Skinners: Grain Diets And Our Dogs

The new trend to hit the pet food market is hard to miss, with so many labels now touting the phrase “grain-free”. But the question really needs to be asked as to what and who this is actually targeting; the health of the pets we feed it to? Or simply, the owners themselves? In order to understand this further we need to delve a little into the ancestry of our four legged friends.

All breeds of dog that we know today, from Jack Russell’s through to Labradors are part of a subspecies of Canis lupus, or the wolf. When we look at the diet of this distant relative, we see it mainly consists of meat, with just an occasional other sources of nutrition such as berries included for good measure. There is a distinct lack of carbohydrate or grain component within their regular daily intake. This has led some people to believe that our domestic dogs are actually not designed to consume the modern pet foods on offer, fuelling a movement towards the grain-free and even raw diets. 

What must be kept in mind however, is that our domestic dogs parted ways with their wild ancestors over 15,000 years ago and are no longer genetically equivalent. In fact, so far 10 gene alterations have been identified which are known to have specifically increased our pet’s ability to digest and absorb starch and fat from their intestines relative to their predecessors. The digestive tract of the modern dog has therefore become altered over tens of thousands of years of domestication, affording our pets of today the ability to enjoy and reap the benefits of an omnivorous diet, feeding on food of both plant and animal origin which is more akin to that of their human counterparts. 

Many years of just such research has demonstrated a balanced and nutritious diet for our modern domestic dogs consists of the correct blend of protein mainly from meat and fish sources, fats inclusive of essential fatty acids, carbohydrates from grain and vegetable stores, as well as vitamins and minerals. This combination in an optimal ratio dependant on the stage of development or athleticism of the pet, acts as the fundamental building blocks necessary for the overall health and well-being of our dogs.

Grains

So where do grains, the basis of the new trend which aims to exclude them, sit in amongst this? Essentially, grains are the seeds of various cereal grasses with the most common ones included within pet foods being wheat, rice, oats, corn and barley. One of the main areas of controversy lies in the fact some brands use increased levels of processed, highly refined grains typically in the form of a ground flour, to bulk out pet food as a ‘filler’. Grains in this form have little nutritional value and are essentially acting as empty calories.

But that doesn’t mean that all grains are bad. In fact, the truth is very far from it. The key is the avoidance of overly processed, refined grain products, instead opting for the nutritional alternative of whole grains. These act as a fantastic source of energy rich carbohydrates which our pet’s digestive systems have been shown to utilise well. Broken down in the small intestine into glucose, carbohydrates provide the body cells with a ready source of energy, as well as providing essential glucose for normal brain and nervous system function. However the benefits of whole grains do not simply end there. They also act as a good source of micronutrients such as vitamin E, folic acid, magnesium and phosphorous as well as providing some essential amino acids for healthy skin and hair coat.

Fibre as we know is useful a dietary constituent for our own well-being, but it is also a favourable component of a dog’s diet too. It can help to regulate bowel movements, improve colon health, aid in weight management through promoting a full stomach feeling, as well as assisting in reducing the recurrence of anal gland impactions. Fibre is only found in foods which come from plant origins with whole-grains, which include the seeds hard outer layer known as the bran, acting to significantly increase the levels found within a diet. 

Cereals in the form of whole grains can therefore offer many nutritional benefits when included as part of a balanced diet for our domestic dogs.

Dietary Sensitivity

Another factor often brought into consideration when selecting the food we feed our pets is dietary sensitivity, such as food allergies or food intolerances. When considering such a topic in humans, the common ones which spring to mind include lactose found in some dairy products and gluten, a protein composite found in wheat and related grains. There is a tendency to directly transfer the knowledge of these human sensitivities onto our dog counterparts, with many owners considering gluten free, or rather a grain-free diet, as a beneficial way of avoiding dietary aggravation in their pets. However, is there any truth behind this?

The actual incidence of dietary reactions across the UK population of dogs is unknown, however it is suggested as being very uncommon indeed, with true food allergy only accounting for approximately 1% of the total of all diagnosed skin diseases. Whilst it is true a small proportion of animals who do demonstrate an allergy or intolerance may find relief in the restriction of grains, the actual main culprits of sensitivity in dogs are shown to be beef, dairy and lamb products. Therefore the proportion of pets which could directly benefit from a grain-free diet is extremely small as compared to the magnitude of diets of this nature available. 

This demonstrates that the current trend for grain-free diets is not actually driven through a direct health benefit for our pets, but actually is a notion promoted by the pet food industry directed towards simply the owners alone.

In conclusion, grains have become a rather victimised dietary component of late, however when utilised in the form of nutritious whole grains, this reputation is wholly undeserved. Our domestication of dogs has transformed their digestive tracts to become adapted to an omnivorous life style, which includes the ability to digest and absorb nutrients from vegetables and grains as well as meat sources. Therefore maintaining whole grains as part of a balanced diet should be considered by the vast majority of dog owners as a positive inclusion. They provide essential nutrients and fibre alongside a source of easily digestible carbohydrates, promoting the good health and nutrition of our pets from the inside out.

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