# is "GRAIN FREE" food?



## Sadie Webb (Mar 2, 2011)

Is GRAIN FREE FOOD really important for Goldens? ALL GOLDENS? or just some? We are new to GRs and want to make sure we are doing it right. Our Rescue told us to use grain free also. 
We are feeding our Sadie "hills prescription diet wd low fat and diabetic and gastrointestinal" now.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

IMO, no. High quality kibbles can come in either grain inclusive or grain free. Some dogs do better on one, some on another. Our springer really needs a grain inclusive food while the goldens seem to do well on either. It all boils down to what your individual dog does best on. Is your dog diabetic? I've heard many diabetic dogs do do better on a grain free food since that grain is converted to glucose quickly. Oh, and remember that grain free foods still have carbs, most in the form of potatoes or some use tapioca.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

I do NOT feed "grain free". Unless a dog is truly diagnosed as having an allergy to one or another grain, there is no reason to. And in 30+ years being "in dogs" I've never had one.


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

Pointgold said:


> I do NOT feed "grain free". Unless a dog is truly diagnosed as having an allergy to one or another grain, there is no reason to. And in 30+ years being "in dogs" I've never had one.


I agree with PG.

I haven't had a dog yet that was actually diagnosed by a licensed veterinarian as being allergic to grain of one type or another. The "grain free" craze is marketing hype.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

There is a very small percentage of dogs who need grain free diets. There is also a small percentage of dogs who can eat one grain, but not another (for example, can't eat corn but can eat rice). 
For the vast majority of dogs, regardless how brilliant the marketing campaign has been from the "grain free food companies", grains are a perfectly legitimate food. 
When one of my 3 goldens was diagnosed with IBD and put on prescription foods, including a grain free food, I asked the specialist if I should put all 3 on grain free foods. He said, "if your neighbor was diagnosed with diabetes, would you give up all sugars?" I laughed and said "no way!" So he said, "then why would you take all your dogs off a perfectly good food just because one has a medical issue?".


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## GoldenCamper (Dec 21, 2009)

Sadie Webb said:


> Is GRAIN FREE FOOD really important for Goldens? ALL GOLDENS?


I do not think so. If an individual dog has been proven to have a problem with all grains, fine. Grains are not the evil monster they are made out to be on the web, but some dogs do have problems with them.

What diagnosis and tests has your 7yr old Sadie had to warrant a prescription food???


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## Sadie Webb (Mar 2, 2011)

GoldenCamper said:


> I do not think so. If an individual dog has been proven to have a problem with all grains, fine. Grains are not the evil monster they are made out to be on the web, but some dogs do have problems with them.
> 
> What diagnosis and tests has your 7yr old Sadie had to warrant a prescription food???


 

None that I know of, just over weight


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## Svan (Mar 2, 2011)

My dog is on a frankenprey diet but he is really allergic and gets horrible itchy skin & hot spots from many grains. Wheat is the biggest problem for him & he refuses the rice based foods, so we went this way. Other than having recently eaten a sock his health had been great on the grain free diet, but if your vet thinks grain free = healthy weight he/she is wrong. I still have to monitor my dogs diet and weight carefully to ensure his weight stays optimum. GRs looooove to eat and are the worlds most soulful beggars so they will pick up weight if you do not continually watch their weight & ensure adequate exercise. 

Goldens do have a tendency to skin issues and wheat is a known irritant, but if your vet isn't raising these concerns I'd bet even (cynical) money on the grain free food being much more expensive than the alternative. IMHO a vet who suggests grain free without discussing allergies or natural based alternatives eg frankenprey/homecooked or other, isn't selling you grain free cause it's better for your dog.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Svan said:


> Goldens do have a tendency to skin issues and wheat is a known irritant


Just as a point of research, while it's possible for a dog to experience atopy (generalized allergies like itchiness) from wheat, when allergies are studied in a controlled setting, wheat is actually really far down the list of common allergens. Food allergies only account for a fraction of atopy in the first place (flea bites are the biggest culprit), and wheat is down the list of foods after all the common proteins (chicken, beef, pork, etc.).

So it's certainly possible, but it's a pretty rare case in which a dog is actually allergic to wheat to the point of developing skin issues.

My guess is that it's much more likely that a crappy food doesn't have the requisite fats to keep skin healthy, and people assume it's the wheat. Or, the dog gets a single flea bite while outdoors, before the topical treatment has a chance to work, and the dog develops atopy that the owner blames on a grain because of all the hype online.

Just to be clear: I'm not saying _your_ dog isn't allergic to grains. Some clearly are. Just that it's much rarer than some dog food companies would have us believe.


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## Braccarius (Sep 8, 2008)

I have found that going onto a grain-free food is very easy.... coming off grain-free and going back to regular food is next to impossible.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Any dog with "allergies" needs to have a complete thyroid panel run. Get to the ROOT cause, without simply treating symptoms.


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## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

Braccarius said:


> I have found that going onto a grain-free food is very easy.... coming off grain-free and going back to regular food is next to impossible.


Please tell us more, I don't understand


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## booklady (Mar 3, 2009)

My only dog who is on grain free is my hypothyroid non golden. He has problems with corn and wheat - I don't know if he's technically allergic, but definitely goes downhill if eats those two ingredients. My two goldens appear to have relatively cast iron stomachs. They especially like anything with cellulose or cotton in it (paper and socks).


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## Taz Monkey (Feb 25, 2007)

My lab mix has an allergy to something, but I don't know what. When I switched her to grain free, all itchies and hot spots went away. So, instead of paying for expensive allergy tests, I just feed her grain free. My golden eats the same because she does so well on it, and my two smaller dogs eat a grain inclusive food, usually Fromm, because neither of them have ever had issues.


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## LifeOfRiley (Nov 2, 2007)

Sadie Webb said:


> Is GRAIN FREE FOOD really important for Goldens? ALL GOLDENS? or just some? We are new to GRs and want to make sure we are doing it right. Our Rescue told us to use grain free also.
> We are feeding our Sadie "hills prescription diet wd low fat and diabetic and gastrointestinal" now.


Did the rescue say why they were recommending grain free?

I don't know - I'm not an expert - but if she's on prescription food for a specific issue, I would be very hesitant to switch her without consulting your vet. One thing to watch out for is the added sugars in some commercial dog foods. You wouldn't want that if she's on a diabetic formula. I'm not sure that the manufacturers of grain-free foods are real big on adding sugar and a lot of other junk, but it's something to be aware of and check for. 

Generally speaking, I would say that many (if not most) dogs don't "need" grain-free food. But there's nothing wrong with feeding it, either, if you choose to go that route.
I've had Riley on grain-inclusive and grain-free foods. I happen to like the results I've seen with one particular grain-free food better than the results I've seen with anything else. So we're sticking with it.

But honestly, I would speak with your vet before I would even consider taking her off the prescription food.


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## goldensrbest (Dec 20, 2007)

Why is coming off grain free so hard, don't understand.


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## GinnyinPA (Oct 31, 2010)

I've wondered about this too. Based on what I read on this forum, I thought that corn and wheat free was much better. Ben scratches a lot, so I switched from a grainy food to a non-grain food. It made no difference in the scratching and a big difference in his coat (for the worse). Chances are it's either thyroid problems getting worse or he's actually allergic to the chicken rather than the wheat and corn. We see the vet this week, so I'll ask her opinion.


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## Sadie Webb (Mar 2, 2011)

We are going to stick with this food until it runs out or we see a reason to switch. Right now Sadie is going through so many adjustments that we are going to let her settle in so we will know if something makes a difference.


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## Launi (Nov 27, 2010)

No, it's not necessary. I just feed grain-free because most grain-free foods are higher in meat content and that's what I look for.


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## desi.n.nutro (Mar 18, 2011)

What a smart move sticking to Sadie's current routine until she is adjusted so you can see the difference. I agree with the general consensus that you don’t _need_ Grain Free unless there is an issue or the Vet recommends Grain Free. Many _want_ Grain Free for a lot of excellent reasons however. They use Grain Free to improve the skin and coat or because Grain Free formulas usually use a limited number of ingredients therefore reducing the likelihood of food sensitivities. I also completely agree with Deni, Mom to Riley, when she suggested you check with the Vet before coming off a prescription diet.


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## reekraut (Apr 8, 2011)

*Itching Issues as well*

I'm having itching issues as well w/ my four year old golden. Not hot spots, just flaking skin & non-stop itching. We've been to the dermatologist but they never ran allergy tests. I just started him on Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Bison because I was told it was a good grain-free option, but it is making my dog's stomach very upset. 

I feel horrible for my dog & don't know what to do. I don't want to spend $700 in allergy tests just yet. Does anyone have any recommendations for other grain-free foods to try? I have no idea if the solution is grain-free but I want to try anything at this point before we have to spend a small fortune for medical tests.

also, i read that i should give him wild grizzly salmon oil. I think i had tried this already & he refused to eat it when i poured it into his food. 

Help poor Moakley please. I welcome all advice/sugguestions.


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## Stretchdrive (Mar 12, 2011)

I find Probiotic, and Enzymes help a lot.


Total Pet Products


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## oakleysmommy (Feb 20, 2011)

you can get the fish oil in capsules as well, just put it in peanut butter and put it in his mouth. california natural is not grain free but simple ingredients like chicken and rice.


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## Braccarius (Sep 8, 2008)

When I first had Harley he was on a grained food. He was doing very well on it and to be honest there was no reason to change his food. Regardless, Canidae suddenly changed their formula and included Barley in their product without any type of notification. As a result, Harley started getting ridiculously bad diarreah suddenly and without warning. I decided to try grain free and switched him after that bag had finished, he had diarreah for almost 3 weeks straight from the diet change (which I only found out about after reading it on here.) He took to grain free immediately and within a day or two his diarreah was completely gone.

Fast forward almost 2 years and I decided to try to transition them back to a grained food. Including even an quarter of a cup gets my two loose instantly and I've come home to disasters on the floor. I went through a bag and a half of grained food mixing it and after 4 months could still not include more than a quarter cup of grained food without them having substantial diarreah. 

I gave up. Switching to grain free was easy and painless... I am not willing however to put up with however many months of diarreah until their systems can handle the formula.


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## jenlaur (Jun 24, 2009)

reekraut said:


> I'm having itching issues as well w/ my four year old golden. Not hot spots, just flaking skin & non-stop itching. We've been to the dermatologist but they never ran allergy tests. I just started him on Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Bison because I was told it was a good grain-free option, but it is making my dog's stomach very upset.
> 
> I feel horrible for my dog & don't know what to do. I don't want to spend $700 in allergy tests just yet. Does anyone have any recommendations for other grain-free foods to try? I have no idea if the solution is grain-free but I want to try anything at this point before we have to spend a small fortune for medical tests.


I feel your pain. Riley itched almost from the day we brought her home. We did food switches without success. Then we did allergy testing ($300 in our case) and started her on shots. No luck then either. Turns out the topical flea stuff we were using wasn't working. Once we started her on Comfortis no more itching. We did have her on Acana which is grain free. We were happy with that food. She is now on Fromm and does well on it too.


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

Treating itchy dogs is not as simple as switching foods or allergy tests...

If your dog has a secondary bacterial infection from scratching...then that needs to be treated by the vet with prescription meds - otherwise they will keep itching!

Microtec shampoo and spray work well to give relief...as does Duoxo (if you follow the intense shampoo schedule in the beginning)...








reekraut said:


> I'm having itching issues as well w/ my four year old golden. Not hot spots, just flaking skin & non-stop itching. We've been to the dermatologist but they never ran allergy tests. I just started him on Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Bison because I was told it was a good grain-free option, but it is making my dog's stomach very upset.
> 
> I feel horrible for my dog & don't know what to do. I don't want to spend $700 in allergy tests just yet. Does anyone have any recommendations for other grain-free foods to try? I have no idea if the solution is grain-free but I want to try anything at this point before we have to spend a small fortune for medical tests.
> 
> ...


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

I'm not sure if it has been mentioned, but anytime you have a persistent, idiopathic skin issue, a thyroid test is in order.

An allergy test may not actually help you. Some things show positive on an allergy test that aren't necessarily causing skin problems, and relatively few dogs have atopy resulting from a true grain allergy. An elimination diet (cooking a two-ingredient diet for your dog for a few weeks) can tell you if the skin problem is dietary. 

Many dogs have dry skin that can be helped by a higher fat diet or by a change to the right fats. Regular bathing with an anti-itch shampoo can help too.

Still, I would be 100% in favor of a full thyroid panel before mucking about with dietary changes. It's relatively inexpensive, and a result of low or low normal may tell you all you need to know about fixing the skin problem.

EDIT: I see that PG has already mentioned getting a thyroid panel run. She is, as usual, correct.


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## desi.n.nutro (Mar 18, 2011)

Oh I feel so sad for these itchy pups. 

There is a Grain Free I definitely recommend because I work for them. “It’s the change your dog has been itching for.” Nutro came out with a Grain Free recently and it is also a Limited Ingredient Diet. Both things to look for when there are issues. Additionally Natural Choice Grain Free is the only Natural Grain Free guaranteed to improve the skin AND coat. At nutro.com you can get a coupon and find out where to get it if you want to try. Let me know if you do ‘cause I would like to hear about it.

Good luck.


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## mpewe (Jul 19, 2012)

My golden, Elvis, had terrible hot spots when I adopted him, so I got allergy testing done in addition to blood work. It turns out that he has allergies to the corn in the food he was on, but was not showing to be allergic to rice. Therefore, I switched him to Diamond Naturals- Lamb and Rice food (which is limited ingredients and no corn or wheat fillers). He is thriving on this and actually likes to eat his meals now. He has a beautiful coat and has not had a hot spot since, even with being wet and soggy from swimming. He does also get fish oil to help too, but he seems soooo much happier now that he is not itching those hot spots. My other dog gets normal food because she does well on that, so unless the dog has an allergy or reason to be on grain free I say don't. It all depends on the individual dog IMO!


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## vcm5 (Apr 20, 2011)

I also do not feed grain free. I believe in feeding good quality food, but I do not think grain free is necessary unless there is an allergy issue.


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## WasChampionFan (Mar 31, 2012)

tippykayak said:


> Just as a point of research, while it's possible for a dog to experience atopy (generalized allergies like itchiness) from wheat, when allergies are studied in a controlled setting, wheat is actually really far down the list of common allergens. Food allergies only account for a fraction of atopy in the first place (flea bites are the biggest culprit), and wheat is down the list of foods after all the common proteins (chicken, beef, pork, etc.).
> 
> So it's certainly possible, but it's a pretty rare case in which a dog is actually allergic to wheat to the point of developing skin issues.
> 
> ...


Outside of wheat gluten, grain allergies are statistically insignifcant. The chance a dog is allergic to a common meat protein is 5 times higher than even wheat.


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## amymcna (Nov 7, 2015)

*new grain free brand stopped pup's itching*

My golden girl pup came home from her breeder with a bag of Diamond Naturals puppy food. She was itching nonstop until I switched her food to Merrick's grain free (raw infused) puppy food as an experiment. She has been eating Merrick's for 3 months now and does not itch. Could be the new brand. Could be the grain free factor. Either way, it is nice to have her healthy and peaceful. 
Except now I read that Purina bought Merricks? I don't like that.


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## Melfice (Aug 4, 2012)

amymcna said:


> My golden girl pup came home from her breeder with a bag of Diamond Naturals puppy food. She was itching nonstop until I switched her food to Merrick's grain free (raw infused) puppy food as an experiment. She has been eating Merrick's for 3 months now and does not itch. Could be the new brand. Could be the grain free factor. Either way, it is nice to have her healthy and peaceful.
> Except now I read that Purina bought Merricks? I don't like that.


Yeah, Purina bought Merricks and I'm not happy about that too. I won't be buying Merricks products anymore. I don't trust Purina, and I won't support them going forward


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