Grain free puppy food
Grain free puppy food replaces cereal grains such as wheat, maize, barley and rice with other carbohydrate sources, most commonly potato, pea or other legumes. It is a recipe choice some owners look for their puppy, and reading the label properly matters more here than assuming grain free is automatically the healthier option.
What grain free actually means on a label
A grain free food has no wheat, maize, barley, oats or rice among its ingredients, but it still needs a carbohydrate source to bind the recipe and provide energy, so these grains are typically replaced with potato, sweet potato, peas, or other pulses. The protein source in a grain free recipe is not automatically different — it is specifically the carbohydrate that changes.
It is worth reading past the front-of-pack claim to the actual ingredients list, since two grain free recipes can differ a great deal in what they use instead of grain, and that substitution is what actually affects the food, not the absence of grain by itself.
Why owners look for it
Some owners choose grain free food because their puppy has shown a sensitivity they believe is linked to grain, though genuine grain allergies in dogs are less common than food sensitivities to specific proteins such as chicken or beef. If you suspect a food intolerance in your puppy, working through it properly with your vet gives a clearer answer than switching to grain free and hoping.
Others choose it simply as a preference, without a specific health reason, which is a reasonable choice to make as long as the resulting food is still a complete, appropriately balanced diet for a growing puppy.
What to check before choosing one
Make sure any grain free food you are considering is labelled complete for puppies specifically, since a growing dog has different nutritional needs from an adult, regardless of whether the recipe contains grain. The ingredients list and analytical panel tell you more about the actual balance of the food than the grain free label on its own.
There has been ongoing discussion among vets and researchers about certain grain-free and legume-heavy diets and heart health in dogs, and while the picture is not settled, it is a reasonable thing to raise with your vet if you are deciding between a grain free and a grain-inclusive diet for your puppy, particularly for a breed with any known predisposition to heart conditions.
Without it, and in stock
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Forthglade Complete Puppy Chicken with Liver Grain Free — 18 x 395g Trays
Sold as a case: 18 x 395g trays. A complete grain-free wet food for puppies, built on 71% chicken and 4% chicken liver
£35.89
Burns Grain Free Puppy Duck Potato
Grain-free duck and potato puppy food with a prebiotic, for starting a new litter on a novel protein
From£16.49
Harringtons Puppy Grain Free Superfoods Chicken Vegetables
Grain-free chicken puppy food in 1.7KG and 10KG, with size-specific evidence
From£7.50
Forthglade Complete Puppy Grain Free Variety Case 12pk
A 12-tray grain-free variety case for puppies: chicken with liver, and lamb with liver
£23.25
Eukanuba Puppy Breed Grain Free Fish
Complete grain-free ocean-fish puppy dry food in small/medium breed (3kg or 12kg) and large breed (12kg) versions
From£18.75
Naturo Puppy Grain Free Chicken with Potato & Vegetables Pouch — 8 x 150g Pouches
Sold as a case: 8 x 150g pouches. A grain-free 150g puppy pouch at 60% chicken, sized as one meal rather than a tin
£9.19
James Wellbeloved Grain Free Puppy Wet Food Lamb,Chicken Gravy Pouch 12 Pack
Grain-free chicken and lamb wet pouches for puppies, potato in place of rice
£15.55
Autarky Puppy Junior Grain Free Turkey
Grain-free turkey food for growing puppies and juniors, built for steady rather than rapid growth
From£14.79
James Wellbeloved Grain Free Puppy Wet Dog Food Turkey Gravy Pouch 12 Pack
Grain-free turkey wet pouches for puppies, potato in place of rice
£15.55
James Wellbeloved Grain Free Senior Dry Dog Food Turkey & Veg
Grain-free turkey kibble for senior dogs, with glucosamine and chondroitin for joints
£82.35
James Wellbeloved Grain Free Adult Dry Dog Food Turkey Veg
Grain-free turkey kibble for adult dogs, evenly balanced with potato in the mix
From£12.75
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Turkey
Grain-free cold-pressed turkey kibble for dogs, gentle on sensitive stomachs
£69.69
Common questions
- Is grain free puppy food better than regular puppy food?
- Not automatically — it depends on the individual puppy and the specific recipe, not simply whether grain is present. A genuine grain allergy is uncommon in dogs, so grain free is a preference for most owners rather than a necessity, though it can suit a puppy with a diagnosed sensitivity.
- What do grain free puppy foods use instead of grain?
- Most commonly potato, sweet potato, peas or other legumes as the carbohydrate source. Reading the ingredients list tells you exactly what a particular recipe uses, since this varies between brands and products.
- Can grain free food cause health problems in dogs?
- There has been ongoing discussion about a possible link between certain grain-free, legume-heavy diets and heart health, though the picture is not fully settled. If you are deciding between grain free and grain-inclusive food for your puppy, it is worth raising with your vet.
- Is my puppy allergic to grain?
- Possibly, but true grain allergies are less common in dogs than sensitivities to a specific protein. If you suspect a food intolerance, your vet can help work through an appropriate way to identify the actual cause rather than guessing with diet changes alone.
Related
Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.