[InkedMarie]

Avoderm-their revolving menu only
Back to Basics-all grainfree’s
Brothers Complete-all
California Natural grain free-salmon & peas, kangaroo & lentils, chicken
Canidae Grain Free Pure Land
Canine Caviar-all grainfree’s
DNA-all
Earthborn-Meadow Feast and Great Plains
Evangers grainfree-both
Evo herring & salmon
Evo weight management
Freehand-Energize only
Grandma Lucy’s Pureformance-all
Grandma Mae’s Country Natural-grainfree only
Great Life Pioneer Naturals grain free-all
Great Life-all
Hi-Tek Naturals GF Chicken and Sweet Potato
Horizon Amicus-all
Horizon Legacy-all
Horizon Pulsar-both
I and Love and You Nude Food
Innova Prime-all
LiveFree (by Dogswell)
Nature’s Select grain free-all
Nature’s Variety Instinct-all including raw boost
NRG-Maxim
Nutripe-all
Nutrisca-all grainfree’s
NutriSource grainfree-all except the large breed chicken & large breed lamb
Pet Botanics-Healthy Omega only
Precise grain free-both
Red Moon-high protein chicken, moderate protein chicken only
Sojos grainfree-all
Spring Meadows-all
The Honest Kitchen-Zeal only
Victor grainfree-all
Wellness Core Wild Game
Wysong Epigen-fish formula
Zignature-all
Ziwi Peak-all of the air dried
Orijen
Halo Spot’s Choice (canned)

• This topic was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by Mike Sagman. Reason: Added 4 new foods submitted by PugMomSandy
• This topic was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by Mike Sagman. Reason: Added 2 more candidates submitted by PugMomSandy

[InkedMarie]

Mike, I sent you an email in the “contact us” form, asking you to make the above a sticky. Thank you!

[Mike Sagman]

Great job, Marie! This will be an invaluable addition to our community reference material. Thanks for posting it.

[InkedMarie]

if you only knew how often I’ve typed most of that up….

[mcaponigro]

You need to watch sweet potatoes if your pooch has any issues with yeast. The sugar contant can wreak havoc. One of the things I don’t like about grain free foods is that the binders are either tapioca, white or sweet potatoes. These are very high is starch and/or sugar.

Mike

[InkedMarie]

Mike, thats why this list is here, it is potato free

[Hound Dog Mom]

mcaponigro –

I agree. I think some are led to believe a grain-free or grain-free/white potato free food is automatically superior or “species appropriate”, which isn’t the case. There are some wonderful grain-free and white potato free foods, but many more that are low protein, high carb and in no way species-appropriate. Whether the binder is grain, potato, tapioca or legumes – one must keep in mind that none are appropriate foods for a dog (carnivore) to be eating. The most important thing when feeding dry food is – in my opinion – focus more on maximizing meat content and protein content rather than picking a food based on which binder it uses. It’s also important to remember that just because a food contains an ingredient that is high glycemic doesn’t necessarily mean that the food is high glycemic – for an example, Orijen – which contains white potato – is one of the few foods certified low glycemic by the glycemic research institute. I think the only way one can truly avoid these high carb fillers is to go with an all meat or all meat and non-starchy vegetable canned food or feed a homemade diet free from grains and other starches.

[Shawna]

Hi Mike ~~ I know of (actually recommended to them) several people who have successfully won the battle with candida feeding their dogs foods, like The Honest Kitchen, with sweet potato in it.

If you look at Nutritiondata.com — sweet potato has a lower glycemic load at 17 then long grain white rice at 24. The glycemic load of oats is 57 and barley is 19. Also note that the “inflammation factor” of both rice and oats is “strongly inflammatory”, barley is “moderately inflammatory” while the sweet potato is “strongly anti-inflammatory”. Plus, sweet potato doesn’t bind with minerals and prevent their absorption like grians. None of the other pitfalls of grains either. I’ll take sweet potato over grains and white potato any day.. However, I agree with HDM that any binder that is used in excess is not species appropriate and can be detrimental.

I don’t know what type of tapioca is used in the dog foods that use it but…. The following research was done on mice so may not be relevant to dogs and humans but guessing it is. “High-hydroxypropylated tapioca starch improves insulin resistance in genetically diabetic KKAy mice.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19397723

Sweet potato http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2667/2
Rice http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/5712/2
Oats http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/5708/2
Barley http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/5680/2

[InkedMarie]

Mike,
I think you’re the only one who can edit the list….can you add Orijen Regional Red Whole Prey to the list?

thanks!

[GSDsForever]

InkedMarie,

Is your list intended to exclude white potatoes only, or both white potatoes (high glycemic) and sweet potatoes (low glycemic)?

If it doesn’t exclude sweet potatoes, you might add Timberwolf’s Platinum line also. All of their foods, both lines, are low glycemic, but the Platinum line specifically excludes grains and the carbs are chickpeas, sweet potatoes, etc. no white potatoes. The foods are high protein/low carb, nutrient dense & high calorie, all high Omega 3, and explicitly designed to be species appropriate.

Others may disagree, but I favor foods with sweet potatoes in them for the numerous nutritional and health protective benefits they offer. I also especially like to see lentils, for similar reasons.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Well because Sojo’s and Brother’s are listed and they contain sweet potato, I’m assuming she’s including foods that contain sweet potato but don’t contain white potato.

[InkedMarie]

Gsds: I will change the heading to say white potato free. When I’m on my computer, I’ll add the Timberwolf, if it indeed is grain/potato free.
Thanks!

[GSDsForever]

Hey thanks HoundDogMom & InkedMarie.

InkedMarie, thank you for your work on that list & sharing it with others!

I never knew such a list was anywhere to be found when I had to search on my own for lowest glycemic foods (plus in my case, ~35-45% protein foods, moderate to high fat w/ low carb AND chicken-free). This was about 1 1/2 yrs ago, and I felt like I had very few choices and they were hard to track down. Potatoes were a big issue.

I’m still not sure how I feel about tapioca, which caused me anxiety looking at foods, because I’ve read conflicting things. (The “jury’s still out” in my own head, lol.) Lentils & such were easier for me to grasp as being low glycemic (as in Innova Prime & Horizon Pulsar), have added health protective effects (like anti-cancer), and I knew from homemade feeding experimenting that my dog digests them well. Any of the starchy carbs, even sweet potatoes, I don’t want to see make up a big part of the ingredients.

I liked Natura’s product line before, but I really hate Proctor & Gamble and it was killing me to purchase Evo or Innova Prime, both on ethical/moral grounds (unrelated to the food) and because I don’t trust their commitment to quality standards in the best interest of our dogs. Other brands manufactured by Diamond, like Solid Gold, I felt unsafe using. Nature’s Variety I felt so so about buying, in terms of the ingredients & pricing — though I liked the company better. Anyway, some brands here I knew about, but others like Darford Zero and DNA I’d never seen or heard of before this site. So I’m sure your list will help people a lot as a resource.

Oh, my Stella & Chewy’s (Duck Duck Goose) does not include any grains or starchy veggies of any kind. So it could go on the list as well. Love that brand. I *think* that may be true for all the freeze dried medallion formulas. Seeing Honest Kitchen’s Zeal on the list reminded me. (My dog far prefers S&C to HK, and I like S&C’s ingredients & use of organic items better).

[GSDsForever]

HoundDogMom,

I’m really enjoying your posts, here and elsewhere. They are super interesting, well expressed, & I’m frequently finding myself agreeing with them and always finding them good food for thought. Just thought I’d say so, since I’ve been reading them! 🙂

Cindy
(I’m not sure why it makes me use two different names, one for forums & one for the reviews and articles)

[InkedMarie]

Cindy, HDM knows more about animal nutrition than I’ll ever know. Still on my iPad, will jump on the computer later and change the title. Why I made this list is because dogs with yeast issues tend to do better on foods without white potato or grains.

[GSDsForever]

InkedMarie,

Dogs who have or have had cancer ALSO desperately need low glycemic foods without simple carbs, because cancer feeds selectively, preferentially off sugar vs. fat or protein or fiber. After a cancer diagnosis, diet is an incredibly important part of the most successful recommended *treatment*.

Given that an incredibly high percentage of all dogs and cats suffer at some point from cancer, you are also really helping those dogs and their guardians with the list. By one statistic, half of all dogs and cats now die of cancer.

(Protein needs in dogs affected by cancer are higher because the body competes with the cancer for the protein, with the cancer robbing some from the healthy body, while dogs’ healthy bodies need protein for muscle & tissue repair and building.)

[InkedMarie]

Hey Dr Mike,
Can you change my list above, add Timberwolf: Platinum line only and change the title of the thread to grain and white potato free?

thank you!

[somebodysme]

What about the Nature’s Logic that has recently been recommended to me? Unless I missed it, I didn’t see it on the list.

[pugmomsandy]

It has millet which is a pseudo-grain (as is quinoa) but is gluten free. I’d still rec’ it.

[somebodysme]

Huuummmm…I wonder how that millet would be with the allergies or yeast problems? The reasoning behind using millet sounds valid…more logical than potatoes which a wild dog(wolf) would never ever eat…would they?

[NOSH]

Thank you so much for this list InkedMarie…I have finally gotten my dog’s stools stable and now I need to find a better food for him. I believe it is the chicken he is either not tolerating or is allergic to…. this list will benefit us greatly… much appreciated.

[InkedMarie]

You’re welcome, Nosh. I have a dog who can’t have chicken too. I pretty much stick with fish or turkey for kibbles, fish for The Honest Kitchen and duck/beef/turkey for raw.

[somebodysme]

Looks like Orijen is changing their ingredients to be potato free. Anyone notice this or am I the last to find out? HA! Pretty sure my dog cannot eat potatoes, not sure about yams though.

[DogFoodie]

Hi Somebodysme,

Yes, Orijen replaced white potato with chickpeas and lentils when they reformulated earlier this year.

I wish the trend in dog food hadn’t taken the apparent direction of putting chickpeas and lentils in place of white potato. The trade off for poor Sam was yeast for some serious GI upset and has still resulted in an awful lot of foods he cannot eat.

Sweet potatoes in place of white potato would’ve been a much better trade for us.

[EmilyAnn]

Hi, just posted this under “reviews”, but am thinking that maybe posting here would be better…

I am transitioning my dachshund mix from Blue Buffalo Fish and Sweet Potato to Nature’s Variety Instinct Rabbit Formula. (I want to go grain and potato-free.) Even with his old food, he would wait until the very last second before bed to eat – like he was holding out for something better. (He is food obsessive and is constantly hoovering the floors, looking for crumbs.) But he HATES this new food. He sniffs it and walks away. I just watched him try to eat it, and he finally gave up and walked away. The first night he ate it all up, but hasn’t wanted to touch it since then. I don’t know if it’s my imagination or not, but I feel like he might be itching after he eats, too? I noticed it has lamb in it – maybe it’s the lamb that disagrees with him? His stool is normal, but it’s he’s just acting weird and definitely NOT liking the new food. Any thoughts or suggestions on something else to switch him to?

[EmilyAnn]

… forgot to mention I’m looking for something chicken-free, also, as well as grain-free and potato-free – when he was a puppy I noticed he had a chicken intolerance (super gassy!). Any thoughts or suggestions on something else to switch him to, since NVI Rabbit doesn’t seem to agree with him?

[pugmomsandy]

EmilyAnn,
Have you tried the Instinct Salmon since he is used to eating fish? You can also top the kibble with some canned food to make it more appealing and then slowly decrease the canned food. Several brands have a fish formula like Nutrisource, Brothers, Orijen, Epigen, Avoderm Revolving Menu, Horizon Legacy, Horizon Pulsar.

[somebodysme]

Emily, is you dog having problems on the BB? If not, then just keep feeding it. I >think< the no potato issue is mostly with allergies and yeast problems. If he doesn’t have problems then a potato formula should be OK. It’s just high in carbs/sugar so it bothers dogs with yeast problems.

[theBCnut]

Rotating foods is healthier for the dog and it helps keep their interest in their food.

Sandy, take Brothers off your fish kibble list, for now.

[InkedMarie]

Patty, not sure if I missed something here but why should Sandy take Brothers off her fish kibble list?

[theBCnut]

Brothers doesn’t have fish kibble anymore. Richard was having a hard time finding a reliable supplier that didn’t use preservatives that he didn’t want. They may go back to it some time in the future if they can find a good supplier, but for now…

[InkedMarie]

Ah, thanks Patty!

[bkagel]

Hi all. I have been using dog food advisor for quite some time. Here’s the deal. I have an 8 year old pap and I think she has ibs. She’s sensitive when it comes to grains and overly processed foods. The last dry food she was on was Merrick’s grain free buffalo. She was doing okay on that kibble but she get’s seasonal allergies. She was one yeasty dog! I slowly took her off the Merrick and put her back on her raw food diet. With a lot of baths, and her adjustment to her old raw food diet I thought we were good to go. Unfortunately she started having serious diarrhea, so she just ate cooked chicken with pro- biotics from Nature’s Farmacy. I cooked her a low residue food and then I started adding 1 tablespoon of acana per meal thinking I could switch her to acana. No way. I thought I was going to pass out from her second poop. Talk about foul smelling!!

She does well with a protein ratio of 28-32% and a carb ratio the same or lower level. I really liked brother’s complete, but realistically, I can’t afford it. I have two fur babies and while they are small I don’t know if I could afford them. At least with a 50 lb bag of Acana, I would be set for a good 4-5 months.

This is what I’ve tried over the years that hasn’t worked or I didn’t like:
back to basics-diarrhea city too much protein
Evo, Innova, California Naturals-she didn’t do so well on those as a puppy. Ibs flare ups etc.

Having written all of that, is there some grain free, potato free (or at least low potato) food I can get my dogs that I can get a sample packet(s) I can afford. It used to be that the stores would give you a sample packet. Pet people charged me $10.00 for a sample packet.

I live in Columbus Ohio. I usually go to Petco or Pet People because they tend to have the better foods in stock.
Please tell me there is help for this situation. She’s on the prescribed low resolution and she’s taking “their” probiotics. It’s only a matter of time 2-3 days until she’ll be back to normal. I have NO clue what to give her that I can afford for both of them.

[InkedMarie]

bkagel: If you go to the front page of this thread, on the top, I have a stickie with grain & potato free foods. A few things I want to point out: shopping at Pet Co isn’t always the best place to find foods. They don’t carry the best selection when you’re looking for something specific, such as grain/potato free foods. I know nothing about Pet People and can’t help you there.

Shopping online is sometimes your best place to find alot of foods that you can’t find locally. I suggest looking at wag.com, PetFlow.com, Chewy.com, for starters, for places to order from. These three offer free shipping if you spend a certain nominal amount. If you look at the stickie and find some foods you think may work, check those sites. Their websites have store locators and probably have a list of internet places that sell their products as well.

Regarding looking for samples: I don’t suggest that. It can take anywhere from 2-4 weeks to know if a food will work for your dog. Unless you have a dog that you know can go from one food to another without problems (yours does not sound like that), you should transition from one food to another over a 5-7 day period. Then, it can be the 2-4 weeks after that to know. Samples won’t be enough food to know, even the smallest bags (4-5 pounders) aren’t even enough, even with a Papillion.

Hopefully others can chime in on possible IBS. If it’s a yeast overload, dogs can go through a detox period where they seem to get worse, then better.

[InkedMarie]

Forgot to say that NutriSource seems to be a food that is good for sensitive dogs.

[somebodysme]

Just something you may want to think about, What about rosemary extract? I just read about this being an issue for some dogs and it seems like they are putting it in so many foods. May want to investigate that possibility and see if there is any relationship to that ingredient and stomach issues. Some dogs can become violently ill from something like tomatoes.

[bkagel]

Hello again. I’m going through the brands looking for food for Gracie from the top. Here’s my question. If your dog has IBS or at the very least is super sensitive AND she’s a yeasty little thing what about all the lentils and chickpeas??

Won’t that make her gassier and even more bloated?

Just for laughs, she can’t handle a protein content higher than 32% either. That’s why back to basics gave her the runs.

[theBCnut]

Beans and lentils can definitely be problematic for dogs that don’t digest things as well as we could wish.

[bkagel]

Thanks Patty. I did a little more research and I am going to try nutrisource grain free heartland select or seafood select in the 5 lb bags. I can buy it at a local pet food store. If she does well on one. I can buy it online for less. Love Wag’s free shipping.

[pugmomsandy]

The reformulated Canidae Grain Free Pure Land is white potato free.

Bison, lamb meal, sweet potatoes, peas, chickpeas, canola oil, suncured alfalfa, natural flavor, minerals…

• This reply was modified 11 years ago by pugmomsandy.

[InkedMarie]

Thanks Sandy! I’m going to email Dr Mike and ask him to add it to the sticky

[cmeeks]

Yeah I think grain free is important. My dog used to itch alot, then I heard about grain in dog food. I switched and she’s been much better ever since. The main issue for me is the price of the good grain free dog foods. I actually found a giant 40 pound bag of Victor’s for 50 bucks on amazon free shipping. I think it’s still available so you might want to give it a try.

Victor Dog Food Select Hi-Pro Plus Formula for Active Dogs and Puppies, 40-Pound

Good luck!

• This reply was modified 10 years, 11 months ago by cmeeks.

[bkagel]

Hi all. I looked over and over again for a food that was friendly for my Gracie. I found Nutri Source and bought a honkin’ big bag of buffalo. She’s scratching like crazy and I don’t have a lot of $$ to go out and get a bag of the fish formula. She seemed to be less itchy on that. I also brushed her out because she’s got a double coat. That helped. Should I try adding coconut oil in her food or just get a smaller bag of the fish formula, cross my fingers??

[theBCnut]

Coconut oil does help some dogs with their itchy skin. It can’t hurt to try it and it might help.

[bkagel]

My mom also told me to contact Chewy and let them know she’s having an allergic reaction to that mix of dog food. Ask for a credit or an exchange. Do you think they will do that since it’s been a couple of months?

Since I brushed her out she’s not as itchy/scratchy. She has a double coat so I have to remember to try to brush her out more often. This is another reason to remember to brush her out on a schedule that is better than what I have now.

[Saireah]

This is a great thread and I found it very helpful, InkedMarie!

Wondering if you’ve identified any good treats that are grain-free and potato-free? My list that I’m creating is quite small at the moment (other than raw vegetables, of course).

[theBCnut]

Brother’s Complete has biscuits that are grain and potato free. I usually use Vital Essentials freeze dried dog food for treats. I create my own treats by drying any kind of meat in a dehydrator or in the oven.

[pugmomsandy]

Instinct biscuits, Instinct Boost, Stella & Chewy’s Carnivore Crunch and Carnivore Kisses, Fresh is Best treats, and I think Etta Says chews, Dr Becker Bites.

[Sully’sMom]

• This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by Sully'sMom.

[quafferj]

Oh my goodness, I stumbled across this thread but reading it was like a lightbulb coming on! My pitbulls mix has always been a VERY gassy dog with lots of allergies, food and environmental. I finally found Natures Variety instinct, and the first month or two was brutal. She could make guys who try to impress each other with the nastiest gas leave the room gagging. Since then she cleared but to virtually no gas at all, for her. Her food allergies include potatoes, barley, and peas, the minute she eats something she shouldn’t her ears smell yeasty and get infected, before her allergy shots her paws would be red, irritated, and yeasty smelling, and one of her environmental allergies is malessezia, a yeast found on the body of all humans and animals. Yet I never even thought of a yeast allergy! Duh!

[Author]

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