Why Your Pet Needs a Grain-Free Organic Diet
With the rise of organic and gluten-free food options, it’s no surprise that people are becoming increasingly keen to feed their pets a wholesome, natural diet, too. We explore below the main benefits that a grain-free and organic diet can deliver to your furry friends and how you can go about providing it to them.
Why Grains Should Go
Grains would not make up a natural part of a dog or cat’s diet in the wild, and, as a result, their digestive system can sometimes struggle to cope with this foodstuff. A significant amount of dogs suffer from gluten intolerance, which is often undiagnosed, meaning that wheat and barley (found in many ranges of pet food) can cause your dog to experience significant discomfort. Gluten intolerance can also manifest in poor skin and coat condition, unexplained rashes, and itchiness, as well as bad breath and lethargy.
Grain in the diet has also been linked to dog and cat obesity, as food and treats high in grain tend to be calorie-rich; for dog breeds that tend to have a low metabolic rate, this can be particularly problematic. There are many grain-free options available now, however, which can make life a lot more comfortable for your and your fur baby. Have a look at https://www.top10.com/pet-food-delivery-services/reviews/pet-plate for an example of a pet food delivery service that offers high-quality, healthy, natural dog food that has been created to support good gut health. As well as including protein, each meal also contains a selection of fruit and vegetables as well as, for example, brown rice, salmon oil, and quinoa. All of the food has been created and prepared to human-grade standards and carefully nutritionally balanced.
High proportions of grain in food can also make your pet much more likely to suffer from bad breath: it’s usually caused by indigestion and poor gut health, often experienced by animals that have a gluten intolerance.
Finally, many of the grains used in pet food are highly processed, which can be bad news for your pet’s health in many ways; due to this processing, much of the nutritional element of the ingredient is lost, resulting in your dog consuming lots of empty calories, making them much more liable to weight gain.
Why Opt For Organic?
Aside from the health benefits to your pet, there is a strong ethical case for opting for an organic dog or cat food: to qualify as organic; the highest welfare standards must be met in terms of how the animals that supply the meat are reared and cared for. For many people, this is an important consideration when it comes to choosing both their own and their pet’s food.
In terms of health, selecting organic choices means that there is less chance of hormones or potentially harmful chemicals finding their way into your pet’s body via their food; it is thought that some of the by-products consumed as a result of eating non-organic food could be responsible for both our animals’ allergies and our own.
Organic pet food has also been linked with improved digestion, overall better health, and increased longevity.
Grain-Free And Organic Options
As mentioned above, there are now many ranges available offering organic, natural, and grain-free pet food and several suppliers that will deliver to your door, too.
Another option that you could consider is to make your pet’s own food, ensuring that all of the ingredients used are organic. It may be easier than you think: boiled chicken breast, tinned tuna (in water, not brine or oil), boiled rice, and bone broth are all easily prepared options that are packed with vitamins and minerals. If you decide to feed your pet an entirely homemade diet, it is a good idea to consult with your vet to be sure that you are meeting all of your dog or cats’ nutritional requirements.
Raw diets are also becoming popular for pets, and several suppliers are offering this option, and, again, most will deliver. The idea behind a raw diet is that it provides dogs with only the food they would naturally eat in the wild: typically, raw meat, bones, and vegetables. This diet has been linked to improved gut health and the alleviation or prevention of the symptoms of arthritis. It may be especially beneficial to working dogs, as it has been shown to enhance performance and speed up healing times.
Are Grain-Free And Organic Foods More Expensive?
You will usually find that grain-free https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/fda-grain-free-diet-alert-dcm/ and organic ranges are more expensive than their processed counterparts; this is usually because the meat content is much higher, and meat is a more expensive ingredient than refined grains, which are usually considered a ‘filler.’
However, many suppliers offer discounts on bulk orders, and, as well as potentially keeping your pet healthier and happier; it is worth considering the money that may be saved in vet bills down the line by using an organic, grain-free diet to manage digestive intolerances.
And to seal the deal: dogs on a grain-free diet suffer from significantly less gas.
