Short answer: grain-free is not the same as hypoallergenic. In dogs with a genuine food allergy the culprit is usually an animal protein, with beef, dairy and chicken at the top, and much less often wheat. Grain-free treats therefore only help if your dog has been shown to react to grain. What does work for itching or gut problems caused by food: an eight-week elimination diet with one new protein source, including the treats. Natural dried treats from a single animal contain no grain anyway; the debate about grain-free food and the heart concerns kibble with a lot of pulses, not treats. You will find single-protein treats in our horse and fish ranges, among others.
What is a food allergy in dogs?
In a food allergy the immune system reacts to a protein in the food. The symptoms are mainly itching (licking paws, rubbing the head, recurring ear infections), sometimes combined with loose stool, flatulence or vomiting. Typically the itching is present all year round and does not respond to flea treatment. Important to know: most itchy dogs do not have a food allergy. Fleas and environmental allergy (pollen, house dust mite, also called atopy) are far more common. Food is the cause in a minority of allergic dogs. That is why the first step with itching is always the vet, not another bag of kibble.
Which allergens are most common?
A review by veterinary dermatologists (Mueller, Olivry and Prélaud, 2016) counted, in dogs with a proven food allergy, which ingredients caused the symptoms. Grains are not at the top.
| Ingredient | Share of dogs with a food allergy |
|---|---|
| Beef | 34 % |
| Dairy | 17 % |
| Chicken | 15 % |
| Wheat | 13 % |
| Soy | 6 % |
| Lamb | 5 % |
| Corn | 4 % |
| Egg | 4 % |
| Pork, fish, rice | each ± 2 % |
Grain-free: when yes and when no?
- Yes if an elimination diet has shown that your dog reacts to wheat or another grain. Then grain-free is not a choice but a necessity, and you also have to check training treats and biscuits, because they often contain wheat.
- Yes if you simply prefer not to feed grains. That is a legitimate preference. Grains are not harmful to healthy dogs, but they are not necessary either.
- No as a reflex for itching without a diagnosis. The chance of hitting the problem is small, and meanwhile your dog keeps scratching. The beef or chicken in the grain-free kibble simply remains the problem.
- No as a "healthier" variant. Grain-free kibble usually replaces grain with potato, peas or lentils. That does not make it lighter or more natural, only different.
For treats it is simpler. A dried beef lung, a rabbit ear or a strip of duck fillet contains one ingredient and therefore no grain. If you want to be sure a treat is grain-free, filter in our shop on grain-free, or choose treats that contain only one animal.
And that debate about grain-free food and the heart?
Since 2018 the American regulator FDA has been investigating reports of dogs with an enlarged heart (dilated cardiomyopathy, DCM) that were fed grain-free kibble with a lot of peas, lentils or potato. After years of research no causal link has been demonstrated; DCM turned out to be a condition with many factors, including breed, age and other diseases. Since the end of 2022 the FDA has issued no further updates unless new scientific information comes in. Researchers are meanwhile looking mainly at the high share of pulses in some complete foods. What does that mean for you? If you feed grain-free kibble to a breed prone to heart problems, discuss the composition with your vet. For dried meat treats the debate does not apply: they contain no pulses and make up at most 10 percent of the menu.
How to do an elimination diet
Blood tests, hair tests and saliva tests for food allergy are unreliable; veterinary dermatologists advise against them. The only way to prove a food allergy is an elimination diet, and that stands or falls with being consistent.
- Choose one protein source your dog has never eaten, for example horse, rabbit, camel, ostrich, deer, goat or insect, or a hydrolysed diet from the vet. Make a list of everything your dog has eaten in recent years; whatever is on it is out.
- Feed only that one protein source for eight weeks. So also the treats, the chews, the rewards at dog school, the cheese used to hide a pill and the meat-flavoured toothpaste. One wrong treat a week is enough to make the diet worthless.
- Keep a diary of itching, ears and stool. You usually see improvement after four to six weeks.
- Do the challenge: after eight weeks give the old food again. If the symptoms return within two weeks, you have the proof. If they stay away, food was probably not the cause.
- Then test one ingredient every two weeks to discover what your dog does and does not tolerate. That way you build a list you can use for years.
Why single-animal treats make the difference here
During an elimination diet a treat with an unknown composition is a risk. "Meat and animal derivatives" on a label can be anything, and most training treats contain chicken, wheat or both. Single-animal treats without additives do fit in the diet: if your dog eats horse for eight weeks, you give horse meat strips as a reward and a dried horse tendon as a chew. That remains useful after the diet too, because you know exactly what is in it.
| Protein source | Suitable as a new protein? | Remark |
|---|---|---|
| Horse | Usually yes | Lean, rarely fed before; see horse treats |
| Rabbit | Usually yes | Easy to digest, suitable for small dogs; see rabbit treats |
| Camel, ostrich, reindeer | Yes | Genuine newcomers for almost every dog; camel, ostrich |
| Deer, goat | Often yes | Check that your dog never had game kibble or goat's milk; deer, goat |
| Insect | Yes | Newest protein source, small range; see insect treats |
| Duck, turkey, fish | Sometimes | Only if they were never in the food; they appear in many kibbles |
| Beef, chicken, lamb | Rarely | The most fed proteins and therefore the most common allergens |
Ingrid's tip: if you start an elimination diet, put away all other treats in the house straight away, including the children's and the neighbours'. Buy three forms of the chosen animal: small pieces for rewards, a strip for on the road and a chew for the evening. Then you get through eight weeks without cheating. In our shop every animal type can be filtered separately, precisely for this.
Reading labels in three seconds
- One ingredient is the gold standard: "100% dried beef lung" says it all.
- "Meat and animal derivatives": unknown source, unsuitable with an allergy.
- "Grain-free" is not the same as "no additives": check for sugar, glycerine, colouring or preservatives.
- Training treats and biscuits: read them extra critically; they most often contain wheat and chicken.
Frequently asked questions
Is grain-free healthier for my dog?
Not by definition. For dogs without grain sensitivity, grains are a fine source of energy. Grain-free is a choice, not an improvement. The quality of the protein and the amount of additives say more about a treat than the absence of grain.
My dog scratches. Does grain-free help?
Probably not, because food is the cause in only a minority of itchy dogs, and grains are then less often the culprit than beef or chicken. Go to the vet, rule out fleas and environmental allergy, and then do an elimination diet.
Are grain-free treats safe with regard to heart problems?
Yes. The debate concerns complete kibble with a lot of pulses as the main food. Dried meat treats contain no pulses and make up at most 10 percent of the menu.
Which protein source do I choose for an elimination diet?
A protein your dog has never eaten before. Horse, rabbit, camel, ostrich, deer, goat and insect are new for most dogs. Ask your vet to advise and choose treats from the same animal.
How long does an elimination diet take?
Eight weeks strictly, followed by a challenge with the old food. Without that challenge you cannot be sure the improvement came from the diet.
Sources
- Mueller, Olivry and Prélaud, Critically appraised topic on adverse food reactions of companion animals (2): common food allergen sources in dogs and cats, BMC Veterinary Research 2016 (ranking of allergens).
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA Investigation into Potential Link between Certain Diets and Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy (status of the DCM investigation).
- Voerwijzer, FDA update: no link found between DCM and grain-free food (Dutch summary).
- Dechra, Grain-free: a good thing or just marketing hype? (veterinary perspective on grain-free food).
About the author
Ingrid Kooijman is the founder of Canis Snacks. She selects natural single-protein dog treats, sells them online and at markets in Brabant, and answers dog owners' questions about food and chews every day. Questions about this article? Email info@canissnacks.com.
