Comments on: Understanding grain-free dog foods and heart problems

By: Mary Coles

Mary Coles — Sat, 29 Jun 2026 03:04:11 +0000

I breed Golden Retrievers and always researching the best diet for them. That Dr Lisa Freeman article was so damaging to the poor small manufacturers. It is so hard to find a low carb kibble for dogs. For some reason my dogs don’t like freeze dried food. I absolutely loved Healthy Everyday Pets Kibble as it was low carb but unfortunately went into receivership. Love this site and always recommend it to my new puppy owners-keep up the fantastic job you do Dave!

By: Amanda

Amanda — Fri, 12 Jan 2026 20:57:22 +0000

In reply to Liz Royal. Agree! It does not have to be expensive or difficult. Chuck a sardine in their food, chicken hearts (which are $3-$5 at woollies.) If you’re worried about balancing their diet, use a premium air dried or freeze dried dog food and add to it to keep costs down. A bit of yogurt, tinned sardines, egg, some frozen berries and whatever meat is on sale, and a chicken neck here and there is not going to break your budget.

By: Pet Food Judge (America)

Pet Food Judge (America) — Thu, 11 Jan 2026 17:20:40 +0000

In reply to Liz Royal. Very well said

By: Liz Royal

Liz Royal — Wed, 10 Jan 2026 00:48:48 +0000

Seriously people?! It doesn’t have to be that complicated! Dogs are animals just like us but being predominantly carnivorous naturally require a high animal protein diet in the form of a variety of raw meats including fish, or fish oils, eggs with the shells (for calcium). Here’s a thought… if you really want to see a happy dog, how about the occasional raw meaty bone? Mine get a raw brisket bone twice a week. They each eat the whole thing on their own towel on the kitchen floor. Happy days! How healthy do you think you or your family would be if you were given nothing but the same dried food morning and night day in and day out? Would you feed your children that way even if the label (marketing) stated ‘balanced diet’? Is there any wonder that our dogs are having to deal with all sorts of health issues… obesity, diabetes, gum disease, skin issues, arthritis? Not to mention anxiety and depression resulting in obsessive compulsive and or destructive behaviors? Do some research into raw home made foods for dogs and take control of your dog’s health and ditch the money making corporates. They’re not in it for the health of your dogs. It’s all about the $$$$

By: Pet Food Judge (America)

Pet Food Judge (America) — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 16:02:23 +0000

In reply to Liz. Hi Liz, what have you been feeding him so far? Low fat dog foods tend to be higher in carbohydrates which I consider counter-productive. I've written about this more on the page on pancreatic and low fat dog foods which may offer useful information. If you're feeding a vet recommended diet then the wet formulas are less carbohydrates and usually more meat-based.

By: Liz

Liz — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 06:41:58 +0000

Hi
I have an American Terrier 8 years old who has been diabetic for 3 years now, on quite high insulin requirement. Feeding a variety of food would be challenging, and is hard to find a consistent feed resume to stay on, having a variety, with adequate animal protein, enough good fibre, low calorie diet, which has to be weighed correctly. It would be detrimental to him to keep changing his food resume and would be very hard to monitor his insulin. Generally I agree with all your information, but am in an extremely difficult situation keeping him healthy, with good suitable food. Any advise would be appreciated. Thank you

By: Eva Lawrence

Eva Lawrence — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 09:35:44 +0000

I think most dog parents miss the point. Instead of debating on grain-free vs. grain-based diets, we should be paying closer attention to the unique needs of our pets. Some dogs might do well on a grain-free diet, while others will need carbs to stay healthy. It’s best to consult a vet or read product labels on sites like Petco or PetCareRx before switching your dog to any new diet.

By: Pet Food Judge (America)

Pet Food Judge (America) — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 10:49:15 +0000

In reply to Suzanne.

Hi Suzanne, the first red flag is the conflict of interest statement – “Dr. Adin acknowledges research support from Nestle Purina PetCare”. It may say the findings or conclusions did not influence the study, but that doesn’t mean the purpose of the study wasn’t influenced. It was also a retrospective study based on pet food formulations no longer in production today.

The key point neglected by all these studies is lack of animal ingredients. Whether packed out with grains or grain-free ingredients is completely misleading, and makes these studies laughable. The findings in the study may not be anything to do with grain or grain free ingredients whatsoever, instead being a difference in the added vitamin and minerals which make up a small percentage of the formulas. These are often the minimum required nutrition (as per current understanding) for a dog to stay healthy. Get that wrong, with consistent feeding of a processed commercial dog food, will have severe repercussions.

Real considered studies would investigation how lack of animal ingredients in processed commercial dog foods can cause not only DCM, but most diet-related illnesses in dogs. Unfortunately science as rational as this doesn’t sell product.

By: Suzanne

Suzanne — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 11:52:20 +0000

Hello Pet Food Judge,
I’m wondering if you have seen this report and if so what your thoughts may be. I have recently changed my dogs to grain free dry food and would be interested to hear your opinion. I had read your review regarding the research into grain free and agreed with your comments. I would be interested for your thoughts about the research done and the conclusions.

Thank you
Suzanne

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33741312/

By: Pet Food Judge (America)

Pet Food Judge (America) — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 12:25:10 +0000

In reply to Tim. Hi Tim, when it comes to grain-inclusive foods I tend to prefer those with grains such as oats or barley, or brown rice to an extent. I see wheat (or "cereals") as a red flag, and in my experience seem to be common causes of health issues. Brands like LifeWise and Canidae All Life Stages spring to mind, but there are many others. Holistic Select is another possibility available at some of the bigger pet stores.