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Every pet parent wishes to offer the best nutritious food to their feline and canine friends to make sure that they stay happy and healthy.
The only way to ensure that you’re giving your pets the best life as a pet keeper in London is to keep an eye on the pet food they consume.
Every pet deserves the right nutrients in their diet, which will help them stay healthy. Selecting the right pet food is very important because of the wide variety of dog and cat food available in the market.
Grain-free pet food has more recently been introduced to the pet food market while human dietary habits began to shift as well towards a lower carbohydrate intake. With gluten-free and paleo diets becoming trendy, the demand for grain-free pet food by pet owners has risen.
Myths clarified about Grain-Free Food for Dogs
Everything has its pros and cons and so does a grain-free diet for pets.
In the last few years, grain-free pet food has proven to be amongst the most prominent and polarizing developments in the field of pet nutrition. Grain-free pet food has to offer a lot and can be an excellent solution dogs that need a change in their nourishment.
Grain-free Bellfor dog food for example uses high-quality ingredients such as fresh chicken, beef, salmon, turkey, tuna, and eggs.
Before grain-free food became popular, all pet foods used to include grains for providing nutrients to our small friends.
Grains that are generally used in pet foods include:
- Barley
- Corn
- Oats
- Rice
- Rye
- Wheat
- Soy
Grain by-products that are used in pet food include:
- Bran
- Gluten
- Hull
- Flour
- Starch
There is a rumour spreading that grains are harmful to dogs, but this is not correct in every situation. The digestive systems of these animals have been modified over the years and they can digest some grains. The grains are not the enemy, but the proportion of them being added to the pet food.
Good value pet food should contain protein as the main ingredient and should not be packed with additives and fillers such as low-quality meat by-products instead of real fresh meat or too many potatoes. But some grain-free pet foods may still contain some of these ingredients. It is therefore important to always check the ingredients labels or even contact the pet food producer directly.
Are Grain-Free Pet Foods also Carbohydrate and Gluten-Free?
Grain-free pet food does not contain grains, but this does not eliminate carbohydrates, because grain-free pet food does contain ingredients such as potatoes, lentils, peas, quinoa, etc. Therefore, grain-free food is not carb-free, and in some cases, grain-free pet foods contain equal or even higher amounts of carbs.
Gluten-free pet food does not have gluten-containing grains such as wheat, barley, and rye added, but it still contains other grains without gluten. On the other hand, grain-free pet food might be gluten-free unless it contains ingredients that are a source of gluten.
Does Grain-Free Food Cause Heart Disease?
Concerns have been raised regarding the safety of grain-free food and its link to heart disease in dogs. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) opened an investigation into the development of dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs that follow grain-free diets. Dilated cardiomyopathy is a heart condition that results in an enlarged heart and thinning of the heart muscle, which may result in heart failure and death. However, they have not concluded that it is the main factor responsible for dilated cardiomyopathy.
Should Owners Switch their Pet’s Diet to or from a Grain-Free Diet?
The best answer to this question is that one should consult a veterinarian regarding the right pet food choice. The FDA has not made any specific recommendations in terms of which diet is the most ideal for pets.
The most significant thing to do is to choose pet food that will provide the most holistic nutrition for your pet. The allergies a pet has should also be kept in mind while switching the pet’s diet.
In some cases, cats are allergic to grain and show symptoms like hair loss, itchy scabs on the skin, intestinal issues, etc. Dogs can also be allergic to wheat and corn. In such cases, with the recommendation of the vet, one can switch to grain-free food supplements as they will provide great relief.
Final Thoughts
Grain-free pet food can be suitable and effective if used right and provide your dog with a long life. It completely varies from pet to pet however and depends on which diet is best for their nutritional requirements. As a responsible and caring London pet owner, you can consult your trusted veterinarian about feeding your dog grain-free pet food first before you go ahead with it. Understand its benefits and drawbacks fully and establish a diet plan for your pet that works best for them with the right dosage and composition of nutrients. Compare different grain-free pet food providers and their customer reviews to identify the best products.
