# Grain-free kibble



## DonnaM (Aug 1, 2011)

I make and freeze my own dog and cat food so I know exactly what goes into the food and can avoid the greatly unregulated ingredients in commercial pet food. When going away overnight I do leave dry kibble out for my cat and then I use Orijen. Grains are not a natural food for neither dogs nor cats. It is questionable if they get any nutrition from grains as they digest little of it, if at all. When you feed grain free you'll notice that their weight is normal, coat improves and there's greatly less poop as the grain free food is well digested.


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

Acana and Orijen are made by Champion Pet Foods -- both are really good. Important to watch how much protein the dog gets though -- as I know some dogs who have kidney problems can't eat high protein; my breeder also advised to keep the protein under 30% if possible. I have Sunny on Wellness CORE, which is their grain free, but it comes it around 32%. Dogs have a hard time digesting grains, so I have always fed grain-free.


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## georgiapeach (Oct 9, 2009)

I feed my dogs Wellness Core Ocean. They don't have to eat much of it to be healthy. My small minipoo and my cockapoo only eat 1/4 c. twice a day. I'm very happy with it! Also, the kibble size is smaller than some of the other grain free kibbles, which makes it easier for smaller dogs to eat.

I've also fed Taste of the Wild Salmon, but my minipoo doesn't like it. The kibble size is larger, which may be part of the problem. My late lab, and my cockapoo loved it.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

I don't know about the smaller sized kibble pieces, but I do think Acana is a great food! I feed raw but would feed Acana or Orijen hands down if I had to feed kibble.


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## jasperspoo (Feb 25, 2011)

Acana has smaller-sized pieces in their small breed kibble, but it's not in the grain-free line. I feed my spoo Acana Pacifica and have been very happy with it. I'd highly recommend it as it has a lower protein % and is cheaper than Orijen, while still being made by the same people.


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## tokipoke (Sep 3, 2011)

I've fed my dog Orijen puppy food when he was a puppy. It's high in protein at 40%. He had no problems with it, but I've heard some people's issue with grain free food is that their dog's stools weren't as firm. I switched to Taste of the Wild mainly because of price. I may switch back to Orijen in the future. I've also added FreshPet Select to his dry kibble for added flavor. It's a preservative free food that is cooked lightly to keep the nutrients of the food. You can find it refrigerated at Petco or Petsmart. It comes looking like a big sausage and I just slice a little bit and add to his food. I got the grain-free ocean fish and salmon one and my dog loves it. He knows when it's feeding time and runs to his crate waiting. I was surprised that the FreshPet did not cause any diarrhea that could typically happen when introducing new foods. For snacks in between meals, I give my dog dehydrated sweet potato chews and dehydrated carrots and bananas. My dog loves the sweet potato!

For the people who wonder if grain-free food is worth it, the answer is YES. I can see the difference, especially in my cats (they eat Taste of the Wild also). I was feeding them IAMS cat food, but was tired of commercial pet food recalls. I decided to go grain-free. Noticed a difference in the first week after they were fully acclimated to the new food. They poop less. Went from scooping twice a day to once a day (a good thing for two cats!). Their poop didn't smell as bad either. It went from smelling very foul to smelling normal. Before, if left in the poop bag after a couple of days, it started smelling PUTRID (because the poop was fermenting already). The consistency of their stools is a lot better. I believe it was smellier before due to the high corn content in IAMS, and cats just cannot digest this, so they poop out all the undigested crap and it sits and rots in the litter box.

I'm lucky to have a locally owned petstore that sells only organic, holistic, or grain-free foods. Both my dog and cats only get dehydrated salmon treats as opposed to biscuit type treats. The only down side to going grain-free is that if your dog/cat has a sensitive stomach, then any other food or treat with a little bit of grain will upset their stomach.


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## Jack-A-Poo (Aug 21, 2011)

I'm feeding Sasha Fish4Dogs which is grain free, consists mainly of Salmon and potatoes. When she first came to us I had her on Oven Baked Tradition and her poop was always soft so I switched her to Fish4Dogs and her poop has never looked so great ever since. She's doing really well on this and her coat is fabulous. My other 2 JRTs are on Taste of the Wild, they were previously on Oven Baked and California Natural but they seemed to be gaining weight even though I was feeding them the same amount. I'm guessing it was due to their age (they are 8 and 10 years old). After switching them to TOTW, same feeding amount and they're back to their old lean self. Have not tried Orijen because I was afraid the protein may be too high for their age.


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## JE-UK (Mar 10, 2010)

I alternate between Orijen and Acana, and think they are both excellent.

Since switching, I have seen smaller poops, no more ear infections, and nails that grow REALLY fast. And he loves it; I use it for training treats, and all the dogs in the park mug me for their share.

Both the Orijen and Acana are smallish pieces anyway; do you have a toy? My miniature has no problems with the standard piece size.


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## Spindrift (Sep 3, 2011)

That's good to know. He's a mini.

I asked this question in a separate thread, but since there has been no response maybe someone here could answer. My poodle is about a year old or maybe a little older and needs to gain a few pounds. I was wondering if feeding him puppy food would help with that, or is it a bad idea. Thoughts?


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## JE-UK (Mar 10, 2010)

I have no data to back it up, but I have a mistrust of puppy formulas. Before getting my miniature, I had larger breeds, and my dad used to breed Beaucerons, and large breed puppies tend toward joint problems in later life if they grow too fast, so puppy formulas (generally with more calcium and more calories) are a no-no.

I'd suggest asking your vet for advice, but vets seem to be poorly educated on foods; mine keeps recommending Science Diet (ick). 

If it were me, I'd supplement with some high-calorie foods to get weight gain ... olive oil, liver, cheese, sardines, etc.


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## georgiapeach (Oct 9, 2009)

I've been told that puppy food has a high calcium content for growing bones and shouldn't be given to a full grown dog. If you want to put weight on your dog, mix in some canned food with the kibble.


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## sakyurek (Oct 4, 2010)

Grain free ones made my dogs allergic is that normal.


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## tokipoke (Sep 3, 2011)

Spindrift said:


> That's good to know. He's a mini.
> 
> I asked this question in a separate thread, but since there has been no response maybe someone here could answer. My poodle is about a year old or maybe a little older and needs to gain a few pounds. I was wondering if feeding him puppy food would help with that, or is it a bad idea. Thoughts?


If I were in your position, I would probably feed my dog puppy food. I was trying to see when it was a good time to switch my puppy to adult food. I found mixed answers. Many people said at 6 months, others said for large breeds not to switch off puppy food till they are a year old! So giving your dog puppy food wouldn't hurt. Maybe try mixing half puppy food and half adult food?

There is also Satin Balls to make a dog gain weight, but I believe this is for "quick" weight gain for a show dog or a really emaciated dog. I have not tried this myself so could not give you more details on the results.


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## tokipoke (Sep 3, 2011)

sakyurek said:


> Grain free ones made my dogs allergic is that normal.


What are their allergy symptoms? I've heard of some dogs being allergic to certain proteins, such as beef or chicken, but was okay with novel proteins such as venison or bison.


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

Doubt the grain free composition has anything to do with allergy.......if the dogs have allergies as a result of the food, look at the protein and that's probably the culprit. And yes, puppy formula specifically has higher calcium for puppies as they are growing and should not be given to older dogs.


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## Kloliver (Jan 17, 2012)

liljaker said:


> Doubt the grain free composition has anything to do with allergy.......if the dogs have allergies as a result of the food, look at the protein and that's probably the culprit.


Hi Lj,

I respectfully disagree. I wld look to the fillers in any food as the probable allergen. Dogs do not produce the necessary enzymes to sucessfully break down carbs & veggies/cellulose.

Everyone:

Grain free formulas need some sort of binder so companies often use alternative sources like brown rice, barley, potatos (& sweet) or pea (less troublesome.) These also lead to problems as they are high glycemic foods. I'm not saying this is always the problem but food sensitivities generally start with *any* fillers other than protein.


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## Liafast (Apr 9, 2011)

Spindrift said:


> That's good to know. He's a mini.
> 
> I asked this question in a separate thread, but since there has been no response maybe someone here could answer. My poodle is about a year old or maybe a little older and needs to gain a few pounds. I was wondering if feeding him puppy food would help with that, or is it a bad idea. Thoughts?


I suggest you take him to the vet and have his thyroid levels checked, if they are ok then I would consider adding a little canned or puppy food.


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

Spindrift said:


> That's good to know. He's a mini.
> 
> I asked this question in a separate thread, but since there has been no response maybe someone here could answer. My poodle is about a year old or maybe a little older and needs to gain a few pounds. I was wondering if feeding him puppy food would help with that, or is it a bad idea. Thoughts?


Although I am sure there are others on the forum with better knowledge of this, I do specifically recall when Jake was a pup, the vet telling me that you should not feed "puppy formula" beyond 6 months or whatever, since the amount of calcium, etc., would be too high. I think you should find an adult food that is nutritious, and some are better for dogs needing to add a few pounds, etc., but I'd ask the vet rather than just using the puppy forumlas now.


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## Persia (Oct 14, 2010)

During travels Persia gets kibble and I feed her Wilderness.
You can find it at Petsmart and it is not expensive.

Grain free or the Brand is not the only thing that should catch your attention, but also the ingredients and fillers.

Example: 
A Duck formula in Wilderness also contains chicken and turkey.
The Salmon formula also contains white fish.

Peas make Persia poop a lot and sometimes it is watery.

Some formulas (not Wilderness)
use pea flour, pea starch, and peas in a single bag!
That is what is probably causing the soft poop.
Irregular poops leads to stomach upset.

On Wilderness Persia goes once a day and it is moist firm.
On RAW she goes once a day and it is firm.

If the food is Ok'd for your dog's consumption I suggest an extra 1/2 cup to a cup for weight gain.

They gain weight fast on kibble.


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## Carley's Mom (Oct 30, 2011)

I am in the process of switching form Blue to TOTW. I don't think my dogs like it as well. I got the lamb and I think I will try a differant favor and see if they like it better. It cost less and they will ship it right to your door!


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

For people whose pets have sensitivities, etc., I have found that Wellness Simple -- limited ingredient grain free kibble is nice. Sunny is on duck currently -- since I feed him Nature's Variety Instinct frozen raw, it's pretty rich, so the limited ingredients work fine for him. I am considering trying the NV limited ingredient grain free kibble; I think they have one too. Orijen is too rich for Sunny, or at least it was when I first got him 6 months ago -- and never tried TOTW. Jake did well on Orijen. I also picked up a sample bag of Acana grain free -- I think Wild Prairie, so I may try it once I finish with Wellness.


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

Kloviver: My comment was that grain-free should not be the reason why the allergic reaction is there. Obviously, it would be a filler or something, but that's why it is important to look at ingredients. My post was that being grain-free alone is not a cause of an allergy.....sorry I was not clearer.


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## rikkia (Nov 5, 2011)

I'm a massive fan of symplypetfoods.co.uk 

They weigh the protein sources by dry weight instead of weight prior to drying and water extraction. Fillers are rice/potato instead of grains and oils/fats are listed for example currently Poppy is on the Lamb and Rice adult mix which has a minimum of 9% Sunflower Oil for the fats. A final bonus for me is that where possible all ingredients are sourced from within the UK.


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