Ingredients In Grain-Free And Grain-Inclusive Pet Foods
The “grains” in grain-inclusive pet foods are usually corn, rice, wheat and barley.
Grain-free pet foods contain other sources of carbohydrates that are included as an energy source and to hold the kibble together. Peas, lentils, tapioca, potatoes and sweet potatoes are common in grain-free foods.
Most pet foods contain a main protein source and a main carbohydrate source. You’ll typically find varieties like “chicken and rice,” “salmon and peas,” “beef and lentils,” and similar formulas. Keep in mind, unless it is labeled Limited Ingredient, the food will likely contain smaller amounts of different proteins and carbohydrates, so if you are avoiding chicken, your beef and rice food may contain chicken fat, which can trigger your dog’s chicken allergy.
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Which Has More Protein: Grain-Free Or Grain Inclusive?
Athletic dogs, puppies, lactating dams all need more protein and fat. Dogs with chronic health issues like diabetes, pancreatitis and kidney disease need less protein as recommended by your veterinarian. However, extra protein does not cause kidney issues in healthy dogs, it is simply excreted in the urine or converted to fat.
The Guaranteed Analysis panel on every bag and can of pet food lists crude protein. Crude protein includes protein in both meat and plant ingredients. However, it cannot tell you how much of that protein is biologically available to your pet. Meat protein sources have a higher biological value than plant protein sources, so you do want your pet’s food to have more meat than carbohydrates.
Look at pet foods individually. Meat ingredients or meat meal should be the first. Watch out for ingredient splitting, which moves plant-based ingredients down the ingredients list even though, added together, they may actually be included in greater amounts than meat, even if the meat is the first ingredient.
One of the most common reasons pet owners seek out grain-free foods is because they believe that their pet has become allergic to their grain-inclusive food. However, grain allergies are extremely rare. It is much more common for pets to be allergic to protein sources like beef and chicken. So, your dog’s itchy skin is probably not due to a corn allergy.
However, low-quality grains can cause skin issues that imitate the symptoms of a food allergy. It’s not uncommon for grains to be infested with mites, mold and other insects. So, a dog might not be allergic to corn, but rather, the mites and their waste products that have contaminated the corn.
Pet Nutritionist Explains Grain Free vs Grain Inclusive Pet Foods | Which is Better?
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