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Wheat is a grain used as a high-quality carbohydrate source in dry dog foods and biscuits. It provides energy for daily activity, as well as processing characteristics for the food. IAMS™ research has shown that including wheat in a complete and balanced diet results in a moderate glycemic response in dogs, which is lower, in general, than the response observed when a rice-based diet was fed. 1,2
A common misconception is that feeding wheat causes food allergies. The facts are:
Gluten (a protein found in wheat) is responsible for wheat-sensitive enteropathy, occasionally found in Irish Setters from the United Kingdom. Gluten enteropathy of Irish Setters is a malabsorption syndrome, which responds to the removal of wheat (gluten) from the diet. This condition is very rare, and the reason some dogs develop it is not yet clear.
1 Sunvold GD. “The role of novel nutrients in managing obesity.” In: Recent Advances in Canine and Feline Nutrition, Vol II: 1998 IAMS Nutrition Symposium Proceedings. Carey DP, Norton SA, Bolser SM, eds. Wilmington, OH: Orange Frazer Press, 1998; 123–133.
2 Bouchard GF. “Effect of dietary carbohydrate source on posprandial plasma glucose and insulin concentration in cats.” In: Recent Advances in Canine and Feline Nutrition, Vol III: 2000 IAMS Nutrition Symposium Proceedings. Reinhart GA, Carey DP eds. Wilmington, OH: Orange Frazer Press, 2000; 91–101.
3 Jeffers JG. “Responses of dogs with food allergies to a single-ingredient dietary provocation.” J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1996, vol 209(3): 608–611.
Providing pets with vitamins, minerals, and other nutritional components is important to pet health and well-being, and the best way to do this is to feed a high-quality, complete, and balanced diet. Supplementing dog food often upsets the balance and might cause health problems.
People supplement their dog's diet for different reasons:
It is important to know that a quality dog food is carefully formulated to meet the caloric needs of the animal. The food provides essential amino acids, vitamin-rich fish oils, and minerals specific to the nutritional requirements of the dog.
Quality foods are complete and balanced for a specific life stage or lifestyle. Adding table scraps or other supplements can disrupt the delicate nutrient balance.
The interaction between minerals is very complex. Fortunately, this area of nutrition has been the focus of extensive research for many years. Research has shown that not only are the individual levels of minerals in a diet important but the proper balance is also. An excess of one mineral might affect the absorption of a second, and lead to a deficiency in that second mineral.
One common way of supplementing is to feed extra meat. However, because meat contains 20 to 40 times more phosphorus than calcium, adding meat to a balanced diet will upset the calcium to phosphorus (or Ca:P) ratio, which is important for proper bone development and maintenance.
This might prompt your pet's body to absorb calcium from the bones in order to reach the right balance. This is often the case in older animals that experience tooth loss due to the reabsorption of bone from the lower jaw. Ca:P ratio should range between 1.1 to 1.4 parts of calcium for each part of phosphorus.
Excess amounts of calcium have been associated with several bone diseases affecting growing puppies. Owners of large-breed puppies, in particular, believe that their puppies require extra calcium for proper development of large bones. Adding yogurt, cottage cheese, or calcium tablets to the puppy's diet will only upset the body's delicate mineral balance.
Remember: Large-breed puppies consume more food and get the calcium their bodies need by eating the recommended portions. The best way to support a normal growth rate is to feed growing dogs a balanced diet using a portion-controlled regimen.
The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) regulates the pet food industry and has established certain nutritional requirements for dogs. These requirements are published annually in the AAFCO Manual. Only pet foods that have met the strict criteria established by AAFCO can carry the 'complete and balanced' statement on the label.
