Just wondering what peoples thoughts are on feeding a grain free or low cereal dried food.  I have heard that grain free is better for dogs that suffer from allergies and sensitive digestion and could also be a preventative measure in minimising the risk of Bloat.

I have been feeding Arden Grange Lamb & Rice but since the change in the ingredients quantities it has affected my dogs and I am now considering changing food but just not sure what to change to.

Any thoughts/advice would be appreciated :)

When I fed kibble I wanted a grain free- since dogs are meat eaters.

Can you get Epigen/Wysong, CaniSource, Natures Logic, Taste of The Wild, DNA, K9 Natural,
Back to Basics Is Made with nutrient-dense organ meat it is a Grain Free, Gluten Free and Potato Free diet for dogs- these are all
grain free and my dogs loved them all.

If you can get these they are a a great kibble.

I Have just switched to Raw and can't get over how they clean their plates.

I think there is another post regarding Arden Grange changing recipes.  You could try another flavour or James Wellbeloved do 2 Grain Free foods which is available at Pets at Home I believe.

I feed JWB Lamb & Veg grain free and mine do seem to like it.
Grain free foods are more expensive than their & rice counterparts
so it really depends on your budget too.

If I try to go back to the & rice variety a couple of mine get sore ears.

Grain free does not mean carb free, they simply mostly replace the grain with potato.  the first dry foods the grain used was wheat, gradually some dogs got sensitive to wheat, so they started using Maize/corn, when many dogs reacted to that, the next hypoallergenic ingredient was Rice, now dogs have had rice in their diets for ages some are reacting, so they are now using other novel carbs.

It is too expensive for most people to feed and 'all meat diet' which is why we have since dogs first joined us bulked out their food with other things, and most have thrived.

Fish4dogs use fish and potato in their recipes, but some dogs do very well on fish but some don't.  Mien are fine with white fish.  the sardine can be a bit rich for some, the Salmon people like but I prefer not to use as it's likely going to be farmed fish.

My preference for lamb based food over chicken is the meat animal is more likely to have had a more natural life eating more natural food in it's life.  My dogs so well on most things so I don't worry too much as long as the meat/fish meal in the food is over 25% by dry matter (remember fresh meat is high in water as we are).

>Grain free does not mean carb free, they simply mostly replace the grain with potato.

Brainless has it, here.  Most manufacturers have cottoned onto the fact that people are looking for 'grain free' foods, so they've simply switched their carb source to potato instead of rice.  It doesn't mean there is any more meat, necessarily.

An ideal diet for a dog is high in protein, high in saturated fat (this is where energy should come from, not carbs), and low in carbs.  Most commercial dog foods are the opposite of this:  Mostly carbs, medium in fat and low in protein.  Carbs can actually fuel cancer cells, which is why the diet for dogs with cancer is low in carbs. 

In terms of a commercial food which is low in carbs (not only low in grain), I'd recommend firstly Ziwipeak.  Which is really expensive, but if you have a toy or medium breed it should be possible to feed it - you feed much less of it than you would a food with carbs.  Carbs bulk out food.  The energy in Ziwipeak comes from fat.  So it's not going to look like as much, in a dog's bowl.  The biggest bag you can get of it is only 5kg, but that can last as long as a 12kg bag of foods with carbs.

There is also K9 Natural, which is freeze-dried raw.  You reconstitute it with water.  It looks like an excellent food but you'd need to win the lottery to afford it. 

Next to Ziwipeak and K9 Natural, there's Orijen.  Orijen does have some carbs from vegetables and potato, but it has a v high protein content and meat is the first 5 ingredients - so definitely not using potato to substitute rice in the usual dog food make-up.  Orijen is also affordable, just about.  If you join their breeders' club, you get it slightly cheaper too.  And often there are 'damaged packaging' discounts in the special offers section on the Bern Pet Foods website.

> I have heard that grain free is better for dogs that suffer from allergies and sensitive digestion

Is that how you would describe your dog/s?  If you dog does have a sensitivity it's well worth exploring what ingredient might be causing the issue before deciding on a new food and perhaps talking to other food companies direct to get samples.  Also have a look at the link given to the original post regarding the AG ingredients change as Ness gave a detailed answer about the change.

One of my dogs suffers from allergies and although his isn't to food, it's pollen, I do believe his overall wellbeing and ability to cope is improved by a raw diet.  When he is in a 'raised' state then kibble does exacerbate the problem (although the occasional meal is fairly well tolerated).  Mine have fish4dogs as their back-up and travel food when raw isn't so easy to feed

Thanks for your comments everyone.  Very helpful.  I will go back and read through the previous AG posts.

One of my dogs is slightly itchy and her ears are more waxy since the change in AG. They both have soft stools after the first one and one's coat is really greasy which is not normal.  I have always gone for 'sensitive' feeding to minimise digestive upset and they both don't seem to tolerate chicken well.

Good idea about getting some samples. 

The only dried food that suits my GSD is Burgess Supadog Lamb & Rice for sensitive dogs. It is maize, gluten, egg, beef & dairy free and has a high proportion of lamb/lamb meal as the 1st ingredient. However, it does contain rice and beet pulp, which is another popular filler. I have a British Short Haired cat, who also suffered from food allergies (very loose stools) & I have also found that lamb is the only protein that suits her.

Burgess Supadog - Sensitive
Supadog Sensitive is great for all adult dogs, but is particularly suited to dogs with a sensitive digestion. The recipe is free from wheat gluten, maize, eggs, beef and dairy products. Rice is the main carbohydrate for energy and beet pulp aids healthy digestion. British lamb is the essential muscle building protein. To find out more about Burgess Supadog Sensitive click here.
Nutritional Values
Fibre2.5%Protein20%Vitamin D3 *1,800 iu/kgVitamin E *70mg/kgCopper **10mg/kgVitamin A *12,000 iu/kgOils & Fats10%Ash10%Ingredients

Lamb Meal (min 26%), Rice (min 26%), Beet Pulp, Poultry Fat, Salt, Vitamins.

My dogs get the kibble in the evening, but get raw in the morning (lamb ribs, chicken wings & liver).