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The main benefits of grain-free dog food are better digestion, healthier skin, more energy and much more. Grain-free dog food has been popular for a while, and it’s not hard to see why.
Instead of padding the kibble with nutritionally empty “grain fillers,” grain-free dog food uses other high-quality ingredients. These include legumes and vegetables that fill the void while offering various health benefits. With that in mind, in today’s blog we look in detail at 5 of the key benefits of grain-free dog food.
Without a doubt, one of the main benefits of grain-free dog food is that it promotes healthy digestion in dogs. Grains can be difficult for dogs to digest, leading to bloating and irregularities with their bowel movements and the consistency of their stools. By switching to grain-free dog food, you can help alleviate some of these digestive problems for your dog. Grain-free dog food contains a higher percentage of easily digestible carbohydrates that are rich in dietary fiber – such as sweet potatoes. This makes your fluffy friend happier and your life easier!
Although food allergies are usually caused by animal proteins (chicken, beef or lamb), allergies to grains and gluten are also no exception. Whether it’s an outright allergy or something less serious (though no less uncomfortable for your dog) like Irritable Bowel Syndrome, grains are known to cause allergies and intolerances in dogs.
Grain-free does not necessarily mean hypoallergenic. Since both gluten and grains are common intolerances in dogs, switching to a grain-free option is the preferred option for many dogs. Ultimately, the question is why risk making your dog sick when there are such tasty grain-free alternatives!
It is a common (but incorrect belief) that grain-free equals food with no carbohydrates, and therefore no taste and energy slowly released. This is absolutely not true. Grain-free dog food simply gets its carbohydrates from non-grain sources, such as potatoes or peas! So using grains helps prevent allergies, while still tasting delicious – a win-win situation!
A grain-rich diet can lead to excessive itching and flaky skin, something that is very uncomfortable for your dog. While this is not always the case, many common grain kibbles from major brands are also low quality nutritionally, which can lead to a duller, less shiny coat.
In this case, it is not necessarily the grains themselves that cause the problem, but the fact that grain-based dog food is also generally poor in nutrition. Grain-free dog food is usually formulated with an emphasis on health, and thus is usually more nutritious anyway!
Take a moment to perform this thought experiment. Have you ever eaten a bowl of cereal with branded cereal for breakfast and had low energy a few hours later? That’s because these breakfast cereals contain only low-quality carbohydrates, which the body consumes very quickly. They are easily broken down and therefore digested by the body much faster, so the energy you got from eating them is consumed very quickly.
The same logic applies to dog food. If you feed your dog low-quality grain food, he will not get the same satiety or fuel that he would get from the more complex carbohydrates you usually find in grain-free dog food. The end result is a dog that feels full longer, without the chaotic peaks and valleys in energy. So remember, it’s best to avoid simple carbohydrates in the forms of grains in dog food.
In general, grain-free dog food offers a better mix of carbohydrates, proteins and fats than their cereal counterparts. That’s because grains are often used by dog food manufacturers as a cheap way to make their product fuller. This allows them to sell more product with lesser raw material costs.
Grain-free dog food is usually produced with the dog’s health as the top priority. This means that a more well rounded kibble formula (or wet food formula) can be formulated, with higher quality ingredients and more variety.
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