3 week transformation and also, what is the difference?

i was wondering what the difference is between grain or grain free dog food. Baden was on kirkland dog food from costco, it was their equivalent to Blue Buffalo but i just felt he never cared for this food and it made his fur very dull. so about 3weeks ago i took baden to see his vet for a check up because he was shedding, licking his paws, and just needed some shots. she suggested grain free for a start so without thinking much about it i went to VIP pets for a bath. while he has in the tub i looked at all the grain free food that are i could see. the price for grain free is very expensive. even for the small bags.

i settled for taste of the wild. for a 5pound bag it was $11.99 VS $20. i know a lot of people feed their corgis that so i figured i would give it a shot. that food along with fish oil pills worked like flipping magic. he absolutely LOVES it and his fur is super soft now.

but now the question resurfaced when i went to get another bag today. what is the difference between grain free and just regular dog food?

lalalala just soaking in the tub

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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on June 21, 2014 at 1:03am

So glad...we love it here too:)

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Permalink Reply by Beth on June 21, 2014 at 11:57am

It's important to remember that "In the wild" dogs did not exist. They are purely a product of domestication; the wild dogs are feral escapees. It is true that the modern wolf is primarily a carnivore. But the closely related coyote (so close that wolves and coyotes do cross-breed in the wild) is an opportunistic omnivore, whose diet includes berries, insects, flowers, mesquite pods, and just about anything else it can get its mouth on--- the coyote diet varies widely from season to season and habitat to habitat. And the grey wolf is NOT the ancestor of domestic dogs; they share a common ancestor. As humans extirpated wolves, they only remained in extreme climates where humans are rare. So we don't really know if the common ancestor of dog and modern wolf was more wolf-like in behavior, or more coyote-like.

Dogs and humans both lack specialized guts to break the seed-coats on grains. But clever humans soon learned they can do what birds do and use grinding to break the coat and get at the nutrients inside. Grains have been a human staple for just 10,000 years (though it seems we have eaten wild grains for closer to 100,000 years). Dogs were domesticated at least 15,000 years ago. So dogs have in fact been eating grains for about as long as humans have.

There are those who say grains are bad for people, too, but I don't believe it.

Just be careful of unsourced material on the internet; I have not really read any scientific journals that suggest grains are not good for dogs. I have read lots and lots of internet bloggers who say so, and mostly they all quote each other. :-)

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Permalink Reply by Vicky Hay on June 21, 2014 at 4:40pm

Thank you! This is one of the best observations on the issue that I've seen.

It's worth noting, I suppose, that dogs can breed and produce viable offspring with both coyotes (extant only in the Americas) and wolves (old and new worlds). Yet the point that dogs have been cohabiting with humans for at least 15,000 years -- more than enough time to adapt to human-type foods -- is crucial. We surely can't say that we are them and they are us...but it's as close as it gets for two different species.

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Permalink Reply by Rebecca Marie O'Bryan on June 21, 2014 at 9:48pm

great info Beth :) ! i never have had a problem feeding him grains, i mean we have been feeding them that for so long now. i just was curious to know the difference was all. i know everyone has their own opinions on what they want to feed their pet and thats fine with me. i just am glad i found a food he actually likes to eat and and is helping his coat. his fur was so dry and just not pleasant to touch and would shed clumps of hair everytime i would pet him but now he is very soft and the shedding has pretty much disappeared (i swear! lol) and i know there are those who wouldnt touch that brand of food for different reasons but im happy with it :)