Grain-Free vs. Grain-Inclusive: What's Right for Your Dog?
, by PetBowlz, 4 min reading time
Grain-free or grain-inclusive? It's one of the most confusing questions in dog nutrition. Here's an honest, balanced look at both sides — including the ongoing FDA discussion — to help you decide with your vet.
“Should I feed grain-free?” is one of the most common — and most confusing — questions in dog nutrition right now. There's a lot of strong opinion out there, and not all of it agrees. So rather than tell you what to think, our goal here is to lay out both sides honestly, explain what's known and what isn't, and help you have a more informed conversation with your veterinarian. After more than 35 years helping families choose food, we've learned this one really does come down to the individual dog.
What the terms actually mean
Grain-inclusive foods contain grains such as rice, oats, barley, or corn as part of the recipe. Grain-free foods leave grains out, usually replacing them with other carbohydrate sources like potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, or lentils. Both are simply different approaches to the carbohydrate portion of a dog's diet — and both include plenty of complete, balanced, high-quality options.
The case some owners make for grain-inclusive
Whole grains aren't “fillers” by default — quality grains provide carbohydrates for energy, along with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Many excellent, time-tested recipes are built around wholesome grains, and plenty of dogs thrive on them. For a lot of families, a well-made grain-inclusive food is a sensible, proven everyday choice.
The case some owners make for grain-free
Some owners prefer grain-free for their own reasons — a particular dog who seems to do better on it, a preference for specific carbohydrate sources, or simply what their dog enjoys and digests well. Grain-free foods are widely available in high-quality, complete, and balanced formulas. For some dogs and some households, grain-free is the preferred fit.
An honest word on the grain-free safety question
You may have heard about this, so we want to address it directly and fairly. In recent years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigated a possible association between certain grain-free diets (often those high in peas, lentils, and other legumes) and a heart condition in dogs called dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Here's the honest status: this has been studied and discussed for several years, and a clear, definitive cause-and-effect relationship has not been established. The science is still evolving, and experts continue to look into it. We're not in a position to tell you it's settled either way — because it isn't.
What this means practically: this is exactly the kind of question to raise with your veterinarian. They know your individual dog — breed, age, health history — and can give you guidance grounded in your dog's specific situation and the most current information. That's genuinely the right place for this decision to land.
So how do you choose?
For most healthy dogs, the honest answer is that a high-quality, complete and balanced food — grain-free or grain-inclusive — can be a good choice, and the “best” one is the one that fits your individual dog and your vet's guidance. A few honest pointers:
- Talk to your vet, especially if your dog has any heart concerns, specific health conditions, or you're unsure which direction to go.
- Look for a complete and balanced (AAFCO) statement for your dog's life stage, whichever type you choose.
- Choose quality either way — a well-formulated recipe from a trusted maker matters more than the grain question alone.
- Watch how your individual dog does — energy, digestion, coat, and overall wellbeing, in partnership with your vet.
Switch gradually, whichever you pick
If you do change your dog's food, transition slowly over about 7 to 10 days — roughly 25% new food to start, building to 50%, then 75%, then fully switched by around day ten — to keep it easy on their stomach.
We carry excellent options — both ways
We stock premium, complete and balanced foods in both grain-free and grain-inclusive recipes, from brands we know and trust, so you and your vet can choose what's right for your dog. Browse our full selection here:
And once you've found the right fit, our AutoShip option keeps it arriving on schedule so you never run out.
Still deciding? Let's talk it through.
This is one of those questions where a real conversation helps. We're a family of pet experts who've guided owners through the grain debate for years — and we'll always point you toward your vet for the medical side. For everything else, reach out anytime; we're happy to help you weigh the options for your dog.