Why Grain Free Food For Your Pets.

WELL MY 11 YEAR OLD JACK RUSSELL TERRIER WOULD BEG TO DIFFER…

HE HAS JUST RECENTLY STARTED JUMPING FOR JOY!

This is the story of my dog Sambo and his switch to a grain-free diet.  It might also seem like a story about poop.  Because – let’s be honest – poop consistency is a big issue with a food change.  It’s the main reason why there was this 2 week journey to transition from the old to the new.  In the end, all of the food measuring and doody discourse was worth seeing some extra spring in my old man’s step!

Why did it take so long  - and what finally got me to switch?  

I will start with an admission – I was lazy.  Six years ago Sambo needed to lose 5 lbs and was placed on low-cal food, per Dr. Matthew Wheaton.  He immediately lost the weight – but I never switched him to “normal” food.  Sam is a healthy boy – so he wasn’t at the vet much.  But every time he was in for maintenance - a grain-free diet was recommended.  Dr. Wheaton drew up a chart showing a food measurement transition period – and for some reason it looked too daunting.  I figured that since I was buying his low-cal food from the vet – it had to be fine.  So for years – I did nothing.  But then - drum roll please… I started working for Dr. Wheaton.  For a while I continued to buy the grain-filled, low-cal food even though I was mercilessly heckled by the nurses.  And then one day I commented on how strange it was that every time I went to get his bag of food from the food storage closet there was always just one – I was told this was because I was the only client that still bought it.  The horror!  It was then I knew.. it was time to make my move.  I finally did it.  I bought my first bag of Acana.   

The Switch.

Days 1-3 (food serving ratio: 1/8 new food, 7/8 old food):  Sambo picked his old food out of the bowl, spit in on the ground and ate just the Acana.  Thankfully after I tossed the old food back in the bowl he returned and ate it.  I am guessing he appreciated the fact that he was eating real meat, veggies and fruit for the first time ever – well except for when he begs and we give in.  I never took the time to actually read what was in his old food – and I should have.  But unless you are feeding your dog actual grain-free food – you are feeding him rendered meat-and-bone-meal, poultry by-product meal, grains, and flours that are usually sprayed with fat, digests, or other compounds to make it more palatable.  Gross!  Anyhow, at this point texting about poop consistency and frequency with my boyfriend became at least a twice daily event… true romance.  But at the beginning of day 3 – things are looking pretty good.  Dr. Wheaton said that once we had made the 2 week “transition” Sambo might lose a little weight AND poop less – win/win! 

Days 4-6 (food serving ratio: 1/4 new food, 3/4 old food):  It’s day 4 – and hold the above thought.  So - my dog who usually poops 1 – 2 times a day… ended up going FOUR times on day 3 AND… one of those times was 2:00 a.m.  What the heck?  His scratching at the end of my bed woke me – and then the loudest, foulest burst of gas my little guy has ever passed wafted through the bedroom forcing me out bed and across the street to his potty corner.  Other than picking at his food and terrible gas – things went well days 5 and 6.  And all things considered – these things are nothing to complain about.

Days 7-9  (food serving ratio: 1/2 new food, 1/2 old food):  Thankfully the middle of the night bathroom emergency only occurred that one time.  His poop has had shape since day 1 and he is usually going only twice a day.  No diarrhea – nothing out of the ordinary – and we are half way there!  Whoo hoo!  His farts still wake me out of a sound sleep.  But I am hoping this too shall gas – I mean pass. 

Days 10-12 (food serving ratio: 3/4 new food, 1/4 old food):  The gas... it is bad!  BUT I keep reminding myself that Sambo’s health is WAY more important than my nostrils.  He still spits his old food out and eats the Acana first – but he always goes back and finishes everything.  Day 11.. Long day at work.. walk through the door - what is that thing on the stairs?  Oh – it’s poop.  Sambo never poops in the house- and who poops on a stair?  That takes serious balance. Luckily (for my new carpet) it is nothing messy.  At least the transition period is keeping him from having an upset stomach.  Today has been another 4 poop day – which I am hoping remains a rarity. 

Days 13-15 (food serving ratio: 7/8 new food, 1/8 old food):  Things are still good.  The gas is the same – the food picking is the same – the occasional 4-poop day remains – but his poop still has shape.  So tomorrow I start serving straight Acana. 

After the transition.  Was it worth it?  My answer is - 100% yes!  The switch was easy – the measuring was easy. It has been a few weeks and Sambo is happy and loves his food.  Bonus - I am no longer the lazy mom.  His poop is actually firmer and shaped even better than before the switch began.  I will admit that he may poop an extra time per day on occasion and that I think the super stinky gas might be permanent - but I know this was the best thing I could have done for my furkid.  Anything to keep him healthier and happier - and maybe stop him from crossing the bridge too soon.  I will continue to do whatever I can for him – but really it’s just as much for me. 

A side note about Sambo’s gas from a spokesperson from Champion Petfoods: “It is quite a common reaction for dogs to experience gas, especially on a high protein diet like ACANA and ORIJEN. Meat is comprised largely of protein, and protein, in turn, is made up of amino acids. One of the main elements in amino acids is Nitrogen. In addition to this, two amino acids – methionine and cystine – also contain Sulfur. When protein is digested, the resulting byproducts include hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan and methane (gas). This is why we get a lovely “bouquet” of smelly gas, as it is all part of the natural digestion of meat. In most cases the excessive gas will start to decrease as the digestive system adjusts to the higher amounts of protein.”

Champion Petfoods (maker of Acana and Orijen) states that grain free is “biologically appropriate” for dogs and cats.  Just like their wild cousins, our dogs and cats are carnivores.  They are equipped with sharp teeth and a body evolved to metabolize animal proteins and fats.  They are not only capable of eating food like their ancestors, but require it for peak health.

Protein intake in grain-free food should mirror that of which dogs and cats would encounter in nature.  The more protein in a pet’s food the less room there is for carbohydrates.  Protein is essential for dogs and cats where they have absolutely no need for carbs.  Carbohydrates such as rice and corn are empty calories that provide little nutritional value and may cause blood sugar to rise and fall – an action that affects diabetes, insulin resistance and obesity in cats and dogs.  Unlike canned food, which can be made with just meat, dry kibble requires carbohydrates to bind ingredients and make them dough-like.  Grain free food uses fresh fruits and vegetables instead of glycemic grains such as corn and rice.  The only grain used in Champion Petfoods is steel cut oats which rates among the healthiest of carbs with a lower glycemic index (a system ranking carbs based on their effect on blood sugar).

Not only are grains like corn, rice and wheat a frequent cause of canine allergies they can also be more difficult for a dog to digest.  This is because many plant-eating animals (herbivores) possess something many carnivores usually lack… salivary amylase.  Amylase is an enzyme that most herbivores and omnivores (like us humans) produce in their saliva. It’s needed to begin the breakdown of starchy carbohydrates into simple sugars before they enter the stomach.  Dogs also produce amylase. But the enzyme is added further down the digestive tract… in the small intestine.  Because a carnivore’s saliva is mostly amylase-free, carbohydrates can be more difficult for your pet to digest.

Alicia Pet Care Center recommends and carries:  Acana (for Dogs and Cats), Orijen (for Dogs)and Ziwi Peak (for Cats).  http://www.mypetsdr.com/