The misconceptions of grain-free food

Many pet owners have made the move to grain-free pet foods in an effort to improve their dog or cat’s diet. Grain-free products have become so popular that they now occupy almost 50% of the marketplace. Most grain-free foods replace grains like corn and wheat, with other starches such as dried pea products, chickpeas, lentils, potatoes and sweet potatoes, because the formation of kibble requires some type of starchy ingredient to bind the pieces together.

Although grain-free food may contain better quality ingredients, unfortunately many are loaded with carbohydrates too. Carbs convert to sugar thereby making the sugar content higher in some grain-free foods than in some non-grain-free foods. Pet food manufacturers are not required to list the carbohydrate content on the package labels, but most dry foods contain between 30-60% carbs. The daily carbohydrate needs of dogs and cats is 4-7%. Excess carbohydrates have created an epidemic of sugar related illnesses in pets such as obesity, diabetes, cancer and other chronic health conditions.

Fortunately, there are more food options becoming available with little to no starch content. These include raw foods, freeze-dried/dehydrated foods, and human grade canned foods. You can always incorporate fresh foods into your pet’s bowl, and Pawsh Pet Place is happy to discuss these options with you.