Finding the best dog food can be a complicated process, and many people these days opt to buy grain-free dog food for their furry companions. At Naked Dog Bistro, we make homemade fresh dog food for our canine customers, and all of our varieties are grain-free and gluten-free. Here’s a quick look at why we chose to eliminate grain from our organic dog food.
1. Some Dogs Have Grain Sensitivity
Most dogs aren’t allergic to gluten or grain, but some have grain and gluten sensitivity. We find that if your dog seems to often have an upset stomach or perhaps allergies and itchy skin, grains or gluten can be the culprit. Switching to a grain-free diet can be a good option.
Keep in mind, there could be other ingredients in your dog food that might be causing a problem, including some proteins. The most common allergens for dogs include wheat, soy, beef, chicken, lamb, eggs and dairy products. It can be tough to discover which foods are causing your dog’s issues. The best course of action is to talk to your veterinarian about diet and perhaps experiment with an entirely new food source that doesn’t contain any of these common allergens.
2. Grain Isn’t Really Necessary
While many dogs aren’t allergic to grains, a grain free dog food still might be the best option to consider. Grains such as wheat, corn and soy are common ingredients in dog food and mostly are used as a cheap source of carbohydrates. At Naked Dog Bistro, our fresh dog food contains a healthy mix of proteins and carbohydrates, but we never use fillers such as corn or wheat. Instead, we include higher quality ingredients such as carrots, yams, squash, apples and berries.
3. Ingredient Quality Counts
There are plenty of quality dog food options out there that are not grain free. Dog food without grain is only a better option if the food itself contains high-quality ingredients with a careful balance of carbs, protein and fat. Not all grain-free dog food contains high-quality ingredients. In fact, some still contain cheap fillers and preservatives and chemicals that you might not want your dog to ingest.
The best course of action is to be aware of all of the ingredients in your dog’s food. Chances are if you cannot pronounce one of the ingredients, it probably should not be in your dog’s food, even if the food itself is “grain-free.” Additionally, if your dog is healthy and happy and not having issues with their dog food (with or without grain), there’s no reason to switch to a grain-free diet. Typically, if a dog is doing well with their food, it’s best to just stick with that diet until something changes.
4. Dogs Love Grain-Free Dog Food
If you have a picky eater on your hands, our grain-free dog food can be a great option to consider. Our organic dog food is created using quality, human-grade ingredients that dogs love and all of our varieties are grain-free and gluten-free. If you are trying to avoid common allergens such as beef, chicken and lamb, we have turkey, pork and salmon options. We also have three varieties (chicken, turkey and pork) that are pancreatitis-safe food options.
Making Homemade Dog Food
Naked Dog Bistro is located in Laguna Beach, and we offer free dog food delivery for customers in Laguna. Those nearby but outside of Laguna Beach can call ahead and we will pack up some fresh food for pickup. But, if you are reading this, but don’t live conveniently close, you might opt to make your own homemade dog food.
In general, you just slow-cook or simmer a protein such as chicken, turkey or beef and shred the meat and mix with ingredients such as brown rice, quinoa, carrots, yams, spinach, zucchini, blueberries and other dog-safe, healthy foods. Do some research about which foods are the most nutritious for dogs and specifically your dog’s breed. You also should avoid adding salt and sugar, and especially ingredients such as garlic and onions, which can be highly toxic.
You can cook up a big batch and freeze up a few portions or just cook up enough food for a few days. Fresh dog food is safe for about 3-4 days if properly refrigerated. We don’t recommend using raw meats in your fresh dog foods, as raw meat can contain toxins that can harm your pet. Additionally, there may be cross-contamination with raw food that could endanger the humans in your home.
The best advice we can give is to consult with your veterinarian when changing your dog’s diet and be aware of all of the ingredients in your dog’s food, whether it’s grain-free dog food or not. We also recommend that you study the ingredients in your dog’s treats. We offer an assortment of gluten-free and grain-free dog treats at Naked Dog Bistro, and we use the finest quality organic ingredients, but whether you purchase our treats or another brand, just be aware of what’s inside each treat.
Try Our Grain-Free Dog Food
We have six varieties of small-batch grain free dog food, including Bark-B-Que Beef, Paw Lickin’ Chicken, Lean Lickin’ Pork, Beef Pot Roast, Wild Salmon and Herby Turkey. We use organic ingredients and no preservatives, and dogs love our food.
We began crafting our fresh dog food and organic dog treats when we discovered that our precious dog, Kona, was gluten intolerant, so we developed gluten-free, grain-free (and potato-free) dog food just for Kona and it completely changed the quality of his life. We were so happy with the results that we decided to share our food with other dog parents.
If you are interested in trying our gluten-free and grain-free dog food, give us a call at 949-715-9900 to learn about current flavor availability. Again, we offer local dog food delivery for Laguna Beach residents, but if you live outside of Laguna, we can have everything packed up and ready to go and you can come and grab your package at our local dog bakery, which is located at 424 Forest Avenue, next to Lumberyard and Laguna Beach Animal Hospital. We also create custom dog cakes and offer an assortment of fun homemade dog treats that we bake daily in the Naked Dog Bistro kitchen.
