# Stomach acid of dogs-stronger than ours?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stomach-acid-of-dogs-stronger-than-ours/72337>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 13, 2001, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stomach-acid-of-dogs-stronger-than-ours/72337 "2001-07-13T06:21:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jack\_ss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c77e96/32.png) [@jack\_ss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jack_ss)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2001, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stomach-acid-of-dogs-stronger-than-ours/72337/1 "2001-07-13T06:21:37Z")

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In relation to mothman’s thread about what our ancestors ate before fire  
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=77777](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=77777)  
**Whack-a-Mole** posted that:

> [@](#):
>
> I was talking to my vet yesterday and after she mentioned that nearly all puppies get worms I asked how dogs in the wild managed. Her answer? Not very well. They die much younger, on average, then poochy lying on your living room rug. They are capable of much longer lifespans but given the myriad of things they can get disease or parasite wise most never get the chance to make a full run through life.

I heard a long time ago that dogs (another omnivore, like ourselves) have stomach acid 7 times stronger than ours, which effectively kills and digests most of the pathogens/parasites they eat.  
I have no cite for this and am too lazy to wade through all the info available, so I ask you veterinary Dopers: is it true?

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**Author:** ![mmmiiikkkeee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/edb3f5/32.png) [@mmmiiikkkeee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mmmiiikkkeee)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2001, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stomach-acid-of-dogs-stronger-than-ours/72337/2 "2001-07-13T06:40:18Z")

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I just did a quick search and found a page you might be interested in reading [here](http://www.b-naturals.com/spr99.htm)  
It relates how dogs are carnivores, not really omnivores, and have digestive tracts and higher concentrations of stomach acid to kill more bacteria and break down proteins. They also lack the digestive enzymes like amylase in their saliva to predigest carbs, and have a harder time with them than a true omnivore such as ourselves. The relevant parts of the page start in the 6th paragraph.

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**Author:** ![jack\_ss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c77e96/32.png) [@jack\_ss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jack_ss)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2001, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stomach-acid-of-dogs-stronger-than-ours/72337/3 "2001-07-13T06:46:40Z")

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That was exactly what I was looking for. I got no hits on google with dogs+“stomach acid” and about a thousand with dogs+digestion.