Why Buy Gluten Free Dog Foods

Like humans, dogs can have allergies. One of the more common allergies is a gluten allergy. This particular allergy among dogs was given the spotlight after thousands of pets died from pet food made with wheat gluten. The deaths of these pets caused the massive pet food recalls which happened between 2006 and 2008.

Because of these incidents, veterinarians and scientists began looking into the pet food and how gluten really affects dogs. Their studies first discovered that many commercial pet foods used more gluten than meat or used it in equal portions. Some veterinarians and researchers felt this could be one of the reasons why more dogs these days are developing chronic and/or degenerative illnesses, such as diabetes. Apart from that, other studies revealed that some dogs, particularly Irish Setters, can develop Celiac's disease, which is an illness brought on by gluten intolerance. The illness damages the dog's digestive system causing weight loss and/or malnutrition due to diarrhea and vomiting.

These findings led to further research and studies, which revealed that dogs who are fed with table scraps tend to live longer than dogs fed on a commercial dog food diet. Other research has also shown that pets who have been switched to gluten-free dog food improve tremendously in terms of physical activity and health.

Given their conclusions, many veterinarians now agree that dogs should be fed with gluten-free foods. They want to the public to know that there is a difference between buying something that is wheat-free and something that is gluten-free. It is rather difficult to find foods that are free of non-wheat gluten sources, which is why home-cooked dog food and raw dog food have become such popular diet trends. There are a number of gluten-free dog food recipes available online, which often follow either the home-cooked food diet or the raw dog food diet.

Pet owners are now being advised to be aware of gluten allergies and the symptoms of the allergy itself or the diseases it can lead to. Symptoms like dry and itchy skin, loss of appetite, frequent yeast infections in the ear, foul flatulence, and loose stool. If an owner notices these symptoms in their pet, they are asked to scrutinize the ingredients in their pet food and/or change their pet's diet, as well as see a veterinarian for advise on what they should be feeding their dogs.