Is Grain Free dog food the solution to all your dog’s health problems? Is it even that good for your dog? The answers are always are more difficult than you may think.
But Don’t worry, in this article we’re gonna be answering questions like:
Is grain bad for dogs? Is there a grain-free dog warning? and is there a relation between grain-free dog food/heart disease?
Stay tuned till the end of this article where we introduce you to other dietary options as well!
Table of Contents
Grain Free Dog Food – All The Answers!
What is Grain Free Dog Food?
Grain-free dog food is well food without grains. But to understand what is that exactly, we need to know what is grain food?
Grains or grain food is basically seeds that are gathered from grasses, then processed to make food.
For example; wheat, rice, corns, oats, oatmeal and quinoa.
So grain free dog food would lack any grain-based ingredients
Why Should Dog Food be Grain-Free?
So, us humans when we have a gluten intolerance _which seems to be a rising concern now more than before_ the logical action would be going on a gluten-free diet, Which is the equivalent of grain free for dogs.
And the same action applies for dogs, if they do have certain intolerance to some grains, then grain free food is a great alternative.
But aside from the allergy factor, many argue that dogs aren’t genetically suitable to consume grain-based food
In other terms, the dogs’ digestive system is incapable of handling complex carbohydrate components found in grain food.
And it just doesn’t stop at lack of digestion capabilities,
Some claim that over a long period of consuming grains, a dog’s digestive system is likely to suffer the consequences like:
- Bowel inflammation disorders
- Food allergies and sensitivities
- Obesity
What is wrong with dog food with grains?
After reading the previous section, you might wonder what could possibly be wrong with grain-free dog food?
well, how about the fact that your dog simply might enjoy where he/she is at now?
- What does your dog like
If your dog is happy with his food, and there seem to be no digesting issues what so ever, then it really makes no sense changing a diet that perfectly works.
Dogs have evolved over centuries, and their digestive system is now capable of consuming human-like food. The risks of having a dog that is allergic to grains are pretty low.
- Grains can be good for your dog
Also grains are a great source of certain nutrients and beneficial for your dog.
Grains will help you dog have healthy skin and hair, and a stronger immunity system
However, if you believe that your dog would do better on a grain-free diet, then you should consult your vet or a dog food nutrition specialist.
You can go over your concerns, and try a couple of options that could be better for your dog
- Grain free food is bad for puppies
If you have a puppy, then a grain free food may not be the best solution, in fact, it is a bad solution.
Puppies will find it hard to digest high in protein ingredients found in some dog foods that are free of grain, so you should be mindful with that and stick to the recommended dog food for puppies
If your dog falls under the below categories, here is what you should do…
So if you feel a bit confused, if you should introduce your dog to a grain free food or abstain from it, we have compiled a couple of scenarios and the recommended solutions below.
Please note that there are certain situations where dog food that’s completely free of grain is the way to go.
Allergies
Symptoms:
If you notice that your dog has one or more of the below symptoms, this could mean that he is allergic to some ingredients in the food he is consuming
- Diarrhea or loose stool
- Vomiting
- Skin rashes or any sort of skin inflammation
- Ear infections
You can learn more about dog food allergies here, and you probably should check it out as this is such a sensitive matter to your pup’s health.
Solution:
First off you need to consult your vet and have your dog examined to make sure that he or she are having a food allergy, Go over the ingredients of the food with your vet, to discuss what should be causing the allergy, and if your dog is allergic to.
What other foods dogs can eat?
Well, to be perfectly honest, dogs are allowed to eat a lot of things.
Carrots
Carrots are a very healthy and crunchy snack for your dog, he/she can eat both raw and cooked carrots. Don’t worry, he/she will enjoy both.
Eggs
Cooked eggs are perfectly safe for your dog, however, you should avoid feeding your dog raw eggs; you don’t want your dog catch any unknown bacteria, and increase the risk of them getting sick.
Salamon
Cooked Salamon is a great source of omega-3 for your dogs, which is very important for his/her hair, skin, and nails health.
Popcorn
Yes. Your dog can join you while eating this big bowl of popcorn while watching a movie, just avoid adding any salt, or cheese to his bowl; it’s dangerous for him/her.
Pineapple
When the weather gets really hot, sometimes we need to give our dog’s something to cool them down, and we can’t feed them Ice-Cream, because it is in the ‘foods dogs can’t have’ list, you can check it from here.
However, you can give your dog some cold pineapple, or you can check our ‘how to cool down your dog’ article, it can be helpful.
Just last piece of information: Ask a
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