as a primary fiber. Today, it’s used in a variety of formulations and products, from dry kibble to specialty diets, and offers dogs a hypoallergenic and non-GMO alternative to traditional fiber sources like corn and wheat. We’ve always wanted the best for our dogs, and for other dogs as well, and when it comes to fiber, Miscanthus grass fiber is tops in our book.
The Future of Miscanthus In Dog Care
The use of Miscanthus giganteus in so many products today is due to its adaptability, its sustainability, its eco-friendliness, and of course, its cost-effectiveness. But for us, all of those benefits were secondary to the success Miscanthus grass brought our Bernie, and brings thousands of dogs daily, as a premium fiber and gut health booster. While still relatively new in the pet industry, it’s been a staple of our dogs’ diets, and we have been honored to be at the forefront of the best science out there for dogs. We create all products for our own dogs, and that’s why we are always looking for the best, most science-backed ingredients we can give them. The science is there–including Miscanthus grass in a dog’s diet can help enhance the quality and consistency of their poop and we know that poop is really just an indicator of gut (and overall) health. It doesn’t just play a huge role in digestion, but also in helping dogs maintain healthy weights and creating short-chain fatty acids that serve as energy sources for beneficial bacteria in a dog’s gut. Its sustainability and cleanliness as a natural ingredient is what drew us to it as well. We know that everything going into our dogs’ bodies affects them somehow, and because we know that’s important to dog parents, including it was a no-brainer for us. We’re thrilled we were pioneers in using suncured Miscanthus grass, and will continue to incorporate the best, cleanest, most-effective ingredients there are–because every dog deserves Bernie’s Best!
