[Dailydrool] Fallacy of Grain Free Diets

[Jennifer Martin]

Before I start this I want to say that I don't have anything against grain
free diets.  As a matter of fact, I just switched Browyn to a grain free
diet.  She was having some signs that pointed to a food allergy.  She was
eating a limited ingredient food that had chicken, corn, and canola oil in
it along with vitamins.  So, I switched her to a fish and potato food.

Here is the thing, grain free diets are being toted as being more natural
as grain based dog foods.  This is where I beg to differ.  I will grant you
that wolves do not eat rice, corn or oatmeal, but have you looked at the
ingredients of grain free foods?  They are full of potatoes, sweet
potatoes, and/or peas.  I have a hard time imagining wolves digging up
potatoes and eating them.  So, they really aren't more natural.  If you dog
has not been eating a garbage sink food (meaning every meat and grain plus
potatoes, sweet potatoes and peas), and starts to have allergic symptoms
that seem to indicate a food allergy and you are feeding something with
grain, then you can try a grain free food.  Just keep in mind that if you
have been feeding a food with grain and potatoes then the dog can be
allergic to either or both.  Beauford is allergic to corn, barley, and
potatoes.  Bugsey is allergic to oatmeal, wheat, potatoes and peas.  There
is no such thing as a hypoallergenic food.  When trying to figure out food
allergies, your dog can be allergic to some really "strange" things.  Both
of these guys are allergic to kelp and Beauford is allergic to carrots and
flax.  This is one of the reasons that Marlene's Maggie Wags didn't seem to
improve until she went to a food that was homemade with just two
ingredients: venison and sweet potatoes.  You would not believe how bad
poor Beauford's skin looks if he gets any kelp, carrots or flax, even flax
oil.

If you decide to rotate food to help prevent food allergies, don't forget
to read the entire label of the dog food and make sure all the ingredients
are being rotated (minus the vitamins--that is next to impossible to do).
 Don't forget that you have to do the same with the snacks as well!  If you
don't do the snacks, you are kind of undoing all of your hard work.

Why do I think I have any right to tell you anything?  Well, I am NOT a
vet!  I do have a degree in animal science and a minor in animal nutrition.
 I have a masters in library science.  This means I feel the need to
research this sort of thing to death since I have had 9 bassets with
allergies.  Six have been bad enough to be allergy tested and needed shots.
 The other three I managed to improve enough just through diet.  If this
sparks any questions for anyone suffering with a dog with allergies, feel
free to e-mail me.  I am NOT a vet, but I am a semi-decent detective.  Oh!
 I almost forgot.  I also have wicked allergies and food allergies myself.

Jennifer Martin, momslave to Beauford (I HATE getting allergy shots),
Bugsey (I LOVE getting allergy shots, we get extra treats), and Browyn (I
LOVE my new food)
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.dailydrool.org/pipermail/dailydrool-dailydrool.org/attachments/20130318/df3f400c/attachment.htm>