Is grain-free really better? According to a national survey, grain-free items now account for 1/3 of all pet food sales, bringing in 2.6 BILLION dollars last year. What happened to all the grains? They were replaced by potatoes or legumes: peas, lentils, chickpeas. Many pets have allergies to legumes and these are definitely not good for dogs used for breeding, as legumes contain phytoestrogens. Grain free isn't always better, but it is the new buzz-word. Dogs with allergies may fare no better when fed legumes or potatoes than when they are fed grains. Cats are carnivores and these ingredients have no place in cat food. Some pets will do better on grain-free diets, but that may be because, historically, grain-free foods have been made by companies that supply better ingredients overall. But even the worst pet food companies can see the results of the survey and realize they can benefit monetarily by producing "grain-free" diets, even if the rest of the ingredients are awful. Bottom line: buyer beware! Do your research. Know the company producing the food. Make sure you are buying a high-quality product.
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