[Robin Y]

Seems a major marketing ploy is pushing grainfree, gluten free dog food. Only one strain of irish setters is susceptible to celiac disease. Dogs have much higher levels of amylase (digest starch) than wolves in the wild, essentially dogs ha evolved along with their human companions. I have noticed that thses grain free dog foods tend to have rice, often brown rice and yet rice is high in arsenic and is a carcinogen. My husband has celiac disease and i am in the process of looking for not only gluten free producrs but rice free producrs as well when i can. I imagine that dogs being small, like children may be ingesting excess levels of arsenic. Check out november 2014 consumer report articles on arsenic in rice. Any thoughts? Any doggie nutritionists out there?

[theBCnut]

Rice is a grain, therefore grain free foods do not have rice in them. Also, while rice does have arsenic in it, it is supposedly not higher than what the body can process every day, HOWEVER, I still don’t want to feed it every day. And if the dog’s diet is the same day in and day out and the food is primarily rice, i.e. cheap dog food, then I definitely don’t want to feed it every day. So this argues for diet rotation. And/or choosing a grain free food.

While dogs do have 2 to 10 times the ability to handle carbs than wolves do, that does not argue for feeding them a primarily carb based diet, 2-10 times next to none is still pretty low.

[InkedMarie]

I’d love to know what grainfree foods have rice.

[Robin Y]

Alright, you got me, yes dah, rice is a grain, chalk it up to my american diet upbringing where rice is a substitute for potatoes and not an ingredient is lovely crusty loaves of bread. When i think about the glutenfree dog food i guess i’m thinking if the bags that say corn free, wheat free, etc. and i shouldn’t have lumped them with the grainfree varieties. So thanks for reminding me.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Robin-

Oops, that’s OK. I think the jist of your question was really about your concern for the possible arsenic in rice anyway. I would have a concern if I fed it to my dogs everyday every meal. I do feed my pups grain inclusive kibble now and then. In fact, I’m feeding the Merrick Classic Chicken formula right now which contains rice. But, I mostly use grain free varieties. Which like was mentioned to you above, do not contain rice. LOL!

What is also a little concerning to me is that many humans eat rice almost everyday. I wonder how that may affect their health?

Good luck on your quest for gluten free and rice free food!

[Author]

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