Health Food Labels on Dog Food – What do They all Mean?
The health food market is big business for us humans, and over recent years we have seen our health trends coming through into the dog food market too.
From hypoallergenic dog foods, to gluten-free treats. There is a huge array of products aimed at health-conscious dog owners.
But are any of the claims these products make actually of benefit to dogs?
Carole Sandhu (BSc (Hons) MSc RD) is a Companion Animal Nutritionist, who has over 25 years of experience in nutrition and dietetics. She takes a look behind the marketing and delves into what dog food labels really mean.
Do Grain-Free Diets Help Dogs with Skin Allergies?
Many companies who make grain-free diets suggest that they may be helpful for dogs with allergies. What they don’t tell us is that food allergies in dogs are not that common.
Food may have some relationship to their itchy skin or other symptoms such as diarrhoea/vomiting (also known as gastrointestinal symptoms). However, many other more likely causes have nothing to do with their diet.
For example, loose stools may be due to bacterial infections, pancreatitis, or simply eating something they shouldn’t. Dogs may have loose stools with some dog foods but not others, and in many cases, this relates to the fat or fibre content of the food.
In other words, an intolerance rather than an allergy. In terms of skin reactions, environmental allergens such as dust mites, grasses, pollen, and fleas are much more common in dogs than food allergies, but the skin symptoms are similar.
Do Food Allergy Tests for Dogs Work?
Unfortunately, there isn’t a reliable test for food allergies. Equally, there is no evidence that tests which use blood, saliva, and hair samples to diagnose skin allergies actually work.
In a recent study, tests were shown to diagnose a food allergy when the sample contained only water!
How Common are Gluten Allergies in Dogs?
Gluten-free diets are marketed as a good option for us humans who suffer symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and are absolutely necessary for Coeliac Disease. We now see many gluten-free diets and treats available for dogs. Gluten allergies seem to be very rare in dogs, and the only breeds who have shown to react to gluten have been Irish Setters and Border Terriers.
Can My Dog Eat Carbohydrates?
Dogs are omnivores and although they have no specific requirement for carbohydrate they can digest carbohydrate well and use it as a source of energy.
One of the things which distinguish the dog’s genes from those of the wolf is that dogs can make amylase, the digestive enzyme that is used to digest starch.
This shows that they evolved from wolves to be able to eat carbohydrates as part of their diet.
Each carbohydrate source is a bit different. Sweet potatoes and oats are high in soluble fibre which helps to keep the dog fuller for longer. Grains are good sources of insoluble fibre to aid healthy digestion and pulses like lentils are higher in protein.
Therefore, carbohydrates are not just fillers they provide other valuable nutrients to the diet. There is little evidence that carbohydrates are harmful to dogs. However, one situation where it may be helpful to reduce dietary carbohydrates would be in a pet who has been diagnosed with Diabetes. Avoiding a high carbohydrate diet can improve blood sugar levels.
What is a Hypoallergenic Diet?
There are no completely hypoallergenic diets. The nearest thing we have to this is hydrolyzed diets.
Food allergies occur when the dog’s immune system identifies a protein in the dog’s food as being an invader. This, in turn, triggers an immune response which may result in skin issues or gut issues (vomiting and diarrhoea). It is thought this happens when whole proteins find their way across the wall of the intestine instead of being broken down into their smaller chains first.
A hydrolyzed food has had the long protein chains chopped down into smaller parts (amino acids). Therefore, there is no chance of a whole protein being absorbed across the wall of the intestine and so less likelihood of an allergic reaction.
Is There Such A Thing as a Natural Diet for Dogs?
There is no regulation around the word, ‘natural’ and it is often placed on foods to make them appear healthier when in fact the food can be high in fat.
Even if a treat is handmade, always check the amount of fat because although there may not be any colours and preservatives. A fat content of 15% – 20% is a medium-fat food. Anything more than 20% is high fat.
In general, be wary of treats that do not state the fat content as it is likely they are around 19% or higher.
For healthier treats, aim for less than 10% fat (5% for dogs who need to lose weight or have pancreatitis).
What Does Human Grade Dog Food Mean?
Until only recently, there was no legal definition of ‘human grade.’ However, now foods labelled as ‘human grade’ must be ‘stored, handled, processed in a manner that is consistent and compliant with regulations for human edible foods’
A good guide is to check that the food or treats are DEFRA approved which indicates that the food will have been handled and processed in the same way as human food.
What Are Organic Dog Foods?
Organic foods are thought of as having been grown without pesticides but in fact, they are treated with pesticides, just different ones from those used in conventional foods.
The ones used in organic foods cannot be synthetic and have to be certified for use in organic food production but this doesn’t mean that they are any safer.
Breed Specific Dog Food
This is particularly beneficial for puppy food because large breed dogs are more prone to orthopedic problems in later life. Therefore, puppy food aimed specifically at large breeds has been formulated to have lower amounts of calcium and phosphorous for healthy bone development.
Once the puppy reaches adulthood feeding a large breed diet is less important.
Some breeds are susceptible to particular issues. For example, the Miniature Schnauzer is prone to pancreatitis. What is important is that the dog is given the correct therapeutic diet for their condition which, in the case of pancreatitis, would be a low-fat diet.
Healthy Balanced Dog Treats
Carole has put her knowledge and expertise to use and created her own range of tasty, healthy dog treats, called Dogs Delight.
The treats come with a range of health benefits and 19 of the 21 varieties contain only 5% fat, making them suitable for all dogs including those with special dietary requirements.
You can discover the whole range of Dogs Delight Dog Treats here.
A huge thank you to Carole for sharing her knowledge with us. My younger dog Gertie has suffered from allergies since she was a puppy, so it’s been so useful to learn about the truth behind dog food labels.
Do you have a dog who suffers from allergies or food intolerances? If so, we’d love to hear from you.
Woofs and Wags
Kate, Pops and Gerts
xox
References
Axelsson, E. Ratnakumar, A. Arendt, M-I, Linbland-Toh, K.2013. The genomic signature of dog domestication reveals adaptation to a starch-rich diet. Nature 495 (7441).
FEDIAF The European pet Food industry Federation. Nutritional Guidelines for Complete and Complementary Pet Food for Cats and Dogs.
PlantingaaM.H.G.LeistrabJ.D.SinkebM.W.VroomcH.F.J.SavelkouldW.H.Hendriksae. Vet Journal vol 2017. Vol 220 pp 111-116