Canine Ailments Associated with Grains in Best Dog Foodz (Part 1)

Dog food grains. Canine allergies. Could they be connected? Well, possibly.

Consider bread mold. Though unappealing, bread mold may appear relatively harmless.

However, mold and other contaminants occasionally present in cereal grains utilized in Dog Foods can lead to severe sickness — even fatalities.

Interestingly, cereal grains can be among the most troublesome components in commercial dog food.

Grains Can Hide Undetectable Contaminants

Following the harvest of grains, they require storage. Moreover, the longer the storage duration, the higher the likelihood of contamination by one or more of these harmful pollutants…

Even more concerning, numerous dog food companies are notorious for utilizing the least expensive grains available — leftovers and by-products from the human food sector…

Cereal grain remnants deemed “unsuitable for human consumption”.

How These Harmful Contaminants Can Contaminate Your Dog’s Food

Insects, along with their waste products, are often present in inexpensive, poor-quality grains.

The most prevalent insect contaminants are illustrated by…

Infestations of grains are very common, sometimes resulting in more significant damage caused by insects post-harvest than during the actual crop growth period.

This is how the remains of deceased grain insects can easily find their way into commercial dog food. These typical dog food contaminants should be prioritized in any efforts to prevent canine allergies.

Grain Mites Rapidly Reproduce Beyond Control

When you combine a poor-quality feed grain with ample moisture and keep them stored together for an extended period, what do you get?

Mites. Specifically, grain mites. And in large numbers.

These minuscule eight-legged insects are closely related to dust mites, the infamous household pests that are one of the leading causes of allergies in humans.

Their reproductive rate is astounding; a single female mite can lay as many as eight hundred eggs in just nine days.

Understanding Mites and Their Impact

Some juvenile mites transform into a stage known as the hypopus, where they develop suckers on their bodies, allowing them to attach to grain weevils, beetles, and other insects.

This “friendship” between mites and insects leads to their rapid spreading throughout an entire bin of feed grain, resulting in a complete infestation within days.

A Link to Chronic Allergies

Dogs suffering from atopic dermatitis experience a chronic and allergic skin reaction to specific allergens in their environment, often going undiagnosed for years due to common symptoms.

Common household dust mites, found in carpets, have been known to cause atopic dermatitis, similar to human allergies.

This raises questions about the potential connection between mite-contaminated dog food and canine skin allergies, hinting at a possible link based on existing evidence.

Recent Study Highlights Role of Storage Mites in Dog Dermatitis

A recent research study conducted at Wright State University suggests that storage mite sensitivity in dogs could be just as significant, if not more so, than dust mite sensitivity when it comes to atopic dermatitis.

Essentially, the ingestion of grain storage mites and their remains should be recognized as a major factor contributing to atopic dermatitis in canines.

This revelation places grain-based dog food under scrutiny as a potential trigger for this prevalent condition.

In the upcoming installment, Part 2, we will delve into an even more alarming issue associated with the grains utilized in dog food—deadly toxins.