Is your dog gluten free?

I’m new to the dog world, really new; we’ve had our puppy for 2 weeks.

Here’s what I’ve learned so far:

1) I’m tired. Coco isn’t sleeping through the night, yet, and it’s been 6.5 years since we’ve had a newborn in the house. I forgot what this kind of tired feels like, but she’s cute, so I’m ok with it. Luckily she’s now only waking up once a night vs 2 or 3 times, so I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

2) I knew that puppies liked to chew on things, but WOW, she really loves to chew: my pants, my ears, my chin, my toes, the rug, my nasty socks, her own tail, nothing is off limits.

3) She needs to be within 2 - 3 feet of me at all times, ideally right next to me or under my feet.

4) Everyone said that we’d love having a dog, and it’s true.

5) The controversy about dogs following a gluten free diet seems to be as controversial as humans following a gluten free diet. (Obviously people with Celiac Disease must follow a gluten free diet, there is no controversy there.)

Here’s what I think. When it comes to following a gluten free diet, for humans and dogs, it’s an individual choice. What works for one person, family and dog may not work for other people, families or dogs.

Our puppy started her dog food life with a brand that includes gluten. When we brought her home I continued to feed her the same food that she had at her breeder’s house. I read that switching dog food, too fast, would cause all sorts of digestive issues; which wasn’t something that I wanted to happen. I planned to wait until her first veterinarian appointment to decide what we would do, keep with the gluten full food or switch to a gluten free brand as our house is 100% gluten free because my daughter has Celiac Disease.

Well, our sweet puppy, Coco, LOVES to lick faces and lips and nibble on our fingers and toes. It started stressing me out feeding her gluten full food, three times a day, combined with all her licking and biting and me meal prepping/food handling. Don’t get me wrong, I wash my hands before I start cooking and handling our food, but unless Coco is asleep, it’s a constant balancing act of keeping her chewing on the right toys and not on my 6 year old or power cords; which inadvertently leads to her licking or biting my hands. I also saw that it was affecting how my daughter played and interacted with Coco. I don’t want there to be added stress at home for her, remote middle school is hard enough. I also don’t want her to have a restricted relationship with Coco, especially since Coco ADORES her and navigating her life with Celiac Disease is restrictive enough. So, we made the switch to gluten free food sooner than planned.

I know that the gluten free/grain free dog food controversy is, primarily, divided into two camps: 1) gluten free/grain free food leads to heart disease and 2) dogs are carnivores, can’t process grains and do better on a gluten free/grain free diet. It feels similar to the discussion between people believing that a gluten free diet is a fad, ridiculous and not beneficial for anyone outside the Celiac community and those who sing the praises of a gluten free diet from the mountain tops. It may not surprise you that I’m in the “sing it from the mountain tops” camp.

After doing a lot of research and exploring the different brands of gluten free/grain free foods, we found and decided to go with a gluten free dog food that still contains grains. It’s not certified gluten free, I don’t think that exists in the dog world, but at least it isn’t filled with wheat, barley or oats. I found a brand that makes a lamb and brown rice dry food that is made for small puppy breeds, and our vet is ok with it. We have decided to toe the line between everyone’s physical and mental health by feeding our puppy gluten free and some grain. Of course, there is still a lot of hand washing, but it’s not as stressful and we can really relax and enjoy the newest member of our family.

Coco Playing Fetch

If you would like additional support navigating living Gluten Free…

Disclaimer:

While we have ten years’ experience of navigating the world as the parents of a child with Celiacs, we are not physicians, nutritionists, or other licensed medical professionals. The material and content contained in the Services is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for consultation, diagnosis or medical treatment by a licensed medical professional. Please consult your doctor for any medical or health-related questions. The information contained in the Services should NOT be used to disregard medical or health-related advice from a physician or licensed medical professional.