Do you know what kind of grains are in your dog’s food?
There is a lot of talk nowadays that grains and gluten are bad for dogs, and this is not necessarily the case. In fact, grains can be a great source of vitamins and minerals for your pet but the “G” word (well, words, as gluten is often in this category nowadays) has gotten a bad rap. Take a peak below to understand more about grains in non healthy & healthy dog food:
Our new recipe, Picky Palate Pork
1. Allergies and Grains
I hear it time and time again: my dog is allergic to grains. My follow up question is always : how do you know this if your dog has only ever been fed food from low quality dog food companies? Most people who claim their dog is allergic to grain have been feeding them foods with poor quality ingredients. In fact, food allergies only make up 10% of the allergies diagnosed by vets. What I’m talking about when I say “poor quality ingredients” are ones like moldy rice, rice hulls and corn gluten. These are cheap fillers that discount dog food companies use to lower their prices. This is why you should always read the label of any dog food you buy. However, some dogs really do have a true grain allergy and this is why I’m introducing our new grain free (and dairy free) homemade dog food recipe, Picky Palate Pork. It’s a smooth blend of our custom ground pork from Sanagan’s Meat Locker, split green peas, veggies, fruit and extra virgin olive oil.
2. A dog’s digestive track
They’re growing up together!
People are always happy to point out that dogs have evolved from wolves. And while this is true, there are other things to consider when we look at the evolution of the domestic canine. Dogs have been living side by side with humans for thousands of years, meaning that they have been eating what we eat to survive. They are not strictly carnivores but rather omnivores who get their needed vitamins and minerals from a variety of healthy dog food sources. Because of this, dogs are definitely able to digest starches and there are many scientific studies to back this up. We’re not suggesting you run out and feed your dog some corn on the cob, but keep in mind that their digestive system is not that different from ours. Healthy dog food provides grains that are not moldy and are fit for human consumption. These grains provide a great source vitamins.
So yes, there are some dogs out there that legitimately cannot eat grains or starches, whether it’s from allergies or other disabilities such as pancreatitis. Just be smart about your healthy dog food choices: if your dog has had problems with poor quality foods and grains in the past, ease them slowly onto good quality ones. You might be surprised as to what he’ll like, and digest.