Corn?

[sheltieluver4]

Hello everyone,

Well, I have a question, I know corn is very bad to have in dog food, but what can corn do to harm your pet?? I have always wondered that but could never figure out why,:confused: I mean, I've fed my shelties Purina, most of their lives, and they really love it, their skin and coat is really nice, but now that a lot of people are telling me corn is bad, I would like to know why so I dont harm Basil with it.

Thank you in advance,

Sheltie

[skunkstripe]

Hi Sheltielover,
I think the basic answer is that dogs are meant to eat meat and not vegetables or grain.
Eating Purina will not kill your dog, just like if you were to eat nothing but potatoes won't kill you either. It is just that a diet with a higher amount of protein is supposed to be better.
Really, I am not going to tell anyone what they should feed their dogs or say that brand so-and-so is "garbage". My motto is: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".
If you and your dogs are happy and healthy, fine. I became a 'convert' after switching to a better brand solved Zircie's itchings problem. I had been feeding him stuff like Beneful and Kibbles'n'Bits. I switched to Canidae, now he and Sophia get Nutro and whatver raw stuff I can scrounge (like heart, tripe, and bones). Their teeth are white, have no stains, they have no BO and their fur is really shiny. Sometimes I say I should eat that stuff!

[opokki]

This is just my opinion -

Corn is not "bad" and is no more likely to harm your pet than any other vegetable or grain. The main purpose of corn (meal, grits, or ground) and other grains in pet food is to supply energy but they also supply small amounts of other nutrients. Corn gluten meal is added as a source of protein, corn bran as a source of fiber, and corn oil as a source of fat.

Almost all dry foods have more grains than meat regardless of how the ingredients are listed on the label. The quality of the corn used matters too. Low quality brands are likely to use low quality ingredients. There are a few high quality brands that include corn in their formulas including Back To Basics & Wysong, both of which have made the WDJ top dry foods lists in the past.

One of the arguments I that I often hear against corn is that it is the #1 allergen. The truth is - dogs are no more likely to develop an allergy to corn than they are to any other protein/gluten containing ingredient. Dogs also develop allergies to eggs, beef, chicken, lamb, barley, ect. especially now that these ingredients are more abundant in pet foods.

Another argument that I often hear is that corn is a filler and that dogs can't digest it. In general, dogs do not digest plant products well because their bodies do not produce the enzyme cellulase which is necessary to breakdown the cellulose walls in plant matter. Grinding and cooking (as is done during the processing of pet fodos) also breaks down cellulose allowing for plant material to be easily digested. My understanding of "fillers" is that they are ingredients used to bulk up the food but this does not mean that they are undigestible or worthless.

The only disadvantage that I see with corn is that it is one of the ingredients that is prone to contamination with aflatoxin. Good manufacturers test for this prior to using it in their foods.

[Becky]

Corn isn't "bad," by that I mean it won't do a thing to your dog unless he/she has allergies to it. The problem with many pet food companies is that they make the majority of the food with grains (including corn). Dogs are descendants of carnivores (the debate, IMHO is still up to whether or not our companions actually are carnivores or omnivores), and most agree that they should have a meat-based diet. It is however, a cheap (possibly less digestible) protein source, not a poison.

I think you'll find that many dogs do better on a diet with much less corn. If your dogs do great on Purina, that's good. My personal experience/opinion is that many dogs do better on foods such as Canidae or Eagle Pack (sp. the Holistic line). That's not saying all dogs do better with those foods... I've heard more than one story of dogs whom do poorly on Holistic type foods but great on ones such as Purina or Science Diet. Every dog is different :) .

[sheltieluver4]

See, but I never had a dog that get allergic before, so if Basil is allergic to corn, what are some signs?:confused: And I'm looking at that brand Canidae,and Nautral Bal. But I've never seen Canidae before, has any notice a difference as far as health,and a shnier coat,teeth,good skin, less pooing??


I'm so excited about getting Basil, so I want the best for her

Thank you,

Sheltie

[opokki]

Signs of an allergy might include exessive scratching itching, self trauma, skin lesions.

I bought a few bags of Canidae just to try and my dogs loved it. I only used a couple small bags so I can't say how they did on it cause I didn't give it a fair trial. If you have a Pet Supplies Plus in your area you might be able to find it there, that is where I bought mine.

[sheltieluver4]

Do you think maybe a petco or petsmart would have the brand??

[skunkstripe]

I don't think they woukd have Canidae but they might have the others. If you go to the Canidae web site you can find the little pet stores that carry it. Maybe there is one near you. For all I know the other brands mentioned also have pet store locators on their sites.

[sheltieluver4]

Thank you very much, I did go to their website, and I found a couple of stores, but like I said on the other post I'mjust going to finish the bag of puppy chow and then make the switch slowly:D



Thank you everyone!!!

[Cheetah]

One of the arguments I that I often hear against corn is that it is the #1 allergen. The truth is - dogs are no more likely to develop an allergy to corn than they are to any other protein/gluten containing ingredient. Dogs also develop allergies to eggs, beef, chicken, lamb, barley, ect. especially now that these ingredients are more abundant in pet foods.

I avoid corn for a few reasons. For one, Eevee is allergic to it. For another, it's not the #1 allergen (that would be beef) but the #2 (straight from the nutritionist I consult with). Also, my boyfriend is severely allergic to most dogs. Strange thing is, he's not allergic to mine. I have a theory that it's connected to the food (although regular bathing and brushingcould be helpful...).

[opokki]

For another, it's not the #1 allergen (that would be beef) but the #2 (straight from the nutritionist I consult with).

It seems to vary depending on who you ask. Maybe corn is currently the #2 allergen or maybe it was the #2 allergen at one time, regardless the last sentance in the quote below makes a lot of sense as to why it might be.

Quoted from: Canine and Feline Nutrition by Case, Carey, Hirakawa, Daristotle. p.445 -
"Beef, soy, and dairy products are the most common causes of food allergies in dogs and cats. Other dietary ingredients to which dogs and cats have developed allergies include wheat, pork, chicken, corn, horse meat, egg, and fish. It appears that these ingredients are common allergens because they are often used in pet foods, thus increasing the likelihood of exposure, as opposed to any characteristics that confer unique antigenicity."

[rwm5908]

Yes, I tend to agree,Corn is the new boggy-man out there at this time,maybe next year it will be something else.
We have to be careful of all the marketing hype,
Such as Our Food has "NO" this or that item leading people to believe that the "NO" item THAT is not in their food ,is bad,such may not be the case.
I f you feed the same"complete and balanced" so called diets day in and day out they can develop food intolerances to any ingredient.
RWM