Can Dogs Eat Cornmeal? Vet-Approved Health Review
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If you have checked your dog food or treat ingredient lists, you might have found cornmeal as a common ingredient. Cornmeal is regularly used in dog foods, and it is completely safe for dogs to eat.
Even though cornmeal in dog food divides opinion, it provides nutritional benefits and helps to make foods more affordable for pet guardians. When fed as part of a dog’s healthy diet, cornmeal is not a problematic ingredient for most dogs.
What Is Cornmeal and Is It Good for Dogs?
Cornmeal is the by-product of processed corn that has a coarse or fine consistency and is made up of ground corn kernels. It is usually mass-produced to form by-product cornmeal and while many people might automatically think by-products are bad, they still have a purpose in our dogs’ food.
The ingredient has been incorporated into many different brands of dog foods as it is a source of protein and linoleic acid, also corn is fairly cheap and easily sourced. Cornmeal doesn’t contain any true gluten, which is why dogs who have gluten intolerances can tolerate having cornmeal in their diet.
Unless your dog has a specific allergy to corn (which is uncommon), it can be safely eaten without any ill effects 1.
The Debate
A quick search for cornmeal in dog food will bring you equally to opinion for and against it. Here at Hepper we like to take a balanced approach. Some people state that cornmeal is a filler and has no nutritional value, is not a natural food for dogs and is only used as it is cheap and bulks up food. On the other side of the debate it is stated that it is a useful source of protein, energy, fiber and linoleic acid. There are also other factors that can be taken into consideration such as environmental impact and animal welfare if more meat is needed for dog foods vs vegetable sources. We will leave the decision up to you.
Why Is Cornmeal in Your Dog’s Food?
Cornmeal is a common ingredient added to dog food as a binder, and plant-based protein source. Its role in dog food is to help bind the ingredients together and offer nutritional value. It is highly digestible and energy dense.
As a relatively inexpensive ingredient cornmeal can make the food more affordable for dog owners as well.
Benefits of Cornmeal for Dogs
Cornmeal does indeed have health benefits for your dog, so let’s take a look at them:
- Added protein: Cornmeal contains protein, although it isn’t a complete source of protein for dogs, it does contain several essential amino acids such as lysine and tryptophan.
- Source of vitamins and minerals: Â It is a good source of selenium, thiamine, folate and iron. Cornmeal is also a good source of the essential fatty acid linoleic acid.
- It is digestible: Most dogs digest cornmeal quite well since the corn has been processed. Since the whole corn kernel has been broken down into cornmeal, it is considered highly digestible for most dogs.
- Fiber: Cornmeal provides fiber which is important for digestive health.
- Energy: Cornmeal is an energy dense, low fat feed ingredient.
Is Cornmeal Bad for Dogs? Should You Avoid It?
Cornmeal is considered a carbohydrate-rich food that has a high starch content. It isn’t considered the healthiest ingredient to feed to dogs daily in large quantities by some. It is not bad for your dog unless they have an allergy but many people prefer it to come lower down the ingredient list. There is no need to avoid it unless recommended by your veterinarian.
When dog foods use corn and its by-products as the main ingredient (in this case cornmeal), it doesn’t necessarily mean it is going to be a poorer quality food.
While cornmeal isn’t bad for most dogs, as omnivores or facultative carnivores, dogs don’t require a high amount of corn in their diet. There are other options for vegetable protein sources in dog food other than cornmeal, however several have been subject to recent investigation to links with heart disease in dogs. Especially pea and other legume proteins. Dog food must have a range of ingredients that are nutritionally beneficial for your dog to provide a complete and balanced nutrient profile, first and foremost.
In Conclusion
Although a some-what divisive topic, cornmeal is a safe ingredient in dog food when added in the correct proportions. If your dog has no allergies to corn, then cornmeal is a safe gluten-free ingredient for your dog to eat. It is inexpensive and provides nutritional benefits, making foods more affordable for pet guardians.
Featured Image Credit: New Africa, Shutterstock
