Why Dog Food With Grain Is Good
Many pet parents might be very keen to switch to grain free dog diet. However, you must also consider the primary benefits of healthiest food for puppies before proceeding in any direction.
Balanced Diet
Including dog food with grain diet helps maintain a good balance of all necessary nutrients. In addition, since grains are a good source of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, they add to the nutritional value of dog food.
Increased Immunity
Grains are also well known to strengthen the immune system of dogs. Also, grains commonly used in dog food are easy to digest and possess nutritional benefits.
What Varieties Of Grains Are Harmful To My Dogs Diet
Grains are not really harmful but it is recommended that the diet you pick for your four-legged buddy consists of whole grains only. Steer clear of anything that mentions refined varieties. Also, you must avoid grain by-products such as corn cobs, peanut hulls, soybean hulls, rice hulls, oat hulls, almond shells, cottonseed hulls, powdered cellulose, grain fragments, wheat middlings, wheat mill run, and soy mill run. Even if a brand tries to make it sound like real grains, remember they are just the leftover debris, which can be unhealthy for your pooch.
Purina Beyond Grain Free Dry Dog Food
This Purina Beyond Grain Free dog food contains chicken as the number one ingredient, offering protein form a trusted source that helps your dog maintain strong and lean muscles. Egg is another source of protein in this food, supporting your dogs energy levels so they can live an active lifestyle. This food is both grain-free and gluten-free, perfect if your dog suffers from either of these allergies, and there is no corn, wheat or soy. Added into this food are vitamins and minerals to keep your dog healthy, providing a complete and balanced meal.
All the ingredients are of high-quality so you can be reassured your dog is eating only the best, and the optimal blend of protein, fat, carbohydrates and essential nutrients support a long and healthy life. There are no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives and no poultry by-product meal, either. This food comes in beef and egg flavor, hake and lentil flavor and beef and lentil flavor, too.
Key Features:
Read Also: Diamond Puppy Dog Food Stores
Whole Earth Farms Adult Recipe Dry Dog Food
Best For Picky Eaters
Top Ingredients: 1. Chicken, 2. Rice, 3. Barley, 4. Pork Meal, 5. Canola Meal
- Life Stage: Adult
- Suitable for: Small, Medium, Large Breeds
- Caloric content : 3,518 kcal
- Analysis: Protein 25% | Fat 14% | Fiber 4.5% | Moisture 11%
This delicious kibble from Whole Earth Farms uses real chicken, chicken meal, and pork meal as healthy protein sources. Easily digestible grains like barley provide fiber for healthy digestion. All Whole Earth Farms recipes contain a Wholesome Harvest Blend that delivers antioxidants, Omega-3, and 6 Fatty acids for immune and skin health. Free of any fillers or artificial additives, this recipe ensures whole-body health for your canine companion. It is a complete meal designed by veterinarians and nutrition experts.
Should I Consider Taking My Vets Advice Before Starting A Grain
It is always a great idea to speak to a vet or a pets nutritionist before starting a particular diet for your dog, especially if you are giving them a grain-inclusive diet for the first time. You can also try introducing a small amount of grain-inclusive kibble in their diet first and watch out for allergy symptoms before seeking assistance from a professional.
Read Also: Where To Buy Open Farm Dog Food
Canidae Pure Puppy Real Chicken Lentil & Whole Egg Recipe Grain
Top 5 Ingredients: 1. Chicken, 2. Menhaden Fish Meal, 3. Lentils, 4. Peas, 5. Potatoes
If you are looking for a grain-free diet for your sensitive puppy, you need a limited-ingredient recipe that doesnt compromise on nutrients. With a can of CANIDAE Grain-Free PURE Puppy Real Chicken, Lentil & Whole Egg Recipe, you get a healthy amount of lean protein from chicken and other essential nutrients from just eight more ingredients. While it is a gluten-free formula, you still get a blend of whole foods like peas and lentils to fulfill your little pups daily nutritional requirements. This recipe also includes probiotics for the digestive support of your sensitive baby.
Nutro Lid Sensitive Real Lamb & Sweet Potato Grain
Best for Allergies
Top 5 Ingredients: 1. Deboned Lamb, 2. Lamb Meal, 3. Chickpeas, 4. Dried Potatoes, 5. Lentils
- Life Stage: Adult
- Suitable for: Small, medium, large breeds
- Caloric content : 3,635 kcal
- Analysis: Protein 20%, Fat 14%, Fiber 3.5%, Moisture 10%
Dog owners seek a grain-free diet mostly to avoid allergic reactions. But with Nutro LID Sensitive Support, they can thrive and get rid of itchy paws and rashes forever. The main ingredients in the recipe are lamb and sweet potatoes, both known for their excellent digestibility and support for muscle growth and gastrointestinal health.
Apart from being grain-free, the food has zero GMO ingredients, dairy, wheat, corn, soy, and artificial additivesall known allergens for dogs. Your dog will also start to grow back healthy fur on Nutro LID and have more energy over the day due to its high-fat content. All in all, its excellent anti-allergy dog food for canines of all sizes and activity levels.
Also Check: Who Makes Wildology Dog Food
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Chicken & Brown Rice Dog Food
Best for Large Breeds
Ratings:
Top Ingredients: 1. Chicken, 2. Whole Grain Brown Rice, 3. Whole Grain Sorghum, 4. Whole Grain Oatmeal, 5. Chicken Fat
- Life Stage: Adult
- Suitable for: Small, Medium, Large Breeds
- Caloric content : 3,617 kcal
- Analysis: Protein 20% | Fat 12% | Fiber 3.5% | Moisture 10%
Nutro Natural Choice is a great pick for large and giant breed dogs. The formula contains every nutrient a large breed could need deboned chicken, fat, pumpkin, and a variety of essential vitamins and minerals.
This recipe provides grains in the form of brown rice, which is easy on the stomach and an ideal dog fuel. Besides brown rice, the food also contains whole grain sorghum, oatmeal, and barley to supply even more carbohydrates.
Glucosamine and chondroitin are also present to provide the joint support needed by dogs of all shapes and sizes.
Lifes Abundance All Life Stage Grain
Ingredients: Lifes Abundance combines the convenience of dry food with the wholesome, natural ingredients the brand is so well-known for. Inside, youll find only high-quality ingredients like chicken, eggs, antioxidants, healthy fats, and more. Every ingredient is sourced naturally and sustainably when possible, so youre supporting a brand that cares about the future of our planet as well as the health of your dog.
Price/Where To Buy: Lifes Abundance All Life Stage Grain-Free Dog Food is available on the Lifes Abundance website. You can get a 36-lb. for about $88. If you subscribe to an auto-ship plan, you can save up to $7 per bag!
The Difference: Lifes Abundance is made for dogs of all sizes and breeds with health in mind. All-natural ingredients and no fillers make a huge difference that you can see, and your dog can feel.
Read Also: How To Make Puppy Food
The Honest Kitchen Whole Food Grain
Ingredients: If youre looking for wholesome, quality ingredients, you need this grain-free turkey blend from the Honest Kitchen. This dog food blend is formulated for all breeds, sizes, and ages, and packs a punch with the best ingredients, including turkey and coconut oil for healthy skin and hair.
Price/Where To Buy: You can buy this awesome whole food grain-free blend at Petco.com and in stores. You can also find it at several online pet outlets and in retail stores.
The Difference: When it comes to dog food, The Honest Kitchen takes a pledge of transparency and quality that you and your best friend will love.
The Importance Of Protein And Fat
Today, many dog foods are incredibly high in carbohydrates. The majority on the market appear to be near 50% fat when the moisture content is removed from the equation. Many dogs can get away with eating this many carbohydrates. However, that doesnt mean they can thrive on this diet.
Every animal needs a certain amount of protein, fat, and carbohydrates to survive. These three nutrients are called macronutrients. Studies have shown that dogs prefer a macronutrient content containing 30% protein, 63% fat, and 7% carbohydrates. This is the ratio they are naturally meant to consume and what they need to eat to thrive.
When searching for dog food, it is in your pets best interest to choose a food that lines up with the ratio as closely as possible. Unfortunately, it is tough to find a food that even comes close to this ratio on the market today. Instead, we recommend aiming to choose food that is as low in carbohydrates as possible.
When reviewing each food, we compared it to this ratio as well. Some foods are ranked very low mostly because they completely miss the mark on their macronutrient content.
Read Also: Is Wet Dog Food Good For Dogs
What To Avoid When Choosing Dog Food For Kidney Disease
The kidneys have to work hard to filter a lot of things out of the blood, so some ingredients from your dogs diet need to be considerably reduced. You dont want your pet to ingest foods with toxins or additives.
You also dont want too much protein content, as this can be harmful to dogs with CKD. However, too little protein can upset your dogs overall health.
Talk with your vet about the perfect amount of protein for your canine, as this will differ from dog to dog.
Avoid feeding your dog high-protein treats, like meat, jerky, rawhides, chews, pig ears, and cheese.
Similarly, you should avoid treats with high sodium levels. This includes cheese and deli meats. Many types of commercial dog treats will be pretty high in sodium, so be sure to check.
High sodium diets can increase a dogs blood pressure, similar to people. High blood pressure can damage the kidneys. If your dogs kidneys are already damaged, high blood pressure is essential to avoid.
Is It True That Dogs Are Allergic To Grains
Mentioned above, there is a wide belief that grains are the biggest cause of allergies within dogs, but this is actually untrue. Allergies are an organisms way of protecting itself from the invasion of foreign materials like bacteria and viruses. Science has shown that it is normally proteins that are the cause of allergies in dogs, although some contain more allergenic potential than others. These include ingredients such as beef, dairy, egg, chicken, wheat, corn and soy. However, not all grains can be allergenic. There are a few that are considered wholesome, such as brown and white rice, oatmeal, buckwheat, amaranth, millet and quinoa.
So, while dogs can be allergic to grains, it is much more likely that they are actually allergic to one of the products listed above. You should look to be removing these things form your dogs diet too if you are worried about a food allergy, or work out which ingredient is giving them an allergy by a process of elimination. Some common symptoms of allergies within dogs include excessive flatulence, loose stool or diarrhea, rash and skin irritations, chronic licking, chewing or biting to relieve an itch, vomiting or frequent ear infections.
Read Also: Blue Buffalo Dog Food Puppy
Cooking Our Way To A Healthier Dog Diet
Ever since I started raising my own dogs, Id always wanted to make their food at home but thought it would be too expensive or too time consuming, or that they wouldnt get the nutrition they needed.
During the month of Bugs doggy depression, I vowed to make her precious life as comfortable as possible.
Both of my pugs had a range of health issues growing up, which I unfortunately found out were common for the breed.
My older one had persistent hot spots and itchiness that no commercial dog food could cure .
Bug was overweight for a while when she was younger, even though she ate the recommended amount of food for her target weight. Eventually, I settled on Wellness kibbles and they did well with that brand.
But, I wanted to explore other options. I wanted to give them real food fresh, nutritious ingredients that I recognized and could even eat myself.
Ive mentioned in my post on homemade whole grain chicken feed that the entire household all share the same whole grains and seeds that we buy in bulk, as well as the bounty that comes from our edible garden.
Everything our animals eat, we can eat.
When it comes to homemade feed for our laying hens, we stick to a tried-and-true formula that works for every layer: 16 to 17 percent protein , vitamins, minerals, and amino acids from a wide variety of grains and seeds, and free range of a pasture for weeds, greens, and insects.
Dogs, on the other hand, arent bred for a standard function the way chickens are.
More Meat And Less Plant Protein
Grain-free dog foods use either potatoes or legumes to replace the cereal grains found in conventional recipes.
Yet even though both make adequate grain substitutes
Legumes provide an additional benefit.
Theyre naturally rich in protein.
But compared to meat, plant protein tends to be less complete in its essential amino acid content.
Which is why we selected the 18 grain-free kibbles below where meat remains the primary source of protein in each recipe.
You May Like: Titanium Dioxide In Dog Food
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe Red Meat Grain
Top 5 Ingredients: 1. Beef, 2. Beef Broth, 3. Turkey, 4. Beef Liver, 5. Potatoes
For those of you who want to feed and ancestral diet to your prodigal pup, this Red Meat Dinner from Blue Buffalo Wilderness is a perfect option. Based on a wolves diet, this meaty meal contains Vitamin B12 for digestive health, minerals for a strong immune system, and complex carbs for fuel. Real meat, real fruits, real vegetables, real good! Free of by-products and fillers, this Rocky Mountain Recipe should be high on your list of grain-free foods to feed your pup.
Natures Logic Canine Pork Meal Feast Review
Natures Logic is a lesser-known brand, but their recipes fill an essential niche in the premium and hypoallergenic dog food market.
Natures Logics dry dog food recipes make use of the grain Millet. While we dont consider Millet to be quite as advantageous as other grains, like Brown Rice and Oats, it is still far superior to low-quality and filler grains such as Wheat and Corn. Nutritionally, Millet provides carbohydrates, some fiber, and a limited range of vitamins and minerals.
The above-mentioned Pork Formula contains a mix of whole Pork meat and Pork Liver. This combination provides a very satisfactory proportion of protein and fat to fuel your dogs activity.
The Pork Liver can provide some minerals and vitamins that traditional meat cuts can not. The proportion of protein and fat is very satisfactory and suitable for dogs of all activity levels.
There are a number of other formulas available that use a wide range of meat and fish ingredients. Be sure to check out our reviews on their Canine Duck & Salmon Meal Feast and Canine Rabbit Meal Feast, which are some of their other recipes that we are big fans of.
Victor is the only brand to feature in this article twice but its second inclusion is well justified. On top of their large range of grain-inclusive dry dog food, Victor also has a small number of grain-inclusive wet/canned recipes.
Don’t Miss: How To Stop Food Aggression In Dogs
What Is Science Diet Senior Vitality Dog Food
Hills Science Diet Senior Vitality Small & Mini dog food provides precisely balanced nutrition to improve everyday ability to get up and go in your Adult 7+ dog. Science Diet pet food is available in a variety of dry foods and treats for your dogs unique needs, and canned foods, with many delicious flavors your dogs will love.
How Do I Find Out If My Dog Is Allergic To Grains
Food-related allergies often present the same kind of symptoms in our dogs as we humans experience. Itchy skin, gastrointestinal upset of all kinds, lethargy, and ear infections are often indications of an allergy. As always, if any of these symptoms persist or are severe in nature, you should always consult your veterinarian.
Recommended Reading: Science Diet Dog Food Large Breed Puppy
Are There Dangers Associated With Feeding Your Dog A Grain
Grain-free diets are recommended for canines with grain-related allergies. Usually, these options are high in protein and low in carbohydrates. However, grain-free diets are known for aggravating the levels of taurine. This could lead to cardiomyopathy, which is a fatal heart condition for both canines and felines.
Try To Select Foods With Probiotics
Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that can help dogs digest their food more efficiently. They can also help protect your dog from stomach ailments and prevent diarrhea and excessive gas. Many high-quality kibble-based foods are fortified with probiotics, but they are rarely included in wet foods.
If you like, you can always use standalone probiotic supplements, so you dont necessarily need to seek out a dog food with probiotics in the formula.
Don’t Miss: Eat Our Own Dog Food
Guide To Buying The Best Grain
What to feed your dog is no small consideration, so its no surprise that there are big questions to have answered and issues you need to understand before making your decision. Follow our guide to help you understand what you need to know about grain-free dog food so you can make the healthiest choice for your furbabies.
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Dry Dog Food
This Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula dry dog food for adult dogs comes in a lamb and brown rice recipe, with the first ingredient being a real, deboned lamb. This high-quality protein helps your dog build and maintain healthy muscles and the garden veggies and fruit help promote a healthy immune system. The essential proteins and carbohydrates in this food help meet the energy needs of your active doggo and this food also features fish oil containing omega-3 & 6 fatty acids to promote a shiny coat and healthy skin. Also included in this dry dog food is BLUEs exclusive LifeSource Bits.
This is a precise blend of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals carefully selected by holistic veterinarians and animal nutritionists, to support immune system health, life stage requirements and a healthy oxidative balance. Included in this dog food are the wholesome whole grains such as brown rice, oatmeal and barley, giving your dog the nutrition they need. There is also calcium, phosphorus and a essential vitamins to help support strong bones and teeth. This dog food is available in three different sizes and also comes in a fish and brown rice recipe or a chicken and brown rice recipe.
Key Features:
Don’t Miss: Hills C/d Dog Food