Dog allergies seem to be everywhere. Many get them daily from just walking on grass at dog parks, but the more serious allergies are often in foods, just like us humans get.
The main list of FOOD allergy categories is
- Protein sources : beef, chicken, lamb, and fish.
- Grains – for example wheat, corn, and soy.
- Dairy products like milk, cheese, yogurt.
- Artificial additives, colors and preservatives
You might wonder why the list above has selected ‘protein sources’ as meats only, and gave Grains their own category.
And this is the rub. All of the foods listed in the above categories have proteins. And in fact, it is often the proteins in these foods that dogs and humans are allergic to.
The reason that the four meats are categories together in the ‘protein source’ category is that dog food as defined by aafco (USA ASSOCIATION) needs to have a very low minimum protein level of 18% for general dogs (not puppies or pregnant dogs).
And since many grains are between 10-20% (dry weight) protein, while many dry meats are 50-60% protein, you can see that proteins from meats do the major work for your dog. Grains have their own category too, because they mostly have carbs as their major component.
Dogs are carnivores (that can tolerate plant matter – a later day evolution) – so it would make sense that they would mainly get meat and offal and bones in their dog food. But there is no profit in it for dog treat and dog food manufacturers, so they do the OPPOSITE percentages of what nature intended.
Typical commercial dog food, such as kibble, is often 30% meat, and up to 70% grain or plant matter, with a few micro nutrients and vitamins and minerals added. The meat typically must be added just to reach the total theoretical 18% minimum protein. Even if the grain isn’t anywhere near as bio available as the meats.
So yes, you should buy mostly MEAT (preferable single ingredient ) dog treats to make up for the protein short fall, but here is why perhaps your dog is more reactive or allergic to grains than they might otherwise be.
Sure grains and big volumes of plant matter are the LAST natural thing your dog should eat, or needs, but it sure is cheap, and that is why commercial dog food MAINLY has grains or plants it it, rather than meat.
We suspect (as many of the people tracking down the cause of celiac disease in America) that it is the OVER EXPOSURE to unnatural levels of grain or gluten that are pushing human and dog systems beyond design parameters that are causing the big rise in allergies. That is over consumption of gluten for humans, and over consumption of plant matter and grains for dogs.
DOG TREATS and wheat, corn, and soy, why ?
These grains are singled out as the cause of many dog allergies, because they are the most common bulking agent in dog food and dog treats. Wheat carries the double whammy of also containing gluten.
But let’s look at wheats value to your dog. Besides being cheap to use for a manufacturer, and bulking up your dog treats, it provides little else besides maybe fibre.
Dogs don’t need carbs. Sugars in foods for dogs is mostly a human invention. Sure, dogs and wolves in the wild will eat a small number of berries just to survive when they can’t kill enough animals for their packs health, but that’s it.
70% plant matter in an essentially carnivores’ diet is unconscionable. It basically playing God, and waiting to see what happens to the dog species. Its not poisonous, so the makers get away with it.
Wheat flour has about 10-13% protein, 60-70% Carbs. Protein is essential for dogs, it has the amino acids that builds its body parts and maintains its brain and heart. It helps grow its fur, its toe nails, it does pretty much most things, including being used for ENERGY.
Carbs (ie sugars) can essentially be used for ENERGY. They don’t have any essential amino acids your dog really needs. Wheat gluten is about 65% bio available for dogs. So not even that low 13% can fully be used by the dog, yet it is the MAJOR component in dog treats and dog food that have wheat as the grain in them.
SOY 100g in dry form has 15g protein, 8 g carbs, 8g fats, 4g fibre. That means it has about one quarter the protein of beef, but lower bio availability. The carbs are unnecessary, and the fibre isn’t the semi digestible type that is preferred for the best dogs intestinal biome.
CORN 100g – 10g protein, 75g carbs, 5g fat. And its bio availability is one of the worst for dogs at 55% useable.
CONCLUSION – while your dog mightn’t be allergic to grains, yet, if they are eating an average commercial diet, you can see that they are eating about 80% too much grains in it.
When you flood what is essentially a carnivore dog, with high sugar content foods, you are asking for trouble, and illnesses down the track. Let alone starving them of the quality protein that they are missing out of from meat.
