A vet’s opinion on dog nutrition
IF YOU are a pet owner, you will probably have noticed the increasing trend towards grain-free pet food in recent years. When grain-free diets first appeared, I mistakenly thought that they would be a fad which would soon pass. In any case, I have always had concerns about the nutritional competence of the alternatives to grains.
For more than 40 years as a veterinary surgeon, I have championed the inclusion of wholegrains (usually brown rice, oats and maize) as part of a well-balanced, nutritionrich diet for dogs. I have seen first-hand how grains, both homecooked and commercially produced, can be effective in addressing a wide variety of pet heath ailments such as skin disorders, digestive problems and even behavioural issues.
Grain-free feeding has been promoted on the basis that grains could be bad for a dog’s health, but this simply isn’t the case – it is very rare for a dog to have grain sensitivity (except perhaps wheat). At the same time, there is no evidence to support c claims of any health b benefits from a grain free diet for dogs. The truth is that grain-free feeding has been promoted by the pet food industry, keen to develop new markets with scant regard for the well-being and nutritional needs of our pets.
It might surprise readers to know that there’s also growing e evidence from the USA of a link between grain-free diets and canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) – a type of heart disease in dogs. Research by the F Food and Drug A Administration in the USA has found a potential link between hundreds of deaths and grain-free food, with several breeds who are not usually associated with the disease having developed it in the last few years. As a result of these findings, many vets in the UK, including myself, are encouraging owners to think carefully before switching to a grain-free diet and to consider the risks to their beloved pets’ health.
It should be noted that I am not entirely against grain-free pet food per se. However, I believe that an animal’s nutritional needs should be the first consideration when selecting a pet food, rather than following a market-driven trend.