What is grain-free diet?
Updated By PetymFacts checked against official sources on
Quick answer
A grain-free diet is pet food made without cereals such as rice, wheat or maize, usually using peas, lentils, other pulses or potatoes instead. Grains are not fillers and most pets digest them well. Since 2018 the US FDA has looked into reports of heart disease, called DCM, in dogs on such foods, without proving a cause.
Also called grain free dog food, grain-free cat food, BEG diet, boutique diet.
Key facts
- In July 2018 the FDA began investigating reports of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs eating certain pet foods, many labelled grain-free, with peas, lentils, other pulses or potatoes high in the ingredient list. US Food and Drug Administration
- Of the diets in reports to the FDA, 91% were grain-free, 93% contained peas or lentils and 42% contained potatoes or sweet potatoes. US Food and Drug Administration
- From 1 January 2014 to 30 April 2019 the FDA received 524 DCM reports covering 560 dogs and 14 cats, with 119 dog deaths and 5 cat deaths. US Food and Drug Administration
- The FDA says report numbers alone cannot establish cause and effect, and in its last update, on 23 December 2022, said it would not publish further updates until there is meaningful new science. US Food and Drug Administration
- Cereal grains provide energy, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and fibre, and are not harmful when cooked within a complete and balanced diet. WSAVA
Do dogs and cats need a grain-free diet?
Most do not. Grain-free is a marketing category, not a medical need for a healthy pet.
The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) says nothing in a pet food is truly filler: cooked cereal grains supply starch for energy along with essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and fibre, and there is no evidence they harm dogs or cats in a complete and balanced diet. In India, rice is a familiar grain in both commercial foods and home cooking, and it does not need to be avoided because a label says grain-free sells.
A dog with a proven food allergy may need a diet without a particular ingredient. The Merck Veterinary Manual lists the foods dogs are most often allergic to as beef, chicken, eggs, corn, wheat, soy and milk, so grains are only part of the picture. Diagnosis needs a vet-guided elimination diet trial of up to 3 months, because blood and skin tests are not reliable for food allergy. WSAVA adds that ingredient lists say little about nutritional quality, and that cross-contamination with unlisted ingredients can happen in normal manufacturing.
What did the FDA's heart disease investigation find?
DCM is a disease in which the heart muscle weakens and the heart enlarges. It is known to be inherited in some breeds, such as the Dobermann and Great Dane, and the unusual part was that many reports involved breeds not known to be predisposed.
July 2018
The FDA announces it is investigating reports of DCM in dogs eating certain foods, many labelled grain-free and high in peas, lentils, other pulses or potatoes. US Food and Drug Administration
2014 to April 2019
Reports received cover 560 dogs and 14 cats. Among the diets named, 91% are grain-free and 93% contain peas or lentils. US Food and Drug Administration
Throughout
The FDA calls the link a complex scientific issue that may involve several factors and says report numbers alone cannot prove a cause. US Food and Drug Administration
23 December 2022
The latest update: the FDA will publish no further updates until there is meaningful new scientific information. US Food and Drug Administration
What should you do if your dog eats a grain-free food?
If Your dog is well and eats a grain-free food.
Talk to your vet before changing anything. The FDA suggests diet decisions with your vet, who may involve a board-certified veterinary nutritionist. US Food and Drug Administration
If Your dog has less energy, coughs, breathes with difficulty or has fainted or collapsed.
These can be signs of DCM. Contact a vet promptly, and treat severe breathing trouble or collapse as an emergency. US Food and Drug Administration
If You have a Golden Retriever on a grain-free or pulse-heavy food.
The FDA says owners may ask their vet about testing taurine levels or an echocardiogram (a heart scan). US Food and Drug Administration
If You want to switch foods.
Change over at least 3 to 4 days, mixing in more of the new food each day, to avoid vomiting and diarrhoea. WSAVA
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Questions owners ask
Does grain-free food cause heart disease in dogs?
- It has not been proven. The FDA has investigated reports of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs eating certain foods, most of them grain-free and high in peas, lentils or potatoes, since 2018, but says report numbers alone cannot establish a cause. Talk to your vet about your dog's diet rather than changing it in a panic.
Is grain-free food better for dogs with allergies?
- Not necessarily. The foods dogs are most often allergic to include beef, chicken, eggs, milk and soy as well as corn and wheat, so removing grains alone may change nothing. If your vet suspects a food allergy, they will guide a strict elimination diet trial of up to 3 months to find the cause.
Can dogs eat rice?
- Yes. Cooked rice is a cereal grain that gives energy and is commonly used in complete commercial dog foods. As a home addition, plain cooked rice counts within the dog's treat share unless it is part of a recipe formulated by a veterinary nutritionist. Avoid adding salt, spices, onion or garlic.
What did the FDA say most recently about grain-free food?
- In its last update, on 23 December 2022, the FDA said it did not intend to release further public updates until there is meaningful new scientific information. It still advises owners to talk to their vet before changing diets and to see a vet promptly if a dog shows signs such as tiredness, cough or difficulty breathing.
Keep reading
Related terms
More in nutrition
- BARF dietA BARF diet, short for bones and raw food or biologically appropriate raw food, feeds a dog or cat uncooked meat, organs and bones, sometimes with vegetables. Vets warn that the claimed benefits are not backed by science, while the risks are well documented: germs such as Salmonella and Listeria, bone injuries and unbalanced nutrition.
- Complete and balancedComplete and balanced is a pet food label claim that the food contains every nutrient a dog or cat needs, in the right amounts and ratios, so it can be fed as the whole diet for a stated life stage. Foods without it, labelled complementary or for intermittent feeding, are treats or toppers, not meals.
- Home-cooked dog foodHome-cooked dog food is a dog's main diet made in the family kitchen, such as rice, dal, eggs, chicken and vegetables, instead of a commercial food. It can be healthy if it is complete and balanced, but most generic recipes are not: a UC Davis study found 95% of 200 recipes short of at least one essential nutrient.
- KibbleKibble is dry pet food: dough cooked and shaped under pressure, then dried to about 10% water. It is the cheapest and easiest way to feed a dog or cat a complete diet, keeps at room temperature, and can be measured exactly. Choose one labelled complete and balanced for your pet's life stage.
- Resting energy requirement (RER)The resting energy requirement, or RER, is the number of calories a healthy pet needs in a day lying at rest in comfortable surroundings. Vets calculate it from body weight as 70 times the weight in kilograms to the power 0.75, then multiply it by a factor for life stage and neutering to estimate daily food.
- TheobromineTheobromine is a bitter natural chemical in cocoa, from the same family as caffeine. Dogs clear it slowly, so a chocolate snack can build up to a poisonous level, causing vomiting, restlessness, a racing heart, tremors and seizures. Cocoa powder and dark chocolate carry the most. If a dog eats chocolate, call a vet straight away.
- Treat allowanceA treat allowance is the share of a pet's daily calories that can come from treats, chews, toppers and table food without unbalancing its diet or causing weight gain. Vets' nutrition guidance puts it at no more than about 10% of the day's calories, with the other 90% from a complete and balanced food.
- Wet foodWet food is canned, pouch or tray pet food, sealed and then heat-sterilised, and roughly 68 to 78% water. It is tasty, filling and adds water to a pet's day, which can help cats with urinary problems, but it costs more per calorie than kibble and spoils quickly once opened, especially in Indian heat.
- XylitolXylitol is a sugar alcohol used to sweeten sugar-free gum, mints, sweets, some nut butters, toothpaste and medicines. In dogs it triggers a large release of insulin, so blood sugar can fall sharply within 10 to 60 minutes, and some dogs go on to liver damage. Any amount eaten is a reason to call a vet straight away.
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Sources
Each source was opened and read on the date shown. How Petym checks its sources
- US Food and Drug Administration: FDA investigation into potential link between certain diets and canine dilated cardiomyopathy (last update 23 December 2022) (opens in a new tab)
- WSAVA: Frequently asked questions and myths (Global Nutrition Committee) (opens in a new tab)
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Allergies in dogs (dog owners) (opens in a new tab)