Gluten has become a hot topic over the year for humans and animals, and there may have been a time where you started to wonder, “What’s all the fuss about?”
Unfortunately, because our dogs can’t speak to us as directly as we speak to each other, sometimes diseases are ruled out by process of elimination. My dog, for example, was diagnosed with epilepsy after practically everything else was ruled out, but a change in diet has alleviated many of his symptoms.
As a loving pet owner of a dog with unknown health problems, you may have tried variations in their diet, activity level, etc.,… to try to solve their health problems on your own when a veterinarian can’t make a definite diagnosis. One of the things that seems to have had some success is the gluten free diet. Some studies have shown that dogs that suffer from joint pain, epilepsy, ear infections and general allergies have responded well by going to a grain-free/gluten-free diet.
If the gluten-free diet helps improve your dog’s quality of life, he or she may be gluten intolerant (there are other factors that could be involved as well, such as other food sensitivities). However, if your dog is lucky enough not to have any obvious problems, you don’t have to invest in a more costly gluten-free diet. You can always just take some of the extra money and pick a higher quality food for your dog to eat. Good luck!
