Grain Free For Dogs Or Not

To replace grains grain free pet foods often use ingredients such as potatoes sweet potatoes lentils quinoa and peas.

Grain free for dogs or not.

While grain free dog foods do not have grains they do substitute other carbohydrate sources such as potatoes sweet potatoes lentils peas or quinoa. They d sooner grab the chicken or the steak than the granola bar. That was enough for me to realize to get my dogs off the grain free diet i went back to a quality grain dog food. Veterinarians also frequently hear from pet parent confusion regarding grain free and low carb.

The fda received 515 reports of dcm in dogs between january 1 2014 and april 30 2019. According to the veterinary nutrition specialists at tufts it s not only grain free foods that have been associated with heart disease but also foods containing exotic ingredients for dogs. Hope this information helps. The foods were tested for minerals metals and amino acids and no significant abnormalities were found.

Therefore grain free foods are not carb free. Overall it may be a suitable choice for some dogs but not necessary for most dogs and there are a few other reasons why feeding grain free dog foods may not be the best option for your pooch. Grain free and low carb do not go hand in hand. Also grain free does not mean that the meat sources are trustworthy grain free foods can also use animal by products that are not necessarily healthier than grains.

In fact some dog foods without grains are higher in alternative carbohydrate sources like potatoes and peas. In some cases a grain free food may be equal to or higher in carbs than dog foods with grains. This is true whether or not the food contains grains. This could result in unintentional weight gain.

In the fda s july 2019 update on diet and canine heart disease they examined labels of dog food products reported in dcm cases to determine whether the foods were grain free defined as. Finally grain free dog foods can also be more expensive than regular dog foods so if they are not providing the full nutritional range your dog needs the extra expense is a waste. Despite the benefits for some dogs there are downsides to feeding a grain free dog food. While they aren t obligate carnivores like cats and can and do benefit from an omnivorous diet meat is meant to be the primary source of nutrition for them and many.

Unfortunately her other dog has a enlarged heart also not looking good was also on grain free diet. Please research about grain free dog food associated with heart disease in dogs. Dogs would likely not naturally take it upon themselves to chew on wheat or oats.