Many pet owners learn about grain-free diets for their cats and dogs after their pets experience health issues such as ear infections, IBS, allergies and more. Some pet owners just want to feed their pets a healthier diet. What are grains? Common grains in pet food include rice, quinoa, oats and wheat. Why avoid them? They are high in carbohydrates and cause inflammation. But grain-free is only the first step..... Many grain-free pet foods replace the grains with starchy carbohydrates such as potatoes, chickpeas, lentils and pea flour. Pet owners may wonder why their pet is eating a grain-free diet yet still having symptoms such as itching and scratching, excessive licking, digestive problems? The reason is that these starchy carbohydrates still are too high in sugar and may be very hard to digest for some pets.
Limiting carbohydrates by feeding a raw frozen diet or raw freeze dried (not the same as dehydrated which tend to also be high in carbohydrates) can help. Many canned foods are low in starchy carbohydrates but you need to carefully look at the ingredients to be sure that the diet is primarily animal or fish protein and vegetables. Feeding a diet that contains fresh ingredients with a hypoallergenic protein (e.g. rabbit) can give your pet much needed relief.
If your pet is having digestive issues or problems with scratching and allergies, please email us at support@askariel.com and we will be happy to help. Please know we cannot provide veterinary advice but we can provide articles and information to help you make an informed decision. Please include your pet's diet on the order form at checkout and our nutritionist will include a diet suggestion on the packing slip that comes with your product directions.
A good pet food should contain meat, poultry or fish clearly identifiable in the first ingredients. There should be a healthy balance between protein, fiber, fats (especially Omega 3 fatty acids such as flax seed and fish oil) and a limited amount of carbohydrates. Even if a pet food is “organic” or holistic, it may be filled with soy, potatoes, peas and flour, which can contribute to a variety of symptoms in some pets (allergies, UTIs, etc). For example, dogs on "grain-free" dry dog food may still suffer with chronic yeast and skin problems because the food is filled with carbohydrates. Pets need fresh ingredients in their food---add steamed green beans, chopped broccoli or butternut squash for extra fiber or nutrition. Pumpkin puree is an excellent source of fiber and beta carotene and can help pets with digestive issues. Avoid feeding just dry food---canned or raw are optimal along some homemade ingredients. For more information on pet nutrition see the article: What do dogs eat? Dog Nutrition 101
P & G Recall on certain Iams and Eukunuba dry food http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm365154.htm?source=govdelivery due to the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. As you know, we recommend that both cats and dogs eat GRAIN-FREE, hypoallergenic diets. Raw frozen, freeze-dried and canned are best. Dry foods (even "grain-free) can contribute to digestive problems, urinary tract problems (especially in cats) and are not fresh, live foods. If you are feeding your pet any dry food, please consider upgrading to canned, raw or fresh. There is a common misconception that dry food is good for a pet's teeth but this is simply not true. What helps a pet's teeth is feeding a pH-balanced diet reducing the likelihood of acidic saliva.
