Health Benefits of grain free food???

amyn1919

Just wondering some of the health benefits and maybe the reason why you switched to grain-free??

 

thanks!!

RedheadBaker

Dogs are carnivores - grains are not a necessary part of their diet. Neither are fruits and vegetables. 

I used to feed my lab Science Diet. He had constant ear infections, constantly needed his anal glands expressed manually (gross!), and he got sick if he ate peanut butter, cheese, carrots, or basically ANYTHING other than Science Diet.

I switched him to Wellness CORE, and the ear infections went away, his glands expressed on their own (as they are supposed to), his fur got softer, his "dog smell" went away, he lost weight, he had more energy, and I saved money, both on the food (since it's more nutrient-dense, he didn't need to eat so much), and on fewer vet visits.  

WineCat

For my male dog, switching to grain free food got rid of the crystals in his urine.

SparrowGreen

Everything RHB said.  Our dog just does so much better without all the filler.  Her coat is shiny and she's stink-free, she poops way less and has less upset stomach.  We also feed TOTW and love it!

Caz1221

In addition to all the great information I've gotten from this board and my own research, I have seen the benefits of grain-free food in both of my dogs.

Teddie had tummy issues (mild colitis-type symptoms) on and off from the time we got him (3 months old) until I switched him to grain-free food (Wellness Core) around age 1.  He has been trouble-free ever since then.  His fur is soft and thick as well, and he really doesn't have any "dog" smell.

Skippy was surrendered by his previous owner with some sort of skin condition (red, itchy, inflamed skin especially paws and tummy, bald patches, thin fur, totally naked tummy, etc.), and he smelled terrible.  When we adopted him, we switched him to Wellness Core (he was on yucky Science Diet with the rescue and Purina with the previous owner), and the results were amazing.  No more red, itchy skin; the bald and thin patches grew up thick and plush so that you can't even tell he was every bald in those areas.  He also grew fur on his tummy, and the awful smell completely vanished. 

MissusTexas

The reason grain-free foods are preferable is because dogs are carnivores, and giving their body anything other than meat, bones and organs very often causes problems. Their bodies are not built to digest and utilize grains, so when you feed them that their bodies rebel in certain ways, usually in the form of allergic reactions like skin problems.

PolarBearFans

We switched our cats to grain free after that scare with foods produced in china. They are semi grain free now with a bit of Science T/d dry for their teeth. I don't like it but the one cat destroys everything in sight if he doesnt get a T/D snack daily. And our female with bad teeth (several pulled) has improved so we are sticking with it as a snack.

jdbmjm

Lauren used to have really itchy skin during the summer, especially, where we would have to bathe her in medicated shampoo and coat her lotion every single day. Heidi had recurring ear infections, in addition to constantly soft and runny poo. We could just not get a handle on it, but noticed that they seemed to do better on food without rice. I took the leap and changed them both to grain free (and chicken free) food. Heidi's poo became firmer, ear infections went away, no more itchy summer skin, etc. 

Grains are not a natural part of their diet, though dogs are more scavengers than obligate carnivores, so they can tolerate many food sources.  But by eliminating what is essentially filler, they eat less and have overall good health.