grains vs potatoes

Here is an excellenet article on that topic:
[linkhttp://www.wysong.net/health/hl_984.shtml]http://www.wysong.net/health/hl_984.shtml[/link]
 
 

I wouldn't rely on an article that Wysong (or any dog food company) has made as it is obviously biased. ...

Thanks for the link Stacey.  So according to that article, a starch is a starch whether it comes from grains, potatoes, tapioca etc... and the the whole grainless thing is a marketing gimmick.  I would like to hear everyone's thoughts on this.

Hi
I dont think potatoes are superior to some grains.  In an article I read ( not put out by a DOG FOOD CO, sheesh), it stated that rice is the most bang for the buck as far as nutritional value for the dog but meat, meat, meat, chicken, venison ( it's lean), lamb( mutton, most likely and fatty/greasy as all get-out), salmon ( bears like it),  but nowadays, with all the hormones, additives, poisons etc., first fed to the animals or taken in by the fish, then added to the dog food, I shudder to think what we are feeding our pets.  Yes, they live longer...some of them, but with what quality of life?  I want my dogs to live forever...would settle for 16-18 years.  I love them with all my heart.  I have never wanted to go with raw chicken wings and all the other gobble-t-goop I read on these lists but... even though I feed Evo and Chicken Soup for puppies, I just bought frozen beef for my dogs and I am seriously thinking of going and getting a chest freezer for the garage and filling it with GASP, raw food for my dogs and raw bones.  I can't believe I am putting this in writing......
Carol

There was an guy that came on this forum not to long ago that published an article in the Whole Dog Journal about grains that made a whole lot of sense.  It went something like this...

The dog intestines are much shorter and not as "advanced," meaning they can not digest as many different foods, as the human digestive tract. The stickier the grain is when it is turned into a paste, the harder it is for the dogs short instines to digest, the more likely it is to cause problems in sensitive dogs.  Problems such as skin, digestive, and even eplilepsy. Actaully they are finding in both humans and dogs that epilepsy can actually be caused by an unidentified food allergy.  Anyways, if you think about it wheat, barely, rice, and corn are all very sticky when they are turned into a paste.  Potatoes are not at all sticky when turned into a paste.  Mashed potatos are kind of watery without the butter and milk.  Therefore, potatoes are better for "sensitive" dogs.

I'm sure if you really look through the arcives you will find something on barley and digestive issues somewhere on this forum.

ORIGINAL: jojo the pogo

There was an guy that came on this forum not to long ago that published an article in the Whole Dog Journal about grains that made a whole lot of sense.  It went something like this...

The dog intestines are much shorter and not as "advanced," meaning they can not digest as many different foods, as the human digestive tract. The stickier the grain is when it is turned into a paste, the harder it is for the dogs short instines to digest, the more likely it is to cause problems in sensitive dogs.  Problems such as skin, digestive, and even eplilepsy. Actaully they are finding in both humans and dogs that epilepsy can actually be caused by an unidentified food allergy.  Anyways, if you think about it wheat, barely, rice, and corn are all very sticky when they are turned into a paste.  Potatoes are not at all sticky when turned into a paste.  Mashed potatos are kind of watery without the butter and milk.  Therefore, potatoes are better for "sensitive" dogs.



I'm sure if you really look through the arcives you will find something on barley and digestive issues somewhere on this forum.

Sweet Potatos are even better than white potatos for both dogs and humans. 

Nutritional speaking, I don't think you can really compare them. Grains offer things potato's don't and vice versa.

Here's a link to compare their nutritional value.
 
[linkhttp://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/]http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/[/link]
 
Enter what food ingredient you want to look up and then you can do multiple searches to comapare.
 
Edited to correct link. Sorry the links didn't work.

For arthritic dogs....geez....you go grain free, but then there are potatoes in the food? And they are a nightshade and they are not good for arthritis sufferes either.

ORIGINAL: jojo the pogo

There was an guy that came on this forum not to long ago that published an article in the Whole Dog Journal about grains that made a whole lot of sense.  It went something like this...

The dog intestines are much shorter and not as "advanced," meaning they can not digest as many different foods, as the human digestive tract. The stickier the grain is when it is turned into a paste, the harder it is for the dogs short instines to digest, the more likely it is to cause problems in sensitive dogs.  Problems such as skin, digestive, and even eplilepsy. Actaully they are finding in both humans and dogs that epilepsy can actually be caused by an unidentified food allergy.  Anyways, if you think about it wheat, barely, rice, and corn are all very sticky when they are turned into a paste.  Potatoes are not at all sticky when turned into a paste.  Mashed potatos are kind of watery without the butter and milk.  Therefore, potatoes are better for "sensitive" dogs.

I'm sure if you really look through the arcives you will find something on barley and digestive issues somewhere on this forum.

 
 
Very interesting read. Thank you

There was an guy that came on this forum not to long ago that published an article in the Whole Dog Journal about grains that made a whole lot of sense. It went something like this...

 
Dr J?
 
Here's a link:
 
[linkhttp://dogtorj.tripod.com/id5.html]http://dogtorj.tripod.com/id5.html[/link]
 

The only distinction I would make among starches is simple carbs vs complex carbs,  and that only really becomes an issue from a weight control perspective. Fortunately thus far my dogs have only shown an aversion to corn (musical butts).

Paula

a starch is a starch whether it comes from grains, potatoes, tapioca etc... and the the whole grainless thing is a marketing gimmick.

 
Exactly!!!
Plus, potatoes and tapioca have very high glycemic index, so they are much worse than whole grains for controlling weight gain and diabetes.  The grainless foods are marketed to people as a raw substitute, yet these foods are fully cooked and full of carbs.  It really is a total marketing gimmick and I applaud Wysong for trying  to educate people- even if they are...(gasp!)...a dog food company!!

I'm glad you started this topic Jenns. I've wondered about these same things before also... especially the tapioca and pumpkinseeds in Nature's Variety Raw Instinct. To me those ingredients seem just as bad as grains. [:-] And since tapioca and potatoes have a very high glycemic index it's also not a good alternative for dogs with a systemic yeast infection.

To me those ingredients seem just as bad as grains.

 
Why do you feel grains are bad? They contain alot of nutrients and are/can be high in amino acids (proteins) and fatty acids. Some grains can actually make up for amino acids that meat are lacking in, so this would help achieve a nutrient balance. Now, I am not saying that grains should take the place of meat-based proteins, but they do compliment them.
 
So, grains being high in amino acids and if they contribute to the fatty acids, how can they really be classified as bad [8|] roteins and carbs contain the same amount of kcals per gram, so which would you prefer to offer?