In recent years, with the increasing attention to the food safety of hairy children, more and more breeders choose to replace the feed with “grain-free feed”. Because it does not contain grains such as rice and wheat, it is less prone to allergies and is better digested. Moreover, most of the nutrients in grain-free feeds are based on high protein and low carbohydrates, which can be said to be more in line with the nutritional needs of dogs. In this special topic, in addition to sharing with you the tips for selecting grain-free feeds, I also recommend the top ten popular products in my heart, including Addiction (natural addiction), GO!, NOW! and other well-known products The labels are all among them, and some are also the winners in the WDJ evaluation list! Come and follow us to choose the best grain-free food for dogs!  

What is “Grain-Free”?

I believe that every owner wants their dogs to be lively and healthy. So, in order to protect the health of the dogs at home, what should we pay attention to? First of all, you might as well pay attention to the daily eating habits of dogs, starting from the levels of feed, snacks, fresh food and so on! You may have noticed that in recent years, many major feed manufacturers have launched products advertised as “Grain-Free”. Why? Generally speaking, “grain-free” refers to the absence of grains such as rice (rice), barley, wheat, and corn. In fact, cats and dogs were originally carnivorous animals. The main source of nutrition was protein in fresh meat. Therefore, they evolved a digestive system that is easy to digest and absorb meat nutrients. For dogs and cats, grains are not. It is one of the ingredients that is easy to digest, and it is also one of the ingredients that are prone to allergies. In this way, the pandemic of grain-free feeds does not seem difficult to understand.

Advantages and disadvantages of grain-free feed

■ Helps digestion: Since dogs are originally carnivores, they do not have enzymes such as amylase that can digest carbohydrates. Therefore, grain-free feed is a more suitable choice for dogs, which can reduce the burden on the digestive system.

■Can improve and prevent allergy symptoms: Since dogs are not good at digesting carbohydrates in cereals, these carbohydrates are easily regarded by the body as foreign bodies that need to be eliminated, thereby causing allergic or indigestion reactions. Many dogs have long-term skin and digestive system problems. In fact, they may be allergic to grains without knowing it. If they reduce the intake of these easily allergenic grains, the allergic symptoms may also be improved.

Cons: slightly higher price

 

If your dog has allergies, please go to the hospital for an allergy test first.

Although there are no obvious symptoms, the dog’s physical condition does not seem to be very good…, many owners may start to try to give their dogs grain-free feed. If you also have this situation, it is recommended that before purchasing grain-free feed, you may take your dog and the feed currently being used to the animal hospital for consultation with a professional doctor. Especially if you observe that the dog often has vomiting, diarrhea, persistent soft stool or skin lesions after eating the feed, please be sure to send the dog to the hospital for an allergy check, because the dog is likely to be allergic to the food. Allergic to one of the ingredients in it can cause physical discomfort. As mentioned earlier, grain-free feeds are quite rich in protein sources. You can find grain-free feeds with meat as the main ingredient on the market, such as beef, pork, chicken, salmon, lamb, etc. However, if you know your dog’s allergens, it will be easier to screen for products.  

Confirm vegetable ingredients

Grain-free dog feed basically does not use grains such as wheat, barley, rice, corn, etc., but this does not mean that there are no vegetables in the feed. The feed will use other vegetables as a nutrient source of carbohydrates. Common vegetables include potatoes, sweet potatoes, green vegetables, fruits and so on. To put it simply, the main ingredients of grain-free feed are meat and fruits and vegetables. So, in addition to the meat source, don’t forget to check the vegetable content when choosing a grain-free feed. For example, if you consider the dog’s physical condition and the palatability of the feed, sweet potato is a good choice of supplementary ingredients. Its dietary fiber can help the dog’s gastrointestinal motility and adjust the gastrointestinal state. If you are a feeder who is choosing grain-free feed for the first time, we would recommend that you do not use 100% meat-derived products at the beginning, but gradually reduce the vegetable content in the feed, and finally focus on high-quality protein and mix with Low-carbohydrate feeds are the main choice.  

Confirm the safety of raw materials

The biggest advantage of grain-free feed is that it is rich in protein, and the main source of protein is meat, so when we check the ingredients of grain-free feed, we should pay attention to the direct source of protein is “fresh meat”, “meat meal, minced meat” ” or “processed meat”. To put it simply, as long as the first raw material is not fresh meat, then you, the parent of a furry child, should pay more attention to it. “Meat meal, minced meat” or “meat processed products” often come from the remaining parts of food processing. Basically, such meat cannot be provided for human consumption. Most of these meat products have not been preserved in a good environment. The nutritional value and hygiene safety There are also doubts about it, so even if it is used as a raw material for pet food, it is not recommended to buy it. Meat sources with poorer conditions may be “4D” (unsafe meat), which stands for “Dead” (dead), “Diseased” (disease), “Dying” (near death) and “Disabled” ( disability). All in all, we recommend that you choose feed products with clearly marked ingredients. In addition to the above-mentioned meat sources, which should be fresh meat, the type of fat should also be clearly stated. If there is only a vague indication of “animal fat”, then please consider it again.  

Choose products that do not contain additives when possible

Top 10 Grain Free Dog Feed Popularity Rankings

Many parents of hairy children may have heard of the “WDJ” (Whole Dog Journal) feed evaluation. The main ingredients of the feed included in the list are whole meat, no artificial agents, and no unknown fat. Novice owners of grain-free feeds may wish to take the WDJ’s evaluation into consideration. Next, take a look at the following ten high-quality feeds.

 

Summarize

I don’t know if today’s ranking list has any pointers for the dazzled owners? In fact, as long as you start to practice reading the ingredient list, you can easily help your dog choose the most suitable feed according to your own budget and needs.

If you want to choose a small package to let your dog try it, it is recommended that you buy it from a trusted store to ensure that the quality of the package is fresh and not deteriorated. In addition, I also suggest that you should gradually adjust the ratio when changing food for your dog. In addition to the dog’s acceptance of the food taste, you should also observe its digestion and excretion status to evaluate whether the feed is suitable. index.