Say “NO” to Grains
Photo by Evi Radauscher on Unsplash
The number one ingredient that should be eliminated from our pets' food is grains. But first, we need to know why grains are bad.
Dogs (and cats) are not meant to consume grains. It's essential to remember our dogs are carnivores (cats being obligated carnivores). We bet you they would love to be catching a squirrel, rabbit, or bird right this very moment! An article in Healthy Pets by Dr. Karen Becker states that "dogs have short digestive tracts and are adapted to metabolize animal flesh and fat, not grains and simple sugars, including starch." So, when a dog's diet is solely based on grains, this is when real health issues start showing effect.
Grains can cause…
joint problems (due to inflammation);
skin allergies;
biting/licking of the paws;
yeasty ears;
ear infections;
UTI's;
intestinal issues, and the list goes on.
With a change to a better, cleaner, healthier food, many health problems can be decreased or completely avoided.
There are many, many benefits to feeding a grain-free based kibble; healthier skin, shinier coat, less shedding, better breath, fewer and smaller stools, and less veterinary issues are just a few off the bat!
Foods that are classified as grains are; corn, wheat, soy, rice, oatmeal, barley, oats, sorghum, etc. All of these ingredients should be avoided when choosing a kibble. The three top allergens for dogs are corn, wheat, and soy - all of which are in most dog food brands. Just take a look at the ingredients in your dogs' food. Most likely, grains are present and probably in an abundant amount, too.
By now, you are probably wondering what brand of kibble you *should* feed. Here is a list of a few brands:
Nature's Logic;
Zignature;
Pure Vita;
Wellness;
Open Farm;
Acana, Fromm;
NOW;
Orijen and many more.
But the brands of kibble we recommend NOT to feed are:
Purina (Pro Plan, Dog Chow, Beneful, etc.);
Iams;
Eukanuba;
Science Diet;
Prescription Diet;
Pedigree;
Royal Canine, and much more.
Some of these foods will "attempt" to have grain-free type foods, but they are still going to be hiding the dangerous ingredients that are harmful to dogs, which we will touch on with other posts.
Not only are these foods FILLED with grains, but there isn't any nutritional value to them. These brands can get away with this because
they are great at marketing, and
there is no regulation on pet food, so companies can put whatever they want into their products.
If you are feeding a brand right now that you are not sure of, flip it over, and read the ingredient list. If it doesn't make sense as to why a particular ingredient is listed, you're probably right!
In the end, we all want our pets to be the healthiest possible and live the longest life possible, and we want to help everyone’s pet stay healthy and happy! The more we study and learn of better avenues, the better their diet, their health, and their overall life will become. Have a topic you'd like us to discuss? Send an email to info@itsallaboutthepaws.org.
Most of this information is researched, read or learned from; Dr. Karen Becker, Dr. Vivian Grant, Dogs Naturally Magazine, NCBI, and other research articles.
