The truth about corn in pet food

There are many sites that have tried to answer some of these questions, but few if any have been successful. For example, most of us have heard over and over again that corn is bad for cats and dogs. The usual justification for this information is that dogs have difficulty digesting this ingredient. Also, many argue that corn is one of the main causes of allergies in dogs and cats. Is this true?

Actual Answer: Yes and No

Yes, it is true that many of the pets that come into our stores with skin problems benefit substantially from eliminating corn from their diet. Whole corn, corn by-products, or cornmeal have virtually no benefit to cats and dogs and should not be in your pet’s food.

No, corn is not totally useless. Corn gluten meal has been found to help prevent cataracts in cats. However, it must be processed in such a way that it is digestible for cats. To the best of my knowledge, only Royal Canin has the ability to process in this way, and therefore contains corn gluten meal in some of their cat products.

Is corn gluten meal necessary? I disagree with most super premium pet foods and i agree. I think there are more problems than benefits with its inclusion.

More Information on Chicken Fat in Pet Food

There is some controversy about the use of chicken fat in pet foods and whether or not it is an allergen for some dogs and cats. The fact is that fat in its purest form is not an allergen. Dogs and cats cannot be allergic to pure chicken fat, even if they have a chicken allergy. The allergy comes from a reaction to the chicken protein receptors. Unfortunately, not all pet foods “finish” or purify your chicken’s fat enough to remove all protein residue.