无谷狗粮对你的狗狗好不好？

Grain-free dog food has become trendy in recent years, but that doesn’t mean its necessarily better for your pet. First off, dogs aren’t vegetarians. Andrea Antonelli, a veterinarian who specializes in animal nutrition at Hodes Veterinary Group, tells Reader’s Digest, “Dogs are omnivores—they need to eat everything, including grains and meats.” Just be sure your pup doesn’t sink his teeth into any of these foods that are toxic for dogs.

近年来，无谷狗粮已经成为一种时尚，但这并不意味着它一定对你的宠物更好。首先，狗不是素食主义者。Hodes兽医集团的动物营养专家Andrea Antonelli告诉读者文摘:“狗是杂食动物——它们需要吃所有的东西，包括谷物和肉类。“只要确保你的小狗不会吃任何对狗有毒的食物就好了。

Secondly, not all grain-free dog foods are created equal. Some replace grains with animal proteins, while others use legumes, lentils, potatoes, and peas as the main ingredient—and these varieties may even have more carbs than traditional dog food, reports PetMD. (Note that carbs aren’t harmful for a healthy dog.)

其次，并非所有的无谷物狗粮都是一样的。一些用动物蛋白代替谷物，而另一些用豆类、扁豆、土豆和豌豆作为主要成分——这些品种甚至可能比传统的狗粮含有更多的碳水化合物，PetMD报道。(注意碳水化合物对健康的狗没有害处。)

An on-going FDA investigation may shed some light on grain-free dog good: An uptick in reports of a heart condition called dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)— a disease that causes loss of heart muscle strength, enlargement of the heart, and heart failure prompted the FDA to begin the investigation in 2018. DCM was found in dogs that ate commercial grain-free dog food varieties containing legumes, lentils, potatoes, and peas as the main ingredient. “There was an increase in reported cases of DCM in dog breeds who are not predisposed to this condition,” says Brian Greenfield, DVM and Good Dog advisor at Animal Clinic Northview, Inc. DCM is common in larger breeds like the Newfoundland and Great Dane and sometimes in smaller breeds like the American and English Cocker spaniel, but the reports of DCM were showing up in breeds not predisposed to the condition, including golden and Labrador retrievers, Whippets, Shih Tzus, bulldogs, miniature Schnauzers, and even some mixed breeds.

美国食品和药物管理局正在进行的一项调查可能会让人们对无谷物狗粮的好处有一些了解:一种被称为扩张型心肌病(DCM)的心脏病的报告数量有所上升。扩张型心肌病会导致心肌力量丧失、心脏增大和心力衰竭，促使食品和药物管理局于2018年开始这项调查。在食用含有豆类、扁豆、土豆和豌豆为主要成分的商业无谷物狗粮品种的狗中发现了DCM。动物诊所Northview, Inc.的好狗顾问、DVM的布莱恩·格林菲尔德(Brian Greenfield)说:“据报道，不容易患DCM的狗的DCM病例有所增加。”扩张型心肌病是常见的在较大的品种如纽芬兰和大丹狗,有时在较小的品种如美国和英国可卡犬,但DCM的报道出现在品种不倾向于条件,包括金和拉布拉多,Whippets,西施犬,斗牛犬,迷你雪纳瑞,甚至一些混合品种。

“This investigation has not yet yielded any conclusive results on the effects of feeding your dog a grain-free diet,” says Dr. Greenfield. “Other factors could also be contributing to the elevated cases of DCM, such as taurine deficiency (Taurine is an essential amino acid that acts as a protein builder necessary for healthy organs, with higher concentrations in the heart), the sourcing of the main ingredients, or how the dogs are processing the ingredients—regardless of whether or not the food they’re eating is grain-free.”

格林菲尔德博士说:“这项研究还没有得出任何关于给狗喂食无谷物食物的确切结果。”“其他因素也可能导致DCM的升高的情况下,如牛磺酸不足(牛磺酸是一种必需的氨基酸，是健康器官所必需的蛋白质构建者，心脏中的浓度更高)，主要成分的来源，或狗如何处理这些成分，无论是否或者他们吃的食物不是无粮的。”

While there is no definitive scientific proof that grain-free dog food is better or worse for your dog, pet parents should consider their own dog’s dietary needs. “Each breed and individual dog has different nutritional needs,” says Dr. Greenfield. “A golden retrievers’ dietary needs can be colossally different from that of a Chinese Shar-Pei, so the best option is to work closely with a vet who is experienced with your breed.” In addition to breed, age and health issues like diabetes and arthritis, obesity, and genetics dictate what kind of food you should be feeding your dog. In some rare cases, grain-free dog food could have some benefits if a dog has a grain allergy or sensitivity, but Dr. Greenfield says that amounts to less than 1 percent of dogs.

虽然没有确切的科学证据证明不含谷物的狗粮对你的狗是好是坏，但是宠物父母应该考虑他们自己的狗的饮食需求。格林菲尔德博士说:“每个品种和每只狗都有不同的营养需求。“金毛寻回犬的饮食需求可能与中国沙皮犬大相径庭，所以最好的选择是与对你的品种有经验的兽医密切合作。”“除了品种，年龄和健康问题，如糖尿病、关节炎、肥胖和基因决定了你应该给你的狗吃什么样的食物。在一些罕见的情况下，如果狗狗对谷物过敏或敏感，不含谷物的狗粮可能会有一些好处，但格林菲尔德博士说，这一比例不到1%。