Originally Posted by Britster  Yes, but let's face it: the soy most are using in dog food is NOT going to be coming from top-of-the-line grocery stores, either. So comparing the cost of human products is kind of irrelevant because those companies are not going to the grocery store and shopping for the best products out there. The same can be said for meat, too, though of course.
Soy is one of the top allergens for dogs and it's also been known to cause bloat in large breeds. It can also irritate the bowels but foods with soy usually also contain beet pulp, which will harden the stool and a lot of people think that makes everything okay and healthy. Of course, soy is not the only thing. The most common allergens are beef, dairy products, chicken, wheat, eggs, corn and soy so that's kind of a long list. But why feed them to a dog who doesn't need them? It's nice that we have the options out there for a kibble to contain corn and soy, for example, for a dog who may thrive on a food like that. But I would say most dogs would be perfectly healthy, maybe healthier, not eating them. It is nice to have all the kibble options out there that we have and I don't think a few major companies should be the only food to feed. That would suck.
Why are carbs supposed to make up a majority of the food? That doesn't make sense to me. Some carbs aren't bad, IMO, but canines bodies aren't entirely meant to process a ton of them. I think having lower carb (but not zero) can be good for energy and digestibility. But I don't see why it's important for a food to be made up mostly of them. Yep, grain-free foods have carbs too (usually in the form of potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, etc) but usually it is less (not all the time). And maybe not every dog will do good on low-carbs, I am sure there are some that thrive more on a higher-carb diet. But I don't think most healthy dogs require them. And luckily for us, most dogs digestive tracts are very adjustable. So while they can survive solely on protein and fat, they don't HAVE to, unlike cats who are obligate carnivores.
I agree with you. I think corn is not really worse than other grains.
I'm still iffy on grains. Though I used to only feed a grain-free diet, I am more along the lines now that some grain can't be that bad, and the dogs who were eating nothing but table scraps in the past were most likely getting grain as well. I still don't feel they are entirely necessary but I don't think they are harmful either (I've always felt this way), and maybe they could even be beneficial. |