Grain Free Dog Food and Treats
Our grain free dog food recipes can help keep sensitive tummies 100% happy!
Some dogs, like humans, can have sensitive stomachs and skin. They can also have adverse reactions to cereals and a specific need to avoid grains, or simply pet parents prefer to feed their dog a grain free diet. Many modern dog foods contain grains that are sensitive to many dogs. This is a key reason why many owners choose to switch to a grain free dog food diet.
What is grain free dog food?
A grain free dog food is considered to be any dog food manufactured to contain no added grains such as wheat and cereals. These include carbohydrate ingredients such as rice, oats, wheat, barley, sorghum (an ancient grain), and maize.
There are many common misconceptions and lack of clarity around the differences between grain, wheat and gluten free in the dog food industry.
Mostly because of the diverse range of different grains and cereals available in dog foods, some which contain wheat or wheat gluten and others that do not. As a grain free dog food should not contain wheat or any grains, it therefore would be wheat free and wheat gluten free as well as grain free and gluten free.
However, it is important to note that a wheat free dog food may not be gluten free – barley, for example, is wheat gluten free but still contains gluten.
What is the difference between wheat and grain free dog food?
As explained above, a grain free dog food is considered to be any dog food manufactured to contain no added carbohydrate ingredients from the grain family such as rice, oats, wheat, barley, sorghum and maize. It is therefore grain-free, gluten-free, wheat-free and wheat gluten free.
Remember: a wheat free dog food is not necessarily grain free
Wheat is a type of grain, but excluding just this grain from the ingredients does not mean other grains are not in there. Wheat free dog foods can therefore contain grains such as barley which is wheat and wheat gluten free, but still a grain.
The differences between wheat and grain free dog food
Some dogs need a special diet due to adverse reactions to grains, and have been advised by a vet to exclude wheat and/or grain from their diet. Based on the individual needs of the dog, a vet will determine whether or not you need to opt for a grain or wheat free dog food diet.
Many pet parents opt for a grain-free dog food on the misconception that it is carbohydrate free and therefore healthy. Although a grain free dog food is free from some carbohydrate grains, the dog food may contain other forms of carbohydrates.
Carbohydrate in pet food provides a really useful and readily available source of metabolisable energy and fibre, so it isn’t something to be leaving out, unless for medical reasons. Many free from grains dog foods will contain white potato or sweet potato as carbohydrates, which are rich in antioxidants and a good source of soluble fibre.
Most dog owners opt for a wheat free diet if their four-legged friend is specifically needing to avoid wheat, but other grains, for example barley, isn’t affecting them.
Laughing Dog’s free from grains dog food
Is grain free food good for dogs?
At Laughing Dog we specialise in naturally complete dog foods, wheat free and grain free dog food, along with baked dog foods.
Our naturally grain free dishes are perfect for dogs with an adverse reaction to wheat gluten (because they contain no added wheat) and/or a specific need to avoid grains and gluten in general.
They are also ideal for four-legged friends just looking for mealtimes brimming with lots of nourishing goodness and natural foodie flavour.
Grain free dog food ingredients
We are proud to say that our range of Naturally Complete dog food, our Gloriously Grain Free dog foods and our grain free dog treats are enjoyed by all dogs craving delicious and nutritious foods – not just those with a specific need for free from grain diet!
We never add anything artificial and firmly believe that natural is best. Our passion is to help keep dogs 100% dog happy and we believe the only way to do this is through simple, nutritious recipes made with wholesome ingredients (and absolutely no mixed meat meal!).
Our complete and balanced dog foods have no added soya, dairy, grain, gluten or any added artificial colours, flavours or preservatives, providing you with the best grain free dog food.
Grain free dog treats
And the more sensitive souls amongst us don’t have to go without a treat or two because we have crafted a special range of Grain Free Dog Treats. These naturally grain free and gluten free dog treats are perfect as a snack or as pocket-sized training aids.
Choose from our grain free Fish & Tricks dog treats (also the perfect training treat for dogs & puppies from 12 weeks old), and our Sleep Tight dog treats.
Did we mention that our expert nutritionists have also created the UK’s first-ever oven-baked free from grain mixer meal?
This deliciously tasty grain free mixer meal for dogs is the perfect complement to feed to our four-legged friends alongside fresh or tinned/trays of meat, our naturally grain-free wet dog foods or as part of a BARF diet to provide some much-needed crunch (and helps to keep teeth clean and breath fresh too!).
Learn more on our very own YouTube Channel!
Don’t just take our word for it! Here’s what some of our satisfied customers (and their owners) had to say about our grain free dog food:
“My dog loves it and is great for a sensitive tummy.”
– Karen
“My dogs are both hyper-allergic to pretty much everything, so it’s very difficult to find food that they can eat happily. Luckily, the lamb hotpot is very good, and they can eat it without issue.”
– Michael
“This particular food suits my elderly dog and his “tricky” digestive system”
– Pauline
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Grain free dog food means that the product contains no added grains (also known as cereals) – therefore it does not contain any cereals such as barley, wheat, maize, rice or oats. Our Gloriously Grain Free dog foods and our Naturally Complete dog foods use potato and/or sweet potato as a base, which is an easily digestible source of slow release energy and contains no gluten. It is perfect for dogs with sensitive tummies, dogs that have adverse reactions to cereals and a specific need to avoid grains, or simply if you would just prefer to feed your dog a grain free diet. Our range Naturally Complete grain free dog foods, our oven-baked Gloriously Grain Free dry completes, grain free dog treats and our Gloriously Grain Free wet complete range of dog foods are enjoyed by all dogs looking for naturally wholesome and delicious foods – not just those with a specific need for a grain free diet.
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As with any complete dog food, it is not necessary to feed any additional source of food when using a complete food as it means that contained within the dog food are all of the nutritional requirements needed by your dog. However, should you wish to feed our Gloriously Grain Free wet complete dog food alongside our dry complete dog food to give some variation into your dog’s diet, we would always recommend reducing the recommended feeding guideline quantity of the dry complete and replacing it with a little wet food. You could either do this in the same meal as feeding the dry complete or you could feed a wet meal, for example, in the morning and then a dry meal in the evening. However, if you choose to do this, we would advise that you seek advice from a veterinary approved nutritionist to ensure you are feeding your dog a balanced meal. If you have any dietary concerns about your dog or are worried it may have an allergy or intolerance, please talk to your vet for further advice.
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Hypo-allergenic food is food that is formulated for one of three reasons: to include a limited number of ingredients, to include new and novel ingredients which dogs may be less sensitive to, or as part of a prescription or veterinary diet. Dogs can suffer from adverse reactions to certain foods such as wheat, maize, dairy, soya. It is uncommon for dogs to naturally be allergic to these ingredients and is more often the result of their common use within many dog foods which dogs then become more frequently exposed to which causes these reactions. These allergies can not only cause problems internally, but also externally in the form of itchy skin and ears. All of the Laughing Dog food wet and dry complete ranges are hypo-allergenic, with each ingredient being carefully selected by our nutritionists for its specific benefit. Our range of complete dog foods contain no added wheat, dairy or soya and the full range is made with GM free ingredients. This is the same for our slowly oven-baked treats and mixer meals apart from our Traditional Mixer Meal in the Adult and Puppy & Small dog variations which does contain wheat. Laughing Dog complete dog foods avoids corn and wheat, and alternative meat proteins are used in our products; for example duck and lamb, which are less likely to cause an allergic reaction. By using single source meat proteins in our dog food recipes it helps reduce the number of variables being added into the diet. Our limited ingredient range of dog food, Naturally 5, is made with just 5 simple and nourishing ingredients and is naturally free of wheat, wheat gluten, soya and dairy. Our new Naturally Complete range of dog foods is made with carefully selected ingredients to ensure for a complete and balanced meal with a clean label. This range of dog food is formulated free from grains, wheat, gluten, soya and dairy. Laughing Dog complete dog food is easily digestible, has no added artificial colours, flavours or preservatives, contains low allergy proteins and is wheat gluten free. It also contains essential antioxidants such as vitamin C and E to help maintain the health of the dog along as well as many more goodies to help your dog stay full of vitality (please see our ingredients list on each product page).
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Our grain free hotpot and casseroles are suitable for our four-legged friends that are aged 6 months and older. As with any complete dry or wet dog food we advise to wean your dog slowly from one food to another.
