Grain in dog food - good or bad?

Rarely is a topic as hotly debated as the necessity of cereals in dog food. In this article, we provide a brief overview of the points of contact between dogs and cereals and their benefits.

Domestication of dogs and grain

Due to domestication, the digestive tract of dogs adapted to the eating habits of humans. As foods such as bread and meat were expensive commodities and intended for human consumption, domestic and farm dogs were often left with leftovers or waste. There were already points of contact with grain at this time.

Contrary to what has long been assumed, the ancestor of the dog, the wolf, did not live exclusively on meat. In order to cover their need for various nutrients, wild wolves fed and still feed on berries, fruit or even the stomach contents of their killed prey (carnivore) in addition to meat.

Benefit in dog food

Contrary to popular belief, grain raw materials are not cheap, but comparatively expensive to procure.

Grain is a valuable source of nutrients in dog food and provides both fast and easily digestible energy. In order to provide important nutritional values from different types of grain and to be able to utilize the starch, the grains must first be broken down by heat treatment. We also use broken down cereals in the manufacture of our products.

bosch dog food WITH grain:

- bosch HPC: In this line, we process different types of grain such as barley, rice, maize, millet and wheat. The products are available for different ages and sizes.

- bosch HPC MENUE: In this line, the focus is on local and original grains such as rye, spelt, oats and millet.

- bosch Heimat: Senior Animal Welfare Chicken, Adult with fresh Simmental beef, Adult with Swabian-Hall pork

- bosch My Friend+: from junior to senior. A mixture of different cereals.

- bosch LPC: a line without the use of the usual gluten-containing cereals.

bosch Dog food with grain — bosch dog food with grain

Allergy to grain

All types of grain can cause allergies. This is largely the reason why dog owners are advised not to feed cereal-based foods. However, this ignores the fact that this applies not only to cereals, but to all plant and animal proteins (e.g. chicken or beef). Furthermore, every dog has the potential for allergies.

bosch dog food WITHOUT grain:

- bosch HPC Soft / Plus: two lines of single-animal protein products based on potato and sweet potato.

- bosch HPC Vegan & Insect: with tapioca and apples as well as potatoes and peas.

- bosch HPC Sensitive Ente & Kartoffel: a recipe for sensitive dogs.

- bosch HPC MENUE: Adult with North Sea salmon & trout, Mini Adult and Mini Junior.

- bosch Oven Baked: a line of gently baked croquettes with peas and potatoes.

- bosch Heimat: Adult with fresh animal welfare turkey, Adult with fresh free-range goose, Junior with fresh animal welfare chicken, Adult with animal welfare chicken.

Basically, the more frequently a dog comes into contact with a protein (whether vegetable or animal), the higher the likelihood of developing an allergy to these proteins.

If cereals are used in the feed, the probability of developing an allergy or intolerance increases over the course of a long feeding period. It should be noted that allergies are not generally caused by the cereal group, but by the proteins of one or more specific cereals.

If no allergies are known, feeding grain-containing foods is not a problem.

So is grain in dog food good or bad?

Whether feeding grain-containing foods is good or bad always depends on the individual (dog) and their predisposition to allergies or intolerances. There is no one-size-fits-all answer. If there are any uncertainties regarding grain-containing or grain-free feeding of dogs, it is advisable to ask the attending veterinarian or an animal nutritionist for advice. Of course, we are also available to answer any questions you may have about our products.