Is Gluten Safe for Fido? Investigating the Debate on Gluten in Dog and Cat Diets

There are many health benefits to a naturally gluten-free raw diet for your pets. These benefits will be especially stark if your pet has a mild gluten sensitivity, as eliminating gluten will eliminate all the problems it may cause. That means easing digestive distress, soothing itchy skin, clearing up ear infections, and stabilizing your pet’s mood.

Even if your pet doesn’t have gluten sensitivity, a gluten-free diet brings other health benefits to your pet, too. Because gluten is not processed as efficiently as protein by your pet’s body, it tends to cause weight gain. Switching to a gluten-free diet will help your pet lose weight even without any other lifestyle changes. Also, as gluten promotes inflammation, going gluten-free reduces inflammation, easing the strain on your pet’s joints.

Gluten-heavy diets lead to “spikes” and “crashes” in blood sugar levels throughout the day, as your pet’s body works to keep up with the “sugar rush” after each meal. Eliminating gluten and increasing protein regulates energy levels and blood sugar since protein is “slow-burning” and does not spike and crash.

Finally, since the sugars released by gluten cause a rapid buildup of tartar on your pet’s teeth, removing gluten from your pet’s meals drastically reduces their risk of developing painful dental disease. Your “dog breath” pup may finally obtain a fresh white smile! The cumulative effect of all these positive impacts on your pet’s well-being ultimately means a happier, healthier companion! As DogFoodAdvisor writes:

“Look for dog foods rich in meat-based protein and lower in carbs. You could add years of better health to your best friend’s life.”

How to Transition to Gluten-Free Food & Treats

The good news is, minimizing or even eliminating gluten from your pet’s diet isn’t as intensive as it sounds. And since all Vital Essentials are certified gluten-free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization, you can feed our raw food and treats to your pets with confidence.

Even just swapping out your pet’s grain-based treats for a single ingredient, protein-rich gluten-free dog treats like freeze-dried minnows (adored by both dogs and cats) drastically reduce the amount of gluten Fido gets in their diet. (Let’s be honest, you probably don’t even realize how many treats your pets swindle out of you in a day!)

Plus, there are many easy ways to mix gluten-free dog food or gluten free cat food into your pet’s meals. One great option is to use Protein Mix-Ins to substitute even a portion of your pet’s daily calories with real, raw protein, reducing the amount of gluten your pet’s body has to work to break down.

Once you start seeing the health benefits of incorporating raw food into your kitty or pup’s diet, you may decide to take the plunge and go 100% gluten-free. We’re here to help you and your pets make the transition, and we’re confident that once you’ve eliminated gluten, you’ll see a happier, healthier pet.

For more information on Vital Essentials and our full product line, follow us on TikTok and Instagram. And if you have any questions, be sure to check out our FAQ page for answers. Together, we can ensure your pet gets the proper nutrition they deserve.