We’ve coated numerous myths about grains as a gaggle up to now, however because the summer season ends (candy corn!) and we shift into fall (cornbread, corn stalks, corn mazes, sweet corn!), it looks as if an acceptable time to debate the widespread myths about pets and corn. Now, clearly sweet corn is just not possibility in your canine or cat, however what about actual corn?
Corn has an unearned fame as being one thing that needs to be prevented for pets. Some pet meals particularly promote that they’ve “no corn” as if it is a badge of honor and plenty of non-veterinary sources counsel that corn isn’t digestible and “goes straight by means of” a canine or cat or is a “low cost filler”. Let’s unpack a few of these myths and set the report straight.
- Can canines and cats digest corn?
Whereas complete candy corn kernels could make it intact by means of the intestines of each canines and cats (and people!) and be seen within the feces, particularly if not totally chewed, this doesn’t imply that corn isn’t a secure and nutritious meals. Like all grains, the digestibility of corn is enormously elevated by grinding and cooking – corn meal or floor corn are widespread pet meals substances which were proven to be extremely digestible (the starch element is 90-99% digestible in research). One sort of corn that ought to by no means be fed to canines is corn that’s nonetheless on the cob. Canines fed corn on the cob, or who entry cobs from the compost or trash, typically swallow giant parts of the cob which ceaselessly trigger gastrointestinal obstruction and require surgical procedure to resolve.
- Does corn trigger allergy symptoms in canines or cats?
Whereas grains and particularly corn are sometimes regarded as widespread allergens by pet house owners, the scientific information doesn’t assist this notion. Total, meals allergy symptoms are unusual in pets and the overwhelming majority of pets with meals allergy symptoms are allergic to animal proteins, to not plant proteins or grains. Corn isn’t confirmed to be the reason for allergy symptoms in canines or cats; in most conditions the place a pet’s household thinks that corn is the perpetrator, it seems to be a special ingredient, sometimes an animal protein (or, extra generally, unrelated to meals allergy).
- Does corn trigger irritation?
Corn is a superb supply of the important fatty acid, linoleic acid. Linoleic acid is an omega-6 fatty acid and it’s required to be offered by the eating regimen in canines, cats, and people. Nevertheless, it needs to be balanced with different kinds of fat like omega-3s – if a eating regimen has excessive quantities of omega-6s with little or no omega-3s, that may encourage the manufacturing of extra inflammatory compounds. Skilled pet meals formulators know what combos of substances to make use of to end in a eating regimen with enough quantities of important fatty acids and a wholesome omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. The upper omega-6s from corn could also be offset by fish or fish oil, algal oil, flaxseed or flaxseed oil, and even chia seeds. So, whereas corn as the one supply of fatty acids in a pet meals isn’t perfect, most meals can have a lot of different substances offering different kinds of fats to stability all of it out.
- Do canines and cats get any vitamins from corn?
Corn is usually a good supply of vitality from each starch (carbohydrate) and from fats (as talked about above). Entire floor corn additionally comprises some corn bran, which is an insoluble fiber supply which might contribute to good fecal high quality. Corn can also be supply of a number of B nutritional vitamins, magnesium, and potassium. It’s additionally a superb supply of carotenoids – compounds which can be made by vegetation and suspected to have substantial well being advantages – like lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene (a vitamin A precursor). We don’t understand how a lot of those compounds pets (or folks) ought to get from their eating regimen optimally, however they’re thought to contribute to why elevated consumption of vegetables and fruit is related to improved well being in most research in folks in addition to some in canines.
- Does corn comprise gluten?
Whereas the protein element of corn is named “gluten”, it’s fairly totally different from the protein present in wheat, rye, and associated grains that’s related to gluten-intolerance. Gluten intolerance is fairly uncommon in pets and has been confirmed solely in a number of households of particular canine breeds. However, even when a pet got here from a breed with recognized gluten-related points (akin to a border terrier or Irish setter), there needs to be no cause why the pet gained’t tolerate corn or corn gluten.
- Is GMO corn dangerous for pets?
The vast majority of corn that’s used for human and animal feeding within the US is genetically-modified (GMO) to be proof against widespread herbicides. Whereas discussions of the “evils” of GMO meals are straightforward to search out, precise information to assist any well being dangers to pets or individuals who eat GMO corn are scarce. Genetically-modified organisms require in depth security testing previous to FDA approval. GMO corn strains have been accessible for greater than 20 years, but no opposed well being results have been confirmed. Based mostly on present information, there are not any causes to keep away from GMO corn in pet diets.
The underside line is that corn is a secure and wholesome ingredient in pet meals. Keep away from giving your canine entry to corn on the cob or empty cobs, however in any other case, don’t be involved to see corn meal, corn gluten, or floor complete corn in your pet meals ingredient record. It’s additionally okay to provide your canine unflavored popcorn, cooked contemporary corn that you simply’ve minimize off the cob, or cooked frozen corn kernels as a deal with – simply don’t freak out when you see a few of the kernels within the feces once you’re cleansing the yard!
Cailin R. Heinze, VMD, MS, DACVIM (Vitamin)
Dr. Cailin Heinze is a Board-certified Veterinary Nutritionist® and the Government Director and Chief Tutorial Officer of the Mark Morris Institute, a non-profit group whose mission is to advertise optimum companion animal well being by offering academic alternatives for veterinary college students and veterinarians in medical vitamin. She has additionally achieved some consulting work for Steadiness IT, an organization that makes software program and dietary supplements for home-cooked pet diets. She is an professional in home-cooked eating regimen formulation and common pet vitamin and has a particular curiosity in feeding pets with kidney illness and most cancers.
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