Can Dogs Eat Grains (+ what are the best grains to feed them?) - Dog Health Vet Advice
Like 2 Dislike 0 Published on 9 Apr 2019
With the implications of grain free and exotic ingredients in a dogs diet, what grains are considered to be beneficial and the healthiest? This is today's question, where I discuss can dogs eat grains, what grains really are and which ones are best to have included in your dog food.
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- Grain free diets have been implicated as the cause of heart failure in dog breeds that would not normally get that particular type of heart failure. Also implicated are some boutique and exotic diets, including raw diets. We do not know what the cause is.
- Dogs have no absolute requirement for carbohydrates but have evolved to be able to digest and make use of them
Grains are the seed from different grasses: Barley, rhy, spelt, wheat, Gluten free varieties - corn, oats, rice. Pseudo grains are seeds of shrubs or other plants - buckwheat, millet, quinoa
- Grains are complex carbohydrates, made up of starch + fibre
-Refined grains only include the endosperm - simple starch + proteins
Whole grains contain
- bran is the fibre rich outer layer is good for intestinal health, also rich in vit B + other minerals
- The central germ containing vit E + B, antioxidants and fats
- Whole grains are more nutritious that highly refined grains
- Should not be used as a substitute for high-quality animal proteins
- Some dogs are allergic to specific, individual grains, with wheat being the most common but the risk of this is often greatly overstated.
- By far and away the most common allergies are to animal proteins like beef, chicken, and dairy
- Some dogs have gluten sensitivity - some Irish Setters - again not common
In the vast majority of dogs, grains can be a valuable nutrient source. Whole grains are generally more nutrient-rich and highly refined grains should not make up the bulk of a diet - refined grains are very cheap and so often are that main component in cheaper diets especially.
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