Pet Nutritionist Explains Grain Free vs Grain Inclusive Pet Foods | Which is Better?

[@Hedwig-gj2di]

Thanks for the info! I have the same canvas prints of the tree behind you!! Got mine at Goodwill last year. You have good style! Again, thanks for the video.

[@Becca8Becca]

I wouldn’t totally discount the grain free causing heart problems. I worked as a vet tech for several years and personally saw dogs that were on grain free diets come in with DCM and after we recommended switching to grain inclusive diets, they recovered. We worked with actual veterinary cardiologists and they saw the same results many times.

[@philliplee7658]

My dog has left ventricular disfunction (pre-DCM) and her internist, cardiologist and neurologist have all strongly recommended that we transition her from her current grain free diet to a grain-inclusive diet in order to see if the ventricular disfunction improves and to mitigate the risks for the surgery that she needs. I trust these specialists as well as her family veterinarian who all have much more knowledge on the subject than I do.

[@S-O-T]

In August 2021, researchers from Tufts University published a study that indicated that peas may be a leading dog food ingredient contributing to a rise in diet-associated canine heart disease (DCM) in dogs.10 Aug 2021

[@sheldondrewett4123]

Easy solution don't buy cheap grain free brands, orijen & several others don't carry pea & lentil protein enough or at all to cause dcm

[@cooliipie]

What do you say this is the same for cats???

[@BruhMoment-kk2kb]

@@sheldondrewett4123 you sure they’re safe? orijen was ranked with others causing dcm

[@thefiercedeity9058]

Its nice to hear this from a professional! A year ago when I first got my puppy, everyoneeee was telling me how terrible grain free food was, yes even the vet, but I did real research & found that those studies weren’t 100%. My pup is happy & healthy as ever.

[@meganpasternak8540]

She is not a professional. So many dogs are dying from grain-free foods and it is 100% preventable. Listen to your veterinarian and not random youtubers!

[@MMO34454]

@@meganpasternak8540 why are you being such a hater. She is sharing her knowledge, people have options on what to feed their dogs. And she clearly states you can feed your dog what you want.

[@sheldondrewett4123]

@@meganpasternak8540 not only are you a hater but you're info couldn't be farther from the truth 😐😐😐 stop it

[@kathybrem880]

@@meganpasternak8540no they’re really not, two of my dogs died of old age, but they were on grain free and NEVER had any heart problems

[@janelle4700]

I love your videos about all the dog food brands and reviews!🙌 What I don’t understand is why sooooo many people think that if someone isn’t a certified “veterinarian or vet tech” that the person talking about pet nutrition knows nothing when vets were never taught proper pet nutrition. They were taught to be a vet. Any person that is knowledgeable of pet food and even better to be certified nutritionist or trainer or behaviorist knows more about pet health then some vet since the all those things they are certified in actually go along with what their certification is and what they teach others. So I believe that peas in dog food are fine but if there is not enough meat and more peas obviously that is not enough meat protein, and then some grains in the food is fine but over 1-2 grains in the food, like the peas and pea splitting, isn’t good either and lowers the protein from the meat. It’s about balance. Whatever is working for someone dog is good just no wheat, soy, or corn since it’s low quality and crap no matter what brand it’s in. I’m hoping more people learn to have an open mind about pet nutrition coming from more then just a standard vet that doesn’t no much.

[@Art_Of_Stew]

A little disconcerting that what we think we know is constantly being flipped upside down. Trust the science, and then trust it again when it completely contradicts itself

[@katiedrumheiser]

actually, grain free food IS linked to DCM. the fiber in legumes limits taurine absorption. legumes also contain very little methionine content, the amino acid required to make taurine. dogs cannot synthesize methionine and must get it from their diet. grains however DO contain a lot of methionine content which allows for ample taurine synthesis. that being said, not all dogs eating a grain free diet will develop DCM. genetics also play a major role, as well as size and health of the animal. I did my capstone on this topic and found a link between genetics, miRNA, and different nutrient values within the body. you are correct that grain free diets are not the solitary cause for DCM, but they can and DO play a major role in certain dogs developing it, so it cannot be said that grain free diets aren’t linked to DCM at all. there is also a taurine-deficient DCM in canines (specifically retrievers and spaniels) that is caused ONLY by taurine deficiency. some of these dogs will develop DCM even with a grain inclusive diet, they just have some other genetic or metabolic component contributing to their disease process, but in these breeds, eating a grain free diet 100% increases their risk of developing it. but only about 1-3% of the entire dog population will ever show signs of this specific disease, so, even though it’s the second most described heart disease in canines, not many will get it.

[@Terepin64]

Care to share scientific paper about this issue?

[@edd752010]

The way I think about it is, are wolves in the wild out looking for wheat, corn and rice, ect… , no they aren’t. Isn’t their diet the most natural for k-9s? Given I’m sure that their diet on Herbivores would give them a certain amount a Taurine?

[@Terepin64]

@@edd752010 Bud dogs are omnivores, not carnivores. Unlike cats.

[@autumnmesple7966]

Yeah I did this thing where I subtracted number of cases based on breeds/ sizes that are predisposed to DCM or a taurine deficiency and the number of cases (just based on the fda report) went from 380 to 68 cases. While this isnt perfectly accurate I think It shows that just the diet really doesnt have as much effect as it seems

[@melbapeach162]

@@edd752010 dogs are not wolves.

[@luketooth]

Love the fact your making these top quality info videos , helps a new dog owner get up to speed on the ins and outs of pet food quality etc so thankyou from me!

[@gingertunstall7739]

I would love to see a comparison/review of canned foods since you recommend them over kibble.

[@theone5404]

I don't worry about can foods anymore. I simple keep a couple of pet fountains around. My cats and dogs thrive.

[@duvessa2003]

I’m not sure if she was recommending canned over kibble. I get the impression she was recommending cooking for your dog. I lived in Germany in the 1990’s And they cooked for their dogs. They did have things like puppy flakes but the primary diet was foods which they cooked.

[@era3596]

@@duvessa2003 I mean yes, raw / homemade is best, BUT if the only options are kibble vs canned, she definitely DOES recommend canned over kibble. even the best quality kibble is still subpar to the worse canned food.

[@lollybabe08]

@@era3596 The wetness of can make food more digestible, they are usually cooked at lower temperatures.

[@audreyevin]

Great video! I cannot wait for your DCM video 🙂

[@borountree4539]

You can spout your debunking studies but you don't mention who sponsored those studies. I have empirical evidence to the contrary. My cat ate grain food for years and was perfectly healthy. Then I switched to grain free food (Taste of the Wild Rocky Mountain Feline Formula) for a few years and she developed a heart murmur. On the advise of her vet I switched back to food with grain and a year later the grade 3 heart murmur is now at grade 0-1. (Heart murmurs are graded from 1 to 6 in severity) Grain free food can be deadly! Thank God I got my furbaby to the vet in time.

[@LittleKittyCat]

What grain induced brand cat food did you feed your cat?

[@blahblah-dc1sm]

Yea my vet recommended against grain free because it’s causing heart issues

[@blahblah-dc1sm]

Idk

[@blahblah-dc1sm]

After doing two months of research I think it’s the high content of peas lentils potatoes/sweet potatoes certain ingredients like those are high in grain free so I figured it came from that

[@shaena305]

@@blahblah-dc1sm vets don’t know anything about food. They sponsor crappy science diet and royal canine which is full of fillers so I would not take their advice

[@samantarizzi248]

Thank you! Very informative and easy to follow. Subscribed! P.s. love your dog ❤ so cute peeking out behind you :)

[@notnow7829]

I feel like the grain free connection to heart disease is a very important topic. Especially because it's not grain free foods that are possibly causing the issue. Its the legumes and white potatoes as the top 5 ingredients that is causing the issue. Peas is a big culprit from the studies they've done.

[@LittleKittyCat]

Why peas though? What would peas cause a problem and in what form? What dry food for a 1 year old cat would you recommend then?

[@BobbyMcBobJunior]

@@LittleKittyCat A lot of grain free foods use pea protein in their foods to up the "Crude Protein" content to make it price effective but because of the fact that pea protein contains very little to no taurine (which is a very essential amino acid that helps maintain and build muscles around vital organs like the heart, hence DCM) so that's the relation but not the causation behind it. It also doesn't help that its the 2nd to 3rd ingredient in dry kibble so the "meat protein" is heavily diluted with these legume and pea proteins. I heavily suggest high meat protein foods by adding in pet grade raw food or even canned food into your pet's kibble. So for a cat, since they are obligate carnivores, they can't process their own taurine from pea or legume protein. Going with grains doesn't necessarily help either because cats cant process grains. More meat will help. If you can't afford/find raw or canned food, RAWS is a good kibble where it's first 7 ingredients are pure meat and adding in pet grade broth or even water to your cats food to help with hydration since they don't have an instinct to drink water like dogs do.

[@LittleKittyCat]

@@BobbyMcBobJunior I feed my cat a combination of wet food and dry food but mainly canned wet food. With the dry food that I just purchased, it contains green peas but it's the last ingredient on the nutritional label. I have been wanting to feed my cat grain-free but I don't know if that's the best option because ever since she was born she was eating grain induced dry foods and wet foods. She's 1 year now. I wanted to speak to a vet and have their opinion on this but I'm not sure if they'd be as knowledgeable as I on this topic. Many vets are not pet nutritionists. I feel stuck and lost on what I should feed my cat. A majority of people I know if not all feed their cats only dry food everyday yet their cat lives up to be very old and seemingly healthy. Basically, I don't want to do something that I'd later regret. She's my first cat I've ever owned.

[@BobbyMcBobJunior]

@@LittleKittyCat I completely understand where you are coming from. I also have my first cat but he’s a senior and has renal failure due to poor diet (before I got him) and genetics. I’ve done a far share of research and training for my job (I’m not a vet in anyway, I work at a company that highly values evidence and science based education on the pet food world) and for my cat. When in doubt, feed them raw or start off with freeze dried raw and rehydrate it. Two brands I highly suggest are Primal and Stella and Chewy’s. They go through two different processes to take bacteria out to make sure it’s safe for your pet. They are both grain free but doesn’t have pea or legume protein. My suggestion is getting them on a full wet food diet and transitioning into raw freeze dried or frozen raw. Kibble as price effective as it is, it’s reflected in the price; too much starch and not enough moisture or meat protein. If you are worried about going grain free or grain in with the “raw” food. I would suggest Vital Essentials. They use a different feeding model so it’s literally just meat and amino acids and it’s balanced because of the Alpha Prey Model diet (they get all the vitamins and minerals that are usually found in added veggies and fruits in pet food from their prey). So no grains or grain free to worry about. But I’ve read up a little of doing grain in because the usual grains are oats and barley which have fiber benefits. But it’s not really the grains or grain free aspect that’s going to hurt the cat, it’s the quality of meat, content of meat, and moisture. And other things if a restricted diet is in order for a disease or illness. So honestly what you are doing now sounds good with majority wet food. And also every cat is different. There are some things you can and cannot control. Yes there will be some cats who live until 20 on only dry kibble and some who won’t. My cat is an example of kibble not being great for him so now he’s on a gently cooked human grade wet food called Just Food For Cats(not sponsored). His prognosis was 2 years and I’ve had him for 3 now and he acts like he’s 9 instead of 14. I’ve rambled quiet a bit so I’m sorry if this didn’t help. I thought I’d put in some input of my own findings and experience with the pet food world. Also my suggestions above are merely suggestions if you want to boost your pets diet. I am in no way diagnosing your cat. Just giving a general suggestion as to what will help cats thrive with their diet.

[@christinaedwards356]

Correct. Through my research through online holistic vets whom I correspond with agree kibble lacks much needed meat, heart, organs, etc. is causing a lot of the heart issues as these ingredients are being replaced by plant based proteins. This is why my dog gets a homemade diet as I know exactly what goes into a recipe and how much. My dog does not get grains, potatoes, pasta, lentils, legumes (only beans she gets are green beans), carrots or peas as they're high in sugar. Variety meats, organs, heart, gizzards, egg, sardines and other fish, leafy greens, fresh or dried herbs, low glycemic veggies, butternut squash, berries and seeds. Not to forget supplement, probiotic, omega oil and a calcium source.

[@angelalewis3645]

This video is amazing. Thank you for the comprehensive overview! AWESOME!

[@ashleewilliams3083]

Loving your videos, they're so engaging and informative. I'd love to see a video on feeding dogs with sensitivities (tummy and skin). After seeing your video on ways to add raw I've ordered some freeze dried bites to top my dog's kibble 😁

[@secredeath]

Babe I love u❤

[@GenVictoria]

My Dobbie passed away earlier this year from cardiomyopathy, he was 11. My vet told me it was due to his grain free diet. Taste of the wild, high prairie.

[@taylorellis6358]

I’m a licensed vet tech and I have seen several patients succumb to cardiac disease who were on grain free diets.

[@GenVictoria]

@@peace2341 he suddenly started passing out and when he sat still I could literally see his heart beat vibrate his body. It came very suddenly and he worsened to the point of fluid filling his lungs and body, before we could even get him scheduled for a specialist. He was on lasix, but it just wasn't enough.

[@emilysind3676]

There is some sort of link we r seeing in vet med. Whether that link is directly to lentils and potatos we are unsure of (Ik some vets say it is and mots proly do it to simplify for clients and j say no don’t feed it to be safe) but there is a tendency w GF diets and heart issues specifically DCM. It could be nutritional differences in the diets (GF seems to have lower vitamin B levels along w some other differences) compared to a grain inclusive diet. Or it could be a direct link or even contaminates in the food. I would personally stay away from GF at all costs. Occasionally i may do a GF flavor here and there bc my dog has allergies and i need to switch his flavors to avoid another sensitively development, but unless ur dog is actually allergic to grains, don’t feed GF. More research is being done as we speak and i hope we will know more soon so we can solve this heart crisis in pets. Heart patients make me so sad and honestly feel like they r some of the worst off. :(

[@Wendyserrao]

Would love your input on Nulo

[@baileylynn6481]

My 12 year old beagle has had a heart murmur for many years. She was diagnosed with congestive heart failure this Halloween. She'd been on a grain free food for most of her life. We really dont know if the food held any link,but in addition to medication,my vet suggested trying a grain inclusive food to see if it helpes. We know she is allergic to poultry,so I found a poultry free food made by nutri-sourse with grains. (Barely,millet,oatmeal, no corn or wheat) Just started her on it,so we'll see what happens

[@aishahowasis8484]

I would like an update on this when you find out if it helps

[@baileylynn6481]

@@aishahowasis8484 sure!

[@baileylynn6481]

Sadly,I lost my girl bbefore Christmas. Her CHF was likely genetic. I still continue to give my 2 Labs and my GSD X on a food with grains in hopes of a long,healthy life

[@aishahowasis8484]

@@baileylynn6481 I M Heart broken for you I just brought some food with grains in it for my cat cause I am scared what food do you feed

[@baileylynn6481]

@@aishahowasis8484 thank you for your kindness! I will never get over loosing my angel,but hope to help others with their babies! My kitty enjoys Nutri Source chicken and rice with grains. I like the Fromm,Nutri Source,Chicken Soup dog foods

[@denysfrolov7725]

Hi from Ukraine! You said a lot about combaining natural food and pet food. But all veterians in Ukraine we have ever asked stongly prohibited to combine 2 types of food. How does it work for example for beagle? What Can I add for his diet besides pet food and dry meat, ofals , etc. He is on Acana puppy and junior diet.

[@savbrooke92]

Nice video! I manage a specialty pet food store. My top 3 sellers are Fromm, Zignature, and Merrick. Would love to see a review of these!

[@JordanNiks]

Perhaps sponsoring a video would be a good idea?

[@marianapretti19]

I love how the dog stood on the background with that "but I am not a cat" look on his face. So cute. ❤️

[@priscillaforey2846]

Thank you for the information, I’ve been researching many dog foods to give my German shepherd. Right now I’m using orijen, so I think I might stick to it.

[@meganpasternak8540]

She is not a professional. So many dogs are dying from grain-free foods and it is 100% preventable. Listen to your veterinarian and not random youtubers!

[@NjutNjut]

@@meganpasternak8540 she is a professional. And one that does not get free food/stuff from majors (bad) brands. Veterinarians are biased and far from being nutritionists.

[@theliberatedplanet]

@@NjutNjut Truth. I wanted to put my dog on a diet and all the Vets recommended prescription diet. I read the ingredients. Nothing in that food was of interest to a dog even though the dogs eat it. Quality is better than prescription. I found the quality food I chose for my dog after the videos at a small pet store; none of the chain stores csrried it. They won't carry this food until it's sold to a bigger company and quality becomes Less. I was lucky to find it locally.

[@zachperry4601]

@@meganpasternak8540 "so many dogs are dying from grain free foods". That comment alone takes any credibility away from you. And I'm sure you got that info from some poorly-vetted source online and/or your vet who had a total of one week on pet nutrition that covers ALL animals. Their textbooks are written by guess who? Hills and Royal Canin. Conglomerates. I'm be curious to know the exact stats that back up your claim. Because as far as what's been published by the FDA, only 572ish dogs were part of this ONGOING study(not 572 dead dogs, 572 cases being studied). To put things into perspective, there are 70 million+ dogs in the USA alone, and if there was an inkling of concrete evidence that "grain-free foods are killing dogs", there would have been a massive voluntary recall by a plethora of brands by now. There's surely been recalls for much less.

[@niteblaster1]

@@NjutNjut The United States Food and Drug Administration recently announced reports of canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs eating certain pet foods, particularly grain-free diets, containing high levels of potatoes or legumes seeds such as peas, lentils or beans.19 Jul 2018

[@azowskii]

Could you share the research papers you are quoting in this video?

[@saraelizabeth6190]

I would really love to hear your thoughts on Fromm dog food!

[@TheTattooedDogTrainer]

I will certainly add it to my list of foods to film a review on!

[@jennymccoy4693]

Same I would love thought on Fromms

[@semperparatus678]

I have two Schnauzers and one Schnauzer/Jack Russell mix. The two Schnauzers have itch problems. I am wondering if I should try a grain free diet for them. The Schnauzer Russell mix don't have this problem. I can't get some of the foods you are showing as I am in Texas. My dogs are my children and spoil them as such.

[@SummerJones]

@@semperparatus678 I have the same issue with my schnauzer. Major itching problem so we changed to grain free Fromm and his itching majorly reduced. But would love to know if Fromms is recommended.

[@xoxoLysssaxoxo]

Yes please review on Fromm and also more about the additives you mentioned!

[@wooster0015]

I’ve been doing a grain free human grade wet food (Weruva) and occasionally feed a top brand dry kibble with grains. Been working for 8 years. Senior wellness bloodwork came back perfect.

[@niteblaster1]

The United States Food and Drug Administration recently announced reports of canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs eating certain pet foods, particularly grain-free diets, containing high levels of potatoes or legumes seeds such as peas, lentils or beans.19 Jul 2018

[@lollybabe08]

@@niteblaster1 They have changed their recommendation since 2018. The problem is the percentage of carbs in this food if you use grain/grain-free at a high percentage it will not be good for our dogs' health either DCM or Obesity. If we stick to 80-85% meat the percentage then the percentage of these carbs will be low. Orijen has max 12% legumes. Akela has max.15% tubers (sweet/potatoes). I will stick to grain-free but high-meat kibble/air-dried raw/freeze-dried raw. Not all grain-free use legumes some use tubers, some use vegetables only e.g pumpkin

[@cheakeemexie]

I was literaly just asking myself about firstmate and Lifetime dog food, this poped up and im happy . Thank you

[@kevinwilcox1835]

Raw diet - dogs in the wild eat the entire animal it has preyed upon. What could be in the IT (intestinal tract) of a vegetarian? Grain? Dogs need a balanced diet. Like with ourselves there will be dogs more sensitive than others.

[@bethanyfackler9202]

Exactly! In fact, the part of the animal they eat the most- entrails. Full of vegetarian grains

[@romaniewalter-lehman6716]

Can you share where you got your veterinary nutrition certification from? Are you a veterinarian? Or veterinary technician? Or is it a different type of certification? Thanks!

[@justvetthings]

She got it from the Meg Smart program. She is not within the veterinary field. It is simply a certification. No degree was undertaken. For proper advice, it is best to contact a broad certified veterinary nutritionist who has undertaken extra nutritional training on top of their DVM.

[@hadaramit94]

@@justvetthings this is so misleading. Thank you for the information. So sad most ppl will miss this

[@NjutNjut]

@@hadaramit94 is it though? So many professionals are outshined by passionate amateurs/uncertified professionals. Listen to the facts and make you own decision instead of blindly listening to a degree holder

[@bethanyfackler9202]

@@NjutNjut lol- but that “degree holder” has the extensive knowledge and research to back up the claim. Not, just someone digging around in the internet and trusting random people who don’t know anything about the complex anatomy and physiology of veterinary species. No thanks, I’ll take my advise from the person who studied veterinary medicine for 8 years and trained for an additional 3 years in veterinary nutrition.

[@alicat2083]

I work as a veterinary technician and both of the doctors I work under say that grain free food may cause DCM and steer all our clients away from it for that reason. I find it odd that not only them, but most of the doctors I’ve worked under have all said the same thing about grain free foods causing DCM. Wouldn’t they know the most about this subject? Why would they be telling people not to feed grain free food if the research on it is subpar?

[@jimboy7740]

Keeps them in business lol

[@iateallthemcnuggies8154]

It keeps them in business. If people knew the truth, they’d be losing money. Royal Canin and Hills would lose money. Who writes the textbooks for these vets? Royal Canin and Hills…owned by Mars Bar (96 billion dollar corp) and Colgate (66 billion dollar corp). It’s all about marketing and keeping you coming back.

[@thomasgibbs3656]

@@iateallthemcnuggies8154 exactly getting food advice from a veterinarian is the worst thing you can do because they’re only going to market what they are allowed to such as most brands that you have at a veterinarian clinic I’ve had several people tell me that that’s why veterinarians won’t tell you about natural products, such as things for flea and tick prevention or heart worms, or just any kind of worms in general because they’re not allowed to. They’re only allowed to prescribe and suggest what they’re told to.

[@andrewleeming5998]

My dog lotus is allergic to almost every grain so I either give grain free kibble( pooch and mutt) , wet food and sometimes he gets cooked diets .

[@heyitsleyy]

Hi! Could you review Merrick Backcountry (grain-free, raw), Wellness Core and Instinct? Very curious!

[@laurenfyfe8042]

I second Wellness Core!

[@aovermoney]

I second Merrick since that’s what both my dogs get!

[@meganpasternak8540]

She is not a professional. So many dogs are dying from grain-free foods and it is 100% preventable. Listen to your veterinarian and not random youtubers!

[@aovermoney]

@@meganpasternak8540 she’s literally a pet nutritionist. Also half the vets I’ve interacted with have suggested “science diet” so I’m not too keen to take their opinions on nutrition.

[@alisue4426]

@@meganpasternak8540 I've seen your response copied and pasted so many times. That's a bit sketchy.. Honestly, in my own life, I've learned more to help my chronic health issues from online and reading research and learning from others experiences than what the doctors said. If I listened to the doctors and ignored what I read online, I would have had my appendix burst to list just one misdiagnosis from the professionals. Sooo I like to hear more sides to the story than from the "professionals" that don't study nutrition. And if someone thinks corn and wheat are fine for dogs and too much meat is bad.. Well they don't understand biology. If peas and legumes are the issue, then find a meat focused dog food without them. Every dog is different and the data is inconclusive. Shoot, my cousins German shepherd lived to 15 and ate cooked chicken bones often. Every dog is different and these studies are still not final.

[@technicalrecruiter2912]

I have a six year old Standard Poodle who is underweight. Last time he was weighed he was 43 pounds. He’s skinny. I feed him Fresh Pet, which he loves. I actually give him more than the recommended feeding (Freshpet recommends two half pound servings per day, but I give two 3/4 pound servings). The vet suggested I use Hills to put weight on; but, I didn’t love the ingredients and after a few days he was throwing up and walking away from his food. I went back to Fresh Pet… the vomiting stopped and his mood improved. But he’s still skinny. Now, he’s vibrant, energetic, happy. He’s also a champion show dog, so he’s got good genes. But after a recent grooming, I was very upset at seeing his ribs after his hair was cut. So I started adding in some treats (Milk Bone, and Fresh Pet chicken treats). I’ve also researched some dog foods that help with adding weight. The food rated the best was Purina Sport Pro Grain Free. My thought was to add some high quality kibble to his Freshpet. I know your thoughts on Purina, but what do you think of the Sport Pro Grain free kibble, as well as if this is a good additive to Fresh Pet. As an important side note, my previous Standard Poodle died suddenly of bloat several years back. I learned (and I may be wrong) that grain or carbs in a diet can contribute to bloat, so I’m very wary of foods with wheat, corn, cereal, oatmeal etc). But maybe by not giving my dog enough carbs, I’m keeping him too thin?

[@WuzzupItsSunni]

Fresh pet has similar ingredients to purina. It has rice bran, soy flour and carageenan which I would personally avoid all three ingredients. I’d look into feeding a fresh food like Smallbatch or Steve’s Real Food or Tuckers or Northwest Naturals or Primal… I could keep going lol there’s so many brands with better quality ingredients. Because of how these brands are formulated they will help with weight management as well! Hope this helps!

[@Cherylebreaux]

Hi Skyler. Thoughts on Organix Pristine kibble? Also, can you do a video on homemade dog food? Not necessarily raw diet. I’ve been making homemade and combining it with the Organix kibble. Mostly using a base of 3 pounds quality meat (usually organic ground turkey or beef and some kind of liver or organ meat), a couple of sweet potatoes, carrots, something green (spinach or kale), apple or blueberries, eggs, and a dollop of coconut oil. Oh, and chia seeds as my thickening agent. I’m feed 2 dogs (one small and one large) so I’m still adding the kibble to make it more economical. Anyway, a video on making a good quality homemade food would be awesome.

[@2realvisuals283]

Amazing videos very helpful!! I’d love to be more informed on a deep dive of zignature dry dog food🙏🏽

[@caseyschill5302]

I would like to see zignature as well.

[@vickycarley9401]

Thank you! I really enjoy your knowledge and presentation. Please keep sharing! ❤️❤️

[@semperparatus678]

I chose the First Mate grain free for my baby girls (3 Schnauzers) I found someone that carries it here in East Texas. Now I will check to see if it's fresh as per dates as well.

[@saltyroe3179]

Back in the 1970s I got to visit Checkerboard Square to pick up the only Purina Shrimp Chow ever made. Purina's main business was feeding farm animals and they did extensive nutrition and safety testing. They took this research to their pet food. BTW the shrimp wouldn't eat the nutritious shrimp chow. They preferred their usual natural diet.

[@ShanPanOz]

Would love to see a deep dive in to Canidae. I know some great things about it but would like a deep dive in to it. Love your videos and learning a lot so appreciate the work you put in to your video.

[@melissa4581]

Me too.

[@skkgn]

I love your videos and really appreciate you sharing your knowledge! Thank you for the time you spend preparing all these videos! Would you be willing to do a deep dive on First Mate and Nature's Logic Foods?

[@HeySteph07]

Our vet recommended us to not give a 100% grain free, she told us that the best it’s brown rice, but in our case we have very active dogs (they practice agility as a hobbie and go hiking).

[@fenrirdemsas7939]

If you could do Natures Recipe in the future I'd really appreciate it!

[@michelleharvey2667]

I was wondering about my Farmina that I feed my cats!!! Thanks for mentioning them here

[@pbjelly9082]

I caution anyone about grainfree. Our girl ate it for over seven years due to allergies (we fed Blue Buffalo and Merrick). Her heart enlarged and she's on a homemade diet now (with supplements and ingredients recommended by her cardiologist) and is doing much better. Our other dogs get half kibble (Blue Buffalo) and half homemade. Do research and find the right fit for you and your pets.

[@dizzyowl76]

I do exactly the same.

[@pbjelly9082]

@@dizzyowl76 it seems to be working for the other two (who are eight years old now, the one with heart issues is nine). Hope it does well for you too. :)

[@elliebeah4063]

Dogs bodies aren’t made to digest grains but unfortunately grain or vegetables are necessary in kibble because it acts as the binder. A dogs biologically appropriate diet is a food with high meat and organ meat proteins and whole fruits and veggies- from a pet nutritionist

[@alisue4426]

This is why I don't know what to do.. Seems every choice is a bad choice for them. Grain is bad, grain free is bad, if you make it yourself it doesn't have enough of what they need... I feel so lost with all of this. I just want as many healthy years as possible with her 😣😔 and my vet is super judgemental if I feed grain free. She's currently slightly over weight and even though she eats less than recommended for her weight class, the vet blames the food amount and not lack of exercise. It's so frustrating!

[@MrJoshcc600]

Gracious for the info. My 8yo German Shepard has started suddenly having eating issues and mental fear issues just suddenly starting 6 months ago. I've feed him eukenuba for his whole life (not a cheap one) and my vet can't find any problem in blood work or otherwise. He now won't eat at all unless I take him out to eat grass, he'll go days without eating at all if I don't then puke up the grass and water then eat happily like normal. Im so worried and with no answers I was looking at the blue grain free you mentioned. Raw food diet isn't available where I am unless I drive 2 hours every weekend to pick it up

[@brookelapointe6511]

How do you feel about Solid Gold dog food? That's what I feel my heeler mix

[@briannapinkney4966]

My vet said (and I have a Bernese mountain dog) that high protein is not as good as we’ve been pushed to believe and causes my dog to itch a lot. So we feed him Fromm dry food and add some Unkibble as a topper

[@madisonk7916]

Hi, I’m Canadian and I hear so often that Acana Dog food is the best dog food available in any North American market. Can you do a deep dive into that brand possibly? I think that would be really interesting

[@Earcher98]

I work in the pet food industry, and wouldn’t necessarily say it is, it’s costly, and is high in animal based protein, but there are better foods such as Open Farm, First Mate, and Kasiks that are really high quality, but not as expensive. First mate and open farm have grain in and grain free options and are Canadian brands. I highly recommend.

[@KobeMonster007]

@@Earcher98 Acana just sold out to Mars company. Thanks for that info I'm looking for a new food.

[@WaggingTailsDogTraining]

Super awesome video! Can't wait to see more!!

[@TheTattooedDogTrainer]

Thank you!

[@WaggingTailsDogTraining]

@@TheTattooedDogTrainer Your welcome, keep it up! :)

[@nicolejean2294]

Not sure if these are all the same category but a video of the farmers dog vs spot & tango vs meet maev vs Stella & Chewys would be helpful, trying to decide if I should take my girl off kibble and switch to one of those. Thanks Skylar!!

[@kseab14]

could you please provide links to the studies you referred to in the video regarding the connection of grain free diets and DCM? 😊

[@fairymermaid9013]

Google does wonders

[@crystali3375]

Can you do a review on Victor foods please

[@gauravshrestha4776]

Hello, we will be getting a 8 week old puppy soon and I am researching some pet foods. What would be better between “Orijen Puppy Large grain free” VS “Farmina N&D Ancestral grain”? The Orijen looks like it doesn’t have much synthetic vitamins. Also are there any other dry food that you would recommend? Thanks!

[@niteblaster1]

The United States Food and Drug Administration recently announced reports of canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs eating certain pet foods, particularly grain-free diets, containing high levels of potatoes or legumes seeds such as peas, lentils or beans.19 Jul 2018

[@numbone]

@@niteblaster1 Did you not watch the video? You sir are a Troll

[@numbone]

Been feeding my Doberman Orijen since she was 7 weeks old and never has any issues

[@wendyhinckly7044]

What are your feelings on homemade dog food? I just started making my one year old a homemade diet and he loves it! My biggest problem is figuring the right amount to give him.

[@Gurparteek11]

Please make a video on Nutrience sub zero dog food.

[@MrDubEdition]

Super helpful videos! Do you have any old videos on Nutrience Sub-Zero? Thinking about using it for a new puppy and would love to hear what you think about the food.

[@malishomecooking6008]

Thank you for your informative videos, I follow you for a while and you always said to add more meat to lower the carbohydrate ratio in the kibble, I always add a different protein and some vegetables to my dog , my question is because we need to lower the amount of kibble and add meat on top do I need to add vitamin to make it as a complete meal? Or it’s ok because there are vitamins and minerals in the dry food. Please help me out how to make a good and healthy meal for my dog. Thank you again for all your hard work. You are amazing. 👍

[@rajeshsingh-tn3lb]

love yor video from India its really full of knowledge

[@erinjoy5625]

Thank you !!! I really found this video extremely helpful with trying to understand this whole argument and decide what is best for me to do with my beautiful dog 🐕. I have been. Feeding our Cane Corso go solutions brand with added raw meat every second day.... And have been debating switching to acana red meat healthy grains because he seems to love it and he's usually an extremely fussy guy , so it's been hard figuring out what is best to feed him. I think I'm going to give it a go

[@gammagogeta]

can you link the lastest report about them saying there no link with grain free food to dcm?

[@purplesuninthesky]

My 13 year old shihtzu has a yeast skin infection he smells so bad and keeps getting ear infections I’ve spent so much money on him but I can’t fix him I want him to live happy and comfortable!!!

[@abbaabba7595]

I feed my dogs Orijen,they’re perfectly healthy,my friends dogs eat Orijen only too ,their health is in great condition.Won’t change it.

[@KindCountsDeb3773]

Just found your site after searching online and asking the difference between grains and vegetables used in food. Are veggies considered grain. I will be using this video on overall info for grain inclusive brands and your other videos in my attempt to feed my dog the best and affordable food I can. Best being the main criteria. Thank You, a very well done video !! BTW: love how your dogs showed up. lol

[@rageface101]

Would be great to hear a review on Fromm and Natures Logic. You're very thorough!

[@ThanatosWings]

How about Origin high proteine kibble, at Global Pets? It says its 75% proteine. I'm looking for a high proteine dog food to bring on very long hiking trips. What should i use? It has to keep, be compact and have lhigh calorie count and meat content. We hike about 8 hours a day. I use about 2000-3000 calories on top of resting calory buring, idk how much my dog burns but he is skiny at the end of our hikes. Also the freeze dry food is too big of a volume to being. I bring a bit but i can't pack a one foot square amount per day when were out for 14 days between resuplies. My back pack is only 50L. I do my best to dehydrate some meat for him and bring that as garnish but on its own it usually gives him the runns or upsets his stomach. Thanks!

[@asurasounds]

hello mam i was jsut wondering if you know anything about th brand pure balance and if its safe the grain free one of coarse

[@Ben-yw8be]

I don’t do grain free. I do grain reduced diet for my dog. Grains or cereals I use: white rice, brown rice, oatmeal, millet, amaranth, quinoa, and couscous. I usually do around 20-30% grains in my pet’s diet. Also if I was to choose between kibble or canned wet food… I choose canned wet food primarily because it has a lower carb content than kibble. Kibble is higher in carb for binding purposes.

[@whiteknightcat]

Finding out that the "grain free" label does NOT necessarily mean high protein or low carb. HEB has their own branded lines of dry food. The "grain free" ones have only about 26% protein.

[@L96OZZ]

Thank you so much for this educational video, I will watch more of your videos. I work for a pet store a small one and I am always looking to further my knowledge to better serve the customers.

[@adgirlthegreat]

I saw your video on your tiered dog food review. I have three rescues that I have to feed so you can imagine it gets very expensive with more pricey foods. I feed diamond naturals lamb and rice if they are out of that formula I try and do the beef. I buy a 40 pound bag and it last me around three weeks for three dogs it’s about $43 a bag. So as you can tell it’s cost for me but I’m also obsessed with feeding my dogs quality food. I do a lot of add-ons like canned food, toppers raw goat milk or raw cow milk and recently, I found a gentleman at our local market that sells Oregon meat for dogs in a roll form. I guess all this said, I was wondering if there was a better food you would recommend around the same price point as my diamond naturals?

[@armandocruz5457]

What do you think about the Jinx brand? It's fairly new but seems descent.

[@autumnnewman8879]

Best puppy dog food for GSD?? I need help. Debating on Victor vs Diamond natural

[@poncho1710]

My dog was on grain free all his life and ended up with heart failure. Died. My new puppy has heart murmur and first thing my new vet asked does he eat grain free? I said yes. So I switched him over to grain diet.

[@Turbip]

We don't demonize grain-inclusive foods, but we did notice that our cat gets stomach issues when he has wheat products. Rice doesn't seem to affect him too awfully, but we still tend to be really careful with his foods.

[@VolleyPuppy91]

What’s your opinion on Natural Balance?? My dog Oliver is overweight and needs to go on a low calorie dog food. The vet recommended Hills Science but I just don’t feel comfortable with Hill’s with all I’ve learned. So today I picked up “Fat Dog” from Natural Balance and am about to do a transition period. He was on Nulo Frontrunner before but the vet said the calories are too high, I saw the medal series has a weight management line but the calories are a bit higher and Natural Balance is more in my price range. So I guess my question is, what’s your thoughts on Natural Balance?

[@maureenscopo4333]

hey! I have 3 dogs and they always stop eating their food. they were in purina1 chicken and rice. i’m switching over to whole hearted from petco lamb & lenin grain free. thoughts on it. one dogs seems to have an allergy his whole life so i figured try grain free

[@twodogsknight170]

You have been very helpful. You are also a buitifull lady!!!

[@futbol1972]

Have a 88lbs standard goldendoodle 9 years old. Not chubby not skinny and does about an hour of walking a day. He is been eating caidane kibble salmon and rice but in the past two months everytine he eats the kibble he gets diarrhea😞. So i put him on bland diet for about 5 days and he gets good but then he gets diarreha when eating kibble again. So iam thinking is the food. I think he also has some allergies cause he rubs his face with paws and also rubs face and body against couch and wall and rolls on ground like if he is scratching or something. Anyways debating between nutrisource, wellness or earth wild food for him. He is also been eating kibble with grains...don't know if I should give him grain free do to all the articles I been reading about grain free causing heart conditions?? Today I will be taking my dog to the vet so they can check diarrhea and also do allergy test even though they are not accurate

[@jenniferavenoso7162]

Awesome thank you for sharing !

[@mikefranklin70]

Who certified you?

[@InfamousDogPound]

How do you feel about health extentions? I was giving my pack Nutri Source which they ate like crazy but the pooing was way too much. Soft and hard. I switched to health extention and the like it and not as much potty breaks. Price wise H.E. stacks up to the very good foods. What do you think about it. I value your recommendations

[@alexwalsh134]

Is cold pressed grain free kibble better than standard kibble? Is the higher carbs in the cold pressed worse than the advantage of cooking at lower temperatures?

[@larryseibold4287]

Please do an in-depth review of renal/kidney disease diet dog food options, dealing mainly with limited protein and phosphorous.

[@ioanabranisteanu1281]

Would love a comparison between Royal Canin Medium Adult and Orijen.

[@suejenningsdouglas1587]

Hi there! I have a 10 week oldpuppy, an Old English Sheepdog! I’m not sure the percentage of kibble to wet canned food to feed my girl, Breezy. What are your top kibble brands for my puppy?!🐶🐶🐾🐾

[@bbycherub2420]

Please rank dog weight loss kibbles, I don't know which one to get my dog, never had an overweight dog before so I'm lost.

[@wesedwards871]

You reference a preference to wet/canned dog food over dry kibble for the added moisture content. What do you think about buying a quality kibble and then grinding it to powder and hydrating it per serving? My concerns about canned food were the cost difference and the potential additional ingredients or processing required to make a shelf stable wet mixture considering food borne bacteria might possibly be a greater risk in foods that are stored long term in a wet form. Thanks for your thoughts.

[@lollybabe08]

You should be fine with this

[@dianerigsby4672]

Hello. I really appreciate your videos. They are so helpful! What are your thoughts about Open Farm RawMix?

[@veara2039]

Could you maybe link the most recent study you mentioned when talking about the evidence relating to the DCM claims? :)

[@jessicajones2414]

She can’t because that definitely was not the conclusion the FDA came to

[@jessicajones2414]

www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/outbreaks-and-advisories/fda-investigation-potential-link-between-certain-diets-and-canine-dilated-cardiomyopathy

[@jessicajones2414]

I was looking for some legitimate unbiased information on what to feed my new puppy and all I got was blatant lies and contemptuous tone. Yuck.

[@johnmachulis141]

We currently feed our female Tiberian Terrier mix Zignature Lamb kibble with Weruva wet grain free as a topper. I know the Weruva is grain free. The Zignature kibble does not say it's grain free. The kibble says it has Tourine as an ingredient. Should I change the Weruva canned to a grain inclusive canned food? If so which brand would you recommend?

[@TheTattooedDogTrainer]

Zignature is a grain free food and has supplemented additional Taurine as a precaution in the wake of the DCM concerns. Unless there is a particular reason to be feeding grain inclusive or grain free food, it is up to personal preference.

[@annaesther7158]

What do you think about solid gold dog food. Toy poodle I was giving to my puppy and is free grain but the Vet told me to give a grain food so I started giving blue buffalo toy poodle to my dog and he seems not liking it I saw the Solid gold dog food with whole grain but in the Ingredient of this food has spray dried animal blood cells that's what I didn't like it so I'm confused 😢

[@taniasieiro169]

I have a Puddle that was born with a small liver what kind of food do you recommend and what ingredients can I use to make homemade food for her ? Thank you

[@HappyCamping3]

I am getting a rat terrier puppy. Breeder just transitioned her from the mother to Purina Puppy chow. She now has a small rash on her forehead. I think it is from the food. I want to transition her to this food. Can you do a deep dive into this food? It looks like the only grain is rice, which normally doesn’t cause an allergic reaction. The food is Diamond Naturals Small Breed Puppy Chicken and Rice Formula Dry Dog Food. Love the videos. Thanks for your efforts.

[@TheTattooedDogTrainer]

Congratulations on your new pup! Diamond Naturals is definitely a better quality food than the puppy chow! Nutrisource Puppy would be a step up in quality from Diamond and worth looking into as well.

[@scottsmith7348]

I just started feeding my Husky-Shepherd honest kitchen grain free dog food. She does have some allergies some I am hoping this will help her. Your thoughts on this product?

[@edgarsantiago7474]

Hello. Thank you for your videos! I currently feed my two dogs taste of the wild. Would it be fine to switch off between grain free and with grains between meals or every other week or so when I refill? And if adding toppers then how much should I add per meal and subtract from the kibble? I intend to buy some canned food for them as well now. Both dogs are between 50-60 lbs and going on two years. one being a golden doodle and the other I’m not quite sure but he definitely is has some mix of Australian shepherd. Looking forward to your feedback. Thanks!

[@albertosymon5416]

What can you explain about the paw licking many advertisers are using to promote their brands? How important is this behavior in determining a dogs dietary needs?

[@jackwang-xu4nu]

so i think wet pet food is best for pet

[@caseyschill5302]

Love to see zignature deep dive. Many dogs have allergies and would love to hear you perspective on Limited Ingredient Diets and novel proteins that zignature provides.

[@nessierey6721]

Is it the same for cats? I assume yes but you mainly addressed dogs n dogfood so… also wondering on your opinion on Applaws Cat Dry Food which is the one I feed but I meal feed high meat content wet food … they have the kibble available though during the day and when I’m at work to snack on if they should be hungry… and of course plenty of water

[@Mr_Martell850]

Hey i love you review, is voctor hi pro plus a high quality food. I have a 3 month bully. Please advise. Thank you

[@chiefhokie]

Have you encountered many dogs that are allergic to whole spelt or whole oats? Trying to stay with grain-inclusive kibble, but except for the first bowel movement of the day, dog's stool is usually semi-soft (first one is usually pretty solid). We've gone through numerous gran-inclusive dry foods, trying different grains, and we just started on one with the grains mentioned above, but dog's stool was definitely most firm when he was on grain-free kibble.

[@scottthompson2481]

could you do a deep dive on carnilove please??? x

[@veterinerhomeopati]

I'm not sure if you talk about hydrolyzed proteins, I've recently found your channel. What you think about hydrolized protein content?