When asked, “Why do you feed your dog a grain-free diet?” common replies include:
- “I believe my dog has a grain allergy”
- “I don’t want to feed them fillers”
- “I don’t believe they need to eat carbohydrates”
Contrary to what we may believe; the precise number of dogs affected by food allergies or sensitivities is thought to be no greater than 10%. Within that 10% of dogs with food allergies or sensitivities, only about 15% are thought to have a true grain allergy or sensitivity, primarily to wheat. For example, out of 100 dogs, only 10 would have a food allergy or sensitivity. Out of those 10 dogs only about 1.5 of them would have a grain allergy or sensitivity.
I would not want to feed my dog a filler either. A filler is an ingredient that does not provide any nutritional value to the diet. However, whole grains such as wheat, barley, rice, corn, sorghum, spelt, bulgar, farro, millet, oats, rye, malt, brewer’s yeast, and wheat starch provide important nutritional value to the diet. The carbohydrates they contain provide essential fatty acids, amino acids, dietary fiber and vitamins.
Did you know that Legumes (peas) and Tubers (potatoes) contain carbohydrates and are commonly used to replace the grain in a diet? Did you also know most grain-free diets contain more protein and fat levels compared to grain diets?
Most importantly, feeding a grain-free diet to a dog over a long period of time has been shown to increase their chances of developing heart disease, Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM). See our previous post about DCM for more information. There is also correlation to increased GI disease due to the increased protein content.
Not all grain-free diets are bad, and not all grain inclusive diets are good. If you are concerned your dog has a grain allergy or sensitivity, we recommend scheduling a wellness appointment with your veterinarian before switching to a grain-free diet.
If you would like to discuss your pet’s diet in more detail, please schedule an appointment by calling us at 630-961-8000. Remember, the best diet is one that meets your pet’s nutritional requirements, not what’s trending on social media.