An expanding number of people are beginning to
learn through their Veterinarians that the prevalence of celiac disease
(gluten-intolerance) in the dog world is growing. Well known and
definitively diagnosed in the Irish Setter, this condition is becoming more
prevalent in other breeds as well...even the precious mutt. Gluten exists in
flours such as: wheat, barley, rye, most oats, and causes serious food intolerance for sensitive stomached dogs. An incredible amount of harm, to a phenomenal number of animals, is becoming more apparent.
Malabsorption in the gut leads to a reduction of vitamins and minerals; and glutens can be a main contributor to this sad fact. The very nature of starch is sticky; and as it turns out, the foods that
are the "stickiest" are the ones that cause the most problems. In an attempt to digest these glues,
the stomach adds as much acid as possible to break them down. Gluten laden foods adhere to the villi
of the duodenum and induce atrophy. Whether it be from one or any of these
offending grains, it adheres to these finger-like projections of the intestine that are vital for the absorption of nutrients, effectively reducing them from entering the bloodstream.
Glutens are the main source of the principal allergens in pets.
At the end of the day, why take any risk with dog treats when gluten-free foods & flours are available? Although harder to work with for baking purposes, gluten-free ingredients were imperative for Whooz 'Ur Doggy!'s
development in each recipe. While researching, we found an impressive
organic mill in Oregon named Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods, that produces
certified "Organic, Gluten-Free" baking flours.
Gluten-Free, Wheat Grass &
Barley Grass...
Our decision to add additional anti-oxidants
(dried & ground - wheat grass and barley
grass) was based strictly on the proper harvesting time for these two important
vegetables. Certified and organically grown in Kansas for more than 200 days (the
natural climate and growing cycle produces a much higher quality and
nutritionally concentrated plant than the tray growing process can produce) the
crops are harvested prior to jointing (the highest levels of nutrients occur
during this critical window once a year) and before the maturation stage whereby
these vegetables form the wheat grain (berry). These nutritional
power-houses are an important "health element" and another parallel choice for
avoiding gluten ingredients.
Understanding Guar Gum
When you remove GLUTENS from baking ingredients,
you need an emulsifier: a thickening agent or stabilizer.
The guar plant is in the bean
family and related to the beet and Swiss chard family of vegetables. Guar gum
is extracted from the guar bean, where it acts as a food and water store. Beyond
its roll in functional food formulations, gums provide intrinsic nutraceutical
value of their own. Unlike starches and proteins, gums are important
sources of soluble dietary fiber. Guar gum has almost 8 times the
water-thickening potency of cornstarch-only a very small quantity is needed for
producing sufficient viscosity. Compared to 12 percent soluble fiber
found in oat fiber, water soluble gums contain at least 80 percent soluble
fiber.
Soluble dietary
fiber found in gums like guar gum, among others, offer a host of health benefits
in functional foods. Commonly used gums like guar, have been clinically
proven in human trials, to lower the overall cholesterol and increase the ratio of HDL to LDL
cholesterol. Gums were also found to act as prebiotics, helping sustain beneficial
intestinal bacteria.
Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods
is our supplier of guar gum which is grown in Texas.
Why
Gluten-Free?
