Grain free diet vs traditional diet

Ok I know this is another feeding question and there are a ton of them on this board but I am really getting confused. My Maggie will be switching to adult food soon and I have been researching the benefits of a grain free diet. There is not that much information out there to support it and what I did find was really interesting. One study I found was not in favor of a grain free diet due to the fact that grains such as rice, oats, and barley when digested turn into tryptophine which in turn produces seritonin in the body and helps regulate hormone levels. It "says" that dogs on grain free diets have more hormonal problems which can create hyperactivity, depression, agression, ect due to decreased seritonin levels. I guess my question is for those out there on the grain free diet, do you have any of those issues with your dogs? I just don't know if I want to switch my Maggie to grain free or not. She is on Wellness Just for Puppy and loves it. Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

0 members like this

Comment

You need to be a member of MyCorgi.com to add comments!

Join MyCorgi.com

Comment by Jane Christensen on March 14, 2009 at 7:45pm: I'm no expert but I have read lots of items and you can google a list of the better dog food (Whole Dog Journal) has had alot of these lists. Corn is what you really want to stay away from because it is used as a filler to make dogs feel full and there might also be something about allergies with corn...not sure on that. The premium edge that I use does have either barley or rice in but not corn. I have used Wellness and believe it is a very good food also.Any better food will have you feeding less food than one with corn.I have also tried a grain free food and my dogs did not like it as well.

Comment by Sam on March 13, 2009 at 10:56am: I would vote for keeping him on the Wellness puppy food until at least one year. I went through several different types after that trying to find one that he enjoyed, didn't make him sick, and gave him a healthy looking coat. Orijen is probly my favorite.

Comment by Kelly on March 13, 2009 at 9:54am: How old is Maggie? Is she very active? I've read not to go grain free until 1 year at the earliest..and that it is best suited for very active dogs or those that compete in agility and such. The protein levels are too high for a lot of dogs and can cause hyperactivity or growth problems for those that are still growing. I'm sure others can give you more expert advice than I can though :)