Basic Gluten-Free Dog Food: Is It the Best Choice for Dogs? (2023)

What are the benefits of gluten-free dog food? Are you curious and want to know more? continue reading.

If you were diagnosed with celiac disease 20 or 30 years ago, you may have had a hard time finding gluten-free options. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. It also occurs in wheat-related whole grains such as spelt, bulgaria, kamut, and triticale (a hybrid of rye and wheat).

Some celiac disease experts also warn patients to avoid oats. Gluten makes these grains sticky and is why wheat flour makes delicious bread and thickens sauces and other foods. It's actually sticky.

Thirty years ago, wheat was everywhere. Things have changed for people with celiac disease today. It's impossible to walk down the aisle of a grocery store without seeing a "gluten-free" label on a food product. Manufacturers put gluten-free labels on some absolutely ridiculous foods, just because they're all the rage.

You can find "gluten-free" labels on bottled water, ham, chocolate, and just about anything. There is reason to doubt that most consumers know what "gluten-free" means. The term is in danger of losing its meaning.

Some people are sensitive to wheat and other gluten but do not have celiac disease. It is estimated that only about1% of Americans have celiac disease.. Doctors warn that removing gluten-containing and gluten-free grains from your diet is risky if you don't have to.

Many gluten-free grains provide a rich source of nutrients.completely eliminateThese grains in the human diet can cause nutrient deficiencies.

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What is gluten?

Of course, we feature dog food on this site, but trends in human diets often lead to trends in pet food. Most people probably didn't know that dog food contained gluten until pet food was recalled in 2007, when corn gluten and wheat gluten (as well as rice protein) were contaminated with melamine.

While corn gluten is widely (and somewhat unfairly) condemned by pet owners,Corn Is Actually Gluten-FreeLiterally. It is not one of the grains that contain gluten protein. The term "gluten" used for corn is an industry term and not technically accurate.

Some dogs may be allergic to or have a food allergy to corn, but this also applies to beef, chicken, lamb, fish, dairy, eggs, wheat, and soy, which are common allergens in dog food.

corn is justother possible allergensTechnically, it's not really gluten. When used in dog food, it does not have the same effect in the gut as wheat does.

Some dogs may have a wheat allergy, or sensitivity to wheat. Whole Dog Magazine has ainteresting articleRegarding gluten intolerance in dogs, focus on these sensitivities. After he was diagnosed with celiac disease, veterinarians noticed that his condition had improved after switching to a gluten-free diet.

He has connected with some canine patients with allergies and indigestion and advised them to switch to a gluten-free diet for good results.

In fact, he recommends that all canine patients switch to a gluten-free diet, although not all do so or feel it is necessary to do so.

Can Dogs Get Celiac Disease?

It's worth noting that dogs don't get celiac disease. It is a human genetic disease. already1 case reportedFrom a small family of Irish Setters in the early 1990s who appeared to develop symptoms of celiac disease spontaneously.

Any other symptoms reported by dogs can be attributed to wheat sensitivity, irritable bowel syndrome or disease (IBS or IBD), or allergies.

Some dogs may avoid certain grains and gluten for health reasons, but it is not necessary or even desirable for everyone to choose a gluten-free diet for their dog.

If your dog is not allergic to wheat or other gluten or corn, there is no particular reason to avoid dog foods that contain small amounts of gluten.

We don't recommend dog foods that use these grains as a filling ingredient, but there are some high-quality foods that do contain grains.

Democratic Party(some foods contain barley, oats),farmina(Ancient low-grain recipes include spelt and oats.) Other companies use grains to produce premium foods.

gluten free dog food ingredients

If your dog is sensitive to wheat or gluten, you should definitely consider gluten-free dog food. Since gluten-free is such a hot trend right now, you shouldn't have a hard time finding a good food that claims to be gluten-free.

In addition to corn (which many dog ​​lovers will try to avoid), gluten-free dog foods may also contain white rice, brown rice, amaranth, buckwheat/maranth, tapioca/tapioca, flax, millet, quinoa, sorghum, and teff.

You may see flour made with some of these ingredients. (Note that soy is also gluten-free, but most dog lovers try to avoid soy in their dog food.)

• Many common ingredients in dog food (canned and kibble) are also gluten-free, including lecithin, citric and lactic acids, lactose, arrowroot, cornstarch, buckwheat, guar and xanthan gums, potato starch powder and potato starch.
• Other gluten-free ingredients you may find in dog food include real cheese, plain yogurt, vegetable oils (such as canola), fruits and vegetables, meat and seafood, potatoes, eggs, beans and legumes. Distilled vinegar is gluten-free, but malt vinegar is not. Spices are gluten free.

ingredients that may contain gluten

• All forms of wheat, including spelt, triticale (a hybrid of rye and wheat), kamut, durum, flour, spelt, semolina, matzo/ Matzo and couscous. Wheat is also often used in dog food and treats, so check the label.
• Barley, malt (made from barley), and various products made from barley, such as malt vinegar.
• Centeno.
• manyCanned dog food contains wheat gluten.As a thickener for sauces. Be sure to read the label.
• Spices are usually gluten-free, but may contain wheat or barley in some cases. If possible, try to avoid dog food with added flavorings. Wheat must be labeled in FDA-regulated foods. The barley used in the condiment is often referred to as a malt condiment, but in rare cases, one of the condiments may not be recognizable.
• Modified food starches are gluten-free unless wheat is listed on the label as "modified wheat starch," "modified starch (wheat)," or the "contains" statement at the end of the ingredient list contains wheat.
• Wheat starch can be used in gluten-free foods if the gluten protein is removed from it through processing. In addition to being labeled gluten-free, this safe wheat starch must also state on the label that it has been processed to meet FDA gluten-free standards.
• Oats are considered gluten-free if they have been specially processed to avoid cross-contamination with other gluten-containing grains. In this case, the FDA allows them to be labeled gluten-free. Other oats are not considered safe unless they are labeled gluten-free.
• Caramel is almost always made from corn. Some dog food companies use caramel color in their treats. This means it's gluten-free, but if your dog has a problem with corn, this could be a problem. Caramel is sometimes made with malt (barley) syrup, which is gluten-free. Again, we recommend that you avoid dog foods with added pigments as much as possible.

FDA gluten-free

heUS Food and Drug AdministrationThe use of the term "gluten-free" has begun to be standardized, but we still see this label on all kinds of weird foods. You can see some of the FDA's thoughts on this topic.here. here it ispet food industry Solve the problem.

From what we can tell, most pet food companies seem to use the term "gluten-free" on their websites and in informal advertising (Facebook, newsletters, emails, coupons). Judging by the dog food samples online, we haven't seen any that use the term "gluten-free" on their packaging/label, although the FDA allows them to do so with proper documentation.

Whether a company chooses to use this claim on its label is voluntary, but if a company makes this claim, it must follow FDA guidelines. Pet food companies may think (based on past experience) that FDA places more weight on label claims than on website claims.

summarize

If you think your dog has an allergy or sensitivity to wheat, look for a dog food that is labeled gluten-free. In most cases, this will be a grain-free food because wheat, barley, rye, and their hybrids are all grains, and the gluten comes from those particular grains.

Gluten-free dog food also works well if your dog suffers from inflammatory bowel disease or other sensitive digestive issues. Otherwise, there may not be any particular reason to feed your dog a gluten-free diet. "Gluten-free" sounds great, but most dogs don't need it.

Some dogs do better on a low-grain diet that contains some gluten than on a grain-free or gluten-free diet. If you're feeding something that does contain some grains, just make sure it doesn't use grains as a filling ingredient and has plenty of high-quality meat protein. There are still plenty of good dog foods out there that contain grains that are good for them.