Author Topic: Corn?  (Read 3103 times)

Offline Lucah's Folks

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Corn?
« on: October 03, 2006, 09:15:00 pm »
Just wondered what everyone thought of corn in dog food.  I know many say if your dog doesn't have an allergy than he is fine...but others have said that they can't really digest it so it is a lot of wasted space.

Please comment on what you have heard, learned and experienced.


Nicole

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Re: Corn?
« Reply #1 on: October 04, 2006, 01:16:18 am »
Although corn is somewhat less digestible than other grains, unless there is an allergy, there's no real problem with corn as a carb source.  What you want to stay away from is corn as one of the first two or three ingredients.  If corn is listed among the first ingredients, it means that the food is counting corn as a major source of protein, as well.  Corn is not a very good protein source for our canine carnivores, but many, many foods use it because it is so much cheaper than meat.  It serves as filler more than anything else.

In fact, all grains are more filler than anything else.  The fiber and carbs from grains can be provided just as well or better with other ingredients.  The most digestible grain in dog foods is, apparently, oatmeal.  So, if I were using a food with grain in it, oatmeal would be my first choice.  Avoid any food with multiple ingredients listed with the same grain (e.g., ground rice, brewer's rice, and rice flour). This just means that the food is mostly grain (i.e., filler), because when combined, those grain ingredients probably outweigh the meat source.  Plus, super-cheap ingredients such as "brewer's rice" (what's left over from breweries) have no nutritional value. 

An educated statement, Dr. Cornology.

Hey, what are the symptoms of a corn allergy, anyway?
« Last Edit: October 04, 2006, 02:07:59 am by Nicole »

Offline patrick

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Re: Corn?
« Reply #2 on: October 04, 2006, 02:33:15 am »
When you hear of dogs dying as a result of dogfood - like what just happened with Diamond- corn is the culprit  It can grow a mold that is highly toxic and you can't see it or smell it.  I don't feed any dog foods with corn  likewise we also don't feed the horses with any corn

Offline Kermit

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Re: Corn?
« Reply #3 on: October 04, 2006, 10:49:37 am »
I have a human friend who is allergic to corn, and she breaks out in a rash all over her body if she eats it. Also if she drinks any corn whiskey she gets the same reaction. :o

I have heard that food allergies in dogs often show up as skin problems.

angelsmama

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Re: Corn?
« Reply #4 on: October 04, 2006, 05:01:08 pm »
Angel is allergic to it.. She had dull thin hair, diarrhea, you name it.. I think it's bad for dogs.. But that's my opinion, I hated seeing Angel like that.