Low Carb Dog Food: A Gentle Diet to Decrease Inflammation

When it comes to carbohydrates, there’s so much debate, both for humans as well as their canine companions. For dogs, a cooked meal of mostly protein and a little carbohydrates; aka: low carb dog food, is a gentle option for most dogs.

Carbohydrates Are Gentle

While dogs do better on a mostly protein meal, carbohydrates are are gentle, and easily digestible that can benefit older dogs or dogs with GI sensitivities.

When dogs eat no carbohydrates, proteins have to pick up the slack and this can lead to GI upset and difficulty maintaining a healthy weight.

A little carbs are a good thing- but not too much!

As a dog parent, you have many options – kibble, canned food, raw, freeze dried and fresh dog food. Processed dog food, such as dry dog food or kibble, utilize poor-quality carbs as their main ingredients. Dogs don’t need the high level of carbs found in kibble, but, more importantly, many pet food companies use cheap filler carbs with little to no nutritional value.  This leads to poor skin and hair coat, weight gain, and increased inflammation in the body overall.

These low-value carbs, such as corn, soy and wheat, are inexpensive, which is why dog food companies use them. They also add low-quality and often dangerous sources of protein. These include meat scraps not fit for human consumption and sometimes even from diseased animals. Quite frankly, if it’s not fit for humans, it’s not fit for dogs either.

Keep in mind that dry kibble advertised as “low-carb” dog food is still processed food and the ingredients are low-quality.

1. Avoid Kibble & Canned Food

In general, all kibble and canned food is processed, often made with high amounts of poor quality carbohydrates.  Even the best “organic” brands are highly processed, and many contain a plethora of artificial ingredients as well as artificial preservatives and chemicals to increase shelf life.

In many cases, these foods also include added sodium to boost the flavor, and dogs don’t need this extra sodium, as it can be tough on your dog’s kidneys.  A diet of whole foods is naturally a low sodium dog food because their is no added sodium to the real food meal.

3. Opt For “Whole” Foods Only

Whole foods have undergone little to no processing and you can identify them in the food. In general, these are foods in their natural state, although they might be lightly cooked to make digestion easier. Many people feed their dogs a raw food diet, which can be nutritionally sound, but as dogs age, a lightly cooked diet is easier for their digestive system. If you’ve been searching for the best dog food for a sensitive stomach, we also don’t recommend a raw diet as this can be tough to digest.

When it comes to whole foods that is a low carb dog food, it should contain whole-grain carb sources such as brown rice, millet, sweet potato, organic tofu, pearled barley and quinoa, etc. Typically, these tend to be hypoallergenic and easy for dogs to digest. Aside from the pearled barley, all of these are gluten-free, but barley is very low in gluten and is usually not still a firm ingredient for gluten free diets.

With protein sources, look for lean cuts such as chicken and chicken eggs, turkey, beef, pork or even high-quality tofu. These should be human-grade protein sources, as well, because, again, if the quality is not good enough for humans, it’s also not good enough for our sweet furry friends.

4. Choose A Diet That Serves Your Dog’s Nutritional Needs

While clean, whole foods are ideal, it’s also smart to select a dog food that meets your dog’s specific nutritional needs. For instance, perhaps you need a kidney diet for dogs or are searching for dog food for pancreatitis or the best weight loss food for dogs.

By feeding a whole food diet you are feeding a holistic dog food. Food isn’t just about providing calories; it's about decreasing inflammation to prevent and support chronic disease. A holistic dog food is designed to decrease inflammation and support your dog’s unique dietary needs. 

At Chi Dog, we’ve crafted five low carb dog food recipes based on Food Therapy.

For instance, let’s examine our Fire Diet. It is a “cooling” diet, which means it reduces inflammation in your dog’s body.

This diet, which includes turkey, millet, carrots, edamame, and broccoli, can be beneficial for dogs with inflammation and skin allergies, as well as dogs with heart disease. We also recommend it for dogs with Cushing’s disease and for dog parents searching for a low-fat dog food for pancreatitis. We use lean, white breast turkey meat and no high-fat organs, so this diet is both high in meat and low in fat.

Switch To A Holistic Dog Food Diet

Whether you opt to purchase our low-carb dog food or another brand or to simply make your own homemade dog food, we encourage you to select high-quality, purposeful ingredients that will support your dog’s health and wellness.

Again, just head to the Get Started tab on our homepage to discover which whole food meals are the best fit for your sweet dog. If you do choose to make your own food, we offer a vitamin and mineral supplement that can be sprinkled on your home cooked food to ensure that all of your dog’s nutritional needs are met.