Corn in dog food.

Dr. Marie replied:

Ah, the everlasting corn debate!

It is so difficult these days to know what is a good dog food and what is not.

Personally, I don't have a problem with corn in dog food, but you will find many people who disagree with me.

I spent a lot of time researching your question to see if there was any scientific evidence for or against corn in dog food and all I could find were people's opinions.

So, here are some facts:

• Dog food needs to be made with some kind of filler / binder. Corn is an inexpensive product to use and works well. However, if there is no corn in the food then there needs to be another type of binder such as starch or tapioca. Personally, I would prefer to eat corn.


• There have been some cases of aflatoxin contamination associated with corn in dog food. This is definitely a serious problem...but fortunately not a common one.


• Many people will blame corn for allergies in dogs. While it is possible for dogs to be allergic to corn, it is not common. It is much more likely for dogs to be allergic to beef, wheat, eggs, chicken or fish.

There is really no evidence that I can find to show that corn is bad in dog food.

Regarding bloat, we really don't know what causes it. Bloat occurs when the stomach fills with air and then twists. Any food that ferments in the stomach can contribute to this. Or, gulping air by eating too fast can be a factor. However, no one really knows what causes bloat. I have not heard or seen evidence that alfalfa, brewers yeast or citric acid cause bloat. However, there really is no reason to give any of these ingredients to dogs.

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