This is from an issue of Natural Pet magazine.  

GRAINS...TO FEED OR NOT TO FEED.....by Russell Swift DMV

At the recent American Holistic Veterinary Medical association conferences, I discovered that I am not the only one questioning the use of grains in commercial and home-prepared pet foods.  Grains, such as oats, wheat, rice, barely, etc. are comprised mostly of complex carbohydrates and trace minerals.

However, they are NOT part of the natural diet of wild dogs and cats.  In the natural setting, grains hardly exist at all.  Wild grains are much smaller than our hybridized domestic varieties.  This means that even a mouse or other prey animal is not going to find much of its nutrients from grains.  Therefore, the argument that "dogs and cats eat animals that have grains in their digestive tracts" doesn't hold up to scrutiny.  Prey animals that live near farms and other "civilized" areas are likely to have access to grains.  This is not truly a wild diet.

What other clues do we have that grains are not necessary for carnivores?

1. Dogs and cats do not have dietary requirements for complex carbohydrates.
2. Grains must be cooked or sprouted and thoroughly chewed to be digested.  Carnivores do not chew much at all.
3. The nutrients in grains are readily available from other dietary ingredients, for example, B-vitamins are found in organ meats and trace minerals come from bones and vegetables (unfortunately, modern farming has stripped many of the trace minerals from produce and supplementation is usually best.

Why have grains become so "ingrained" in pet feeding?  To the best of my knowledge, grains were mainly introduced by the pet food industry.  The high carbohydrate content provides CHEAP calories.  In addition, grains assist in binding ingredients.  We have become so used to feeding grains to dogs and cats that most of us get nervous when we decide not to use them.  I know people who have been "grain free" and doing very well.  My own cat is one example.

What are the negative effects?  I believe that carnivores cannot maintain long term production of the quality of amylase enzyme  necessary to properly digest and utilize carbohydrates.  In addition, the proteins in the grains are less digestive than animal proteins.  As a result, the immune systems becomes irritated and weakened by the invasion of foreign, non-nutritive protein and carbohydrate particles.  Allergies and other chronic immune problems may develop.  The pets pancreas will do its best to keep up with the demand for amylase.  What does pancreatic stress do over a long period of time.  I don't know, but it can not be good.  I suspect that dental calculus may be another problem promoted by grain consumption.  Currently I am making grains optional in my general feeding recipes.  I am going grainless in more pets as I explore this area.  I recommend trying to feed without grains if your pet is not improving on your current protocol.

   Giving Pills to Dogs & Cats

If your pet has a course of pills from the veterinarian, the biggest hurdle comes when you get home. If you put the pill in the food, all the food gets eaten and the pill is left behind. Or you have a fighting match trying to get it down the throat. The easy way to do it is to put butter or margarine on the pill. Then open the pet's mouth by putting your thumb and forefinger on either side of the mouth and push your fingers between the jaws, as close to the back of the mouth as possible. When the mouth opens, pop the buttered pill on the back of the tongue, hold the head up and massage the throat. The pill will slip down easily. The secret is to hold the mouth pointing up so that the tongue cannot work the pill to the front and out of the mouth. Also, the further back on the tongue the less chance there is of it being spit out.