[NAGDU] very quick food change

[Cindy Ray]

Danielle, I seemed a little snarky when I answered her question, and I
really did not mean to. 
Cindy Lou Ray
cindyray at gmail.com


-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Danielle Sykora
via NAGDU
Sent: Monday, December 21, 2015 6:20 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Danielle Sykora <dsykora29 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] very quick food change

Grains are foods like corn, rice, oats, and wheat. People usually feed grain
free for one of several reasons.

First, grains are a common allergen for dogs. Eating the same food for years
can cause an allergic reaction in certain individuals. Because grains are
one of the most common ingredients in dog foods, they are subsequently one
of the most common allergens.

Second, foods high in sugar tend to exacerbate inflammatory conditions. For
dogs with conditions such as allergies or arthritis, it can sometimes be
beneficial to remove grains from the diet because of their high sugar
content. Other starchy foods such as potatoes have a similar effect. Feeding
a grain free diet or one that is low in carbohydrates may help with
conditions that are difficult to treat such as environmental allergies.
Changing diet may not help at all for some dogs, but it's always an option
to consider.

Finally, feeding a grain free diet often results in a change in stool
quantity--lower volume and more firm texture. This varies from dog to dog,
but it's something I have noticed. The same goes for any high quality diet;
the less fillers, the less poop.

Two of our three dogs currently eat a grain free diet. One had pretty severe
allergies, to what exactly I'm not sure, and switching to a grain free diet
helped. It took some time to find food that actually agreed with her, just
eliminating grains wasn't a perfect solution.
Thai was eating natural balance at the school with no significant health
problems. I decided to switch him to grain free partially because his stool
was always disconcertingly soft and partially because it was easier to feed
both dogs the same food. I notice that he gets slightly itchy when he
scavenges something with grains. It's definitely not a severe reaction like
what he experiences when he eats chicken (his true allergen), but it's
enough for me to avoid grains.
Bonnie eats a food with grains and has no health problems, but she poops A
LOT.

Grain free diets are generally slightly more expensive, which may or may not
be worth it depending on the situation. Some dogs may do fine on a
conventional food containing grains, but it's important to make an informed
choice. Not all food is created equal and every dog is different, so it's up
to each dog owner to decide what's best for his or her dog.

Danielle, Thai, and Bonnie (GDF puppy in training)


On 12/21/15, Elise Berkley via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Hello, everyone.  This question may seem juvenile, but what is the 
> concrn with grain-free foods?  I feed Becky Natural Balance Lamb and 
> Rice dry food
>
> because this is what the school was feeding her when I got her.  This 
> is considered not a grain-free food, right?  If I need to think about 
> changing
>
> her food, I need to understand this better.  I thank you and Becky 
> thanks you.
> Elise and Becky
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> NAGDU mailing list
> NAGDU at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> NAGDU:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/dsykora29%40gmail.c
> om
>

_______________________________________________
NAGDU mailing list
NAGDU at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NAGDU:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/cindyray%40gmail.com