What is the difference between grain free dog food

Published: July 30, Updated on January 4, Grain-free and gluten-free products have gained much popularity among people in recent years, and pet food manufacturers are following this trend, too.

Grain-free and gluten-free are not synonymous terms. Grain-Free vs. Grain Dog Food Whole grains provide an important nutritional resource for your dog, including B vitamins, iron, magnesium, selenium, carbohydrates for energy, and fiber to aid in digestion. Your veterinarian should be consulted regarding the best dietary choices for your dog. Featured Image: iStock.

Help us make PetMD better Was this article helpful? Yes No. Share this article. What did you find helpful? What was not helpful? Those that did tweak formulas added grains such as oats, wheat or rice and removed legumes such as lentils and peas.

Even though pet owners begin to realize that the link has yet to be proven, grain diets are still regaining popularity and are expected to return strongly in So, what is the difference between grain and grain free? Commonly used grains in pet food include wheat, corn, barley, oatmeal, rye and rice; novel grains include quinoa, buckwheat and sorghum, among others.

Grain free pet food would contain none of those ingredients but most likely would include other carbohydrate sources like potato, sweet potato or legumes such as peas, lentils or beans. Grain pet food would have healthy grains as the main carbohydrate source and potentially a variety of vegetables as well. From useful information such as how to keep pets, discipline, illness and health, outing information and goods, and the types of dogs and cats, to touching, interesting and cute animal articles, there is plenty of information to keep in touch with pets.

Articles What are grain-free and gluten-free dog foods. Life Articles What are grain-free and gluten-free dog foods. What are grains? Zenith Grain Free. Facebook Twitter Pocket. Can I feed snacks to my dog? Potato chips Snacks have a wide variety of flavors and are eaten by many Can I give my dog milk tea? So, the real difference between grain free dog food and regular dog food is that grain free dog food does not use any grains.

Instead, these grain free dog foods often use potatoes, peas, chickpeas, or carrots as a source of carbohydrates.

Often times, food manufacturers use these simple grains because they are cheap. Making food out of rice or corn is much cheaper than making food from meat. For the most part, the inclusion of grain in dog food is for cost savings. However, should dogs be eating grain? Even people who go on gluten free diets or other food group restrictive diets do so because the inclusion of those foods cause them distress. These people have diet-based discomfort and have traced that discomfort to a group of foods.

It should be the same for your dog. There is no reason not to eat grains, unless it causes discomfort. If your dog presents these symptoms often, it might be time to go see your vet. This is especially the case if you are changing their diet for health reasons. Owners have also noticed other health benefits to a grain free diet:. Overall, a grain free diet can be of benefit to your dog.