What is the most important reason for eating food? I think that the majority of us are of the opinion that its primary reason, even although there are other reasons that are also important, is to supply the body with the nutrients it needs to support growth, repair, and maintenance.
Vital nutrients include carbohydrates, proteins, fats minerals, vitamins, and water. All of them are essential for helping your body function optimally.
If the body doesn't get enough of a specific nutrient it's at a greater chance of developing a disease or disease.
Although grain-free diets are popular and are among the most expensive brands of dog food available, that does not mean that they're healthy for your pet. There are numerous factors to think about when deciding if the grain-free diet your dog is eating is healthy. Some of them could be harmful. Learn more about them Let me know should you have any concerns after the conclusion of this post.
Read i got a dog and i hate it
Dogs Are Not People
Although this might seem evident, it can be neglected when it concerns giving our pet food. We tend to feed them the same food we eat, but forgetting that their nutritional requirements differ.
There are lots of different diet plans that people follow with different motives. We assume that because these diet plans are beneficial for us, they'll help our dogs. However, that's not always the case.
In 2007 there were a variety of recalls on pet food made from various ingredients like corn gluten, and wheat gluten along with rice protein concentrates which were imported from China with melamine (an industrial chemical). These foods were removed due to pets suffering serious health issues after eating the foods.
Also, at that time the trend in diets for humans was beginning to shift away from gluten and grains food items.
It was at this time that grain-free, as well as other varieties of diets, became more popular and pet owners switched their pets to these kinds of diets due to them being advertised as better for gluten-related sensitivities, stuffed with exotic legumes and proteins, more closely resembling the traditional diets of dogs and generally better for dogs.
There aren't all diet trends that for humans are healthy and beneficial, the same goes for our furry companions.
Diets such as exotic ingredients, boutique, and grain-free, are often referred to as "BEG diets.
Some Grain-Free Truths & Myths
Grain-free diets account for over 40% of all available dry dog food available in the United States. In the USA between 2012 and 2016, sales increased by 221 per cent.
Also, Read Is brewer’s yeast good for dogs?
If a dog food is marked as grain-free, it's made with any of the ingredients listed below:
- Wheat
- Corn
- Rice
- Soy
- Oats
- Barley
- Rye
Carb substitutes: Because dogs require carbohydrates to provide energy, these substances are substituted with potato (white as well as sweet) in various forms or legumes (peas beans, lentils chickpeas, or other legume seeds).
Gluten sensitivities: Diets that are grain-free are frequently promoted as being better for dogs suffering from gluten-related sensitivities. However, while wheat allergies are present among dogs, these are not common. They are about one per 10,000 of the total canine population.
Other sensitivities: Diets that are grain-free are often deemed to be more suitable for dogs who have food hypersensitivities, such as barley, corn rice, rye, or Oats. But, as gluten-related wheat allergies, such reactions are not common.
No fillers Also, there is the belief that diets with no grains are healthier as fillers are eliminated. Vital nutrients like minerals, vitamins essential fatty acids along with fibre can be supplied from whole grains, which are also known as "fillers. In addition, protein is also provided through certain grain products which are easier for canines to absorb than protein that comes from meat.
Low-carb diets were fashionable for human weight reduction in the late 1990s and the early 2000s. Many pet lovers' diets without grains are low in carbohydrates. But the reality is that other sources of carbohydrates (potatoes and chickpeas, lentils and peas) could be higher in carbohydrates and may cause weight increase. In addition, these options might not provide as much nutrients or fibre compared to whole grains, but at a cost higher.
The grain-free diets which are lower in carbs may be higher in fat and calories. This could lead to an increase in weight, which isn't optimal for dogs who have an underlying pancreatitis condition and hyperlipemia (fatty blood).
The dog is an omnivore: Dogs are often portrayed as carnivores, but in reality, they are Omnivores. That means that they consume (and require) food that consists of meat as well as plants. This is one reason that some pet owners believe that grains are difficult for their pets to digest. However, the positive side is that the majority of canines digest and utilize the nutrients that come from these grains with ease (more than 90 per cent of dog breeds).
The other sources of carbohydrates aren't necessarily healthier. They could create more damage than stomach issues.
Quality control: Finally quality control and nutritional knowledge aren't the same for all manufacturers of pet food. This can lead to various health concerns for dogs.
Are Grain-Free (BEG) Diets Healthy or Harmful for Dogs?
There's an association between all diets that fall under the BEG diet classification that include exotic, boutique ingredients, and grain-free diets - with dilated cardiomyopathy that is associated with the diet in dogs.
Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM)
DCM is defined by distension and thinning out of the muscular wall in the cardiovascular system, which causes it to be less of an efficient pump that can move the circulation of blood around the body. As you could think, that's not an ideal thing! Animals with DCM are in high danger of developing heart failure. Find out more about this disease in this article by the cardiology department at Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
For a brief background, an investigation was started with the FDA in the year 2018 following there were reports that dogs (including breeds that had no previous genetic predisposition) became afflicted with DCM after eating diets that were marketed as grain-free. These diets included as the main components (within the 10 most prominent listed ingredients) lentils, peas, and different legumes (pulses) or potatoes in various varieties.
From the 515 cases regarding DCM that the FDA received in January. 1st, 2014 through April 30 in 2019, the FDA found 95% of these dogs ate grain-free and 93% were fed diets that included peas or lentils. The FDA did not find any significant anomalies in relation to minerals, metals, or amino acids.
What Is the Cause of Diet-Associated DCM?
Unfortunately, in the majority of the cases, the root cause isn't known. However, what we have discovered is that the reason is a scientifically complex issue and entails multiple variables.
Researchers have been able to formulate a myriad of theories about the causes of food-related DCM Therefore the research continues.
There are some connections between BEG food habits and DCM discovered so far: found thus far:
Low levels of taurine: In certain instances, low levels of taurine have been observed. The theory behind this is legumes hinder a dog's capacity to take taurine into its diet. This theory isn't yet established, but it is being investigated. In these cases, the improvement was seen after changes in diet and taurine supplementation.
Low levels of vitamin B In research, it was found that diets that were associated with DCM were lower in B vitamins. B vitamins are an important element in the reaction related to cardiac metabolism.
A high concentration of amino acids: Amino acids, amino acids derivatives, and plant-derived compounds that have been shown to be a contributor to the deficiency of heart-related molecules are found in higher levels in DCM-related diets.
Peas as the primary ingredient: The reports also suggest that diets with peas as the primary ingredient have that they had the "greatest association with higher concentrations of compounds in DCM-associated diets."
What to Do If You Feed Your Dog a Grain-Free Diet?
If you are feeding your dog a diet without grains and especially in the case of food that includes chickpeas, peas, or lentils instead of grains, I'd strongly recommend you read about the possible connection between eating the BEG food and the formation of Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM), one of the most serious forms of heart disease for dogs.
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