Why Little Hunter Is (and Advocates for) Grain-Free

If you’ve heard that grain-free diets are bad for pups, you’ve only heard the beginning of the story. Today, we’ll shed some light on why concerns over grain-free diets started in the first place, and what’s really the cause for concern.

How it Started

The concern over grain-free diets started in 2018 following an increase in canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) cases, causing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin investigating.

DCM is a very serious disease, as it causes a dog's heart to become enlarged. That enlargement makes it much harder for the heart to pump blood and could lead to heart failure. 

What the FDA Uncovered

The FDA found that almost all of the reported cases were from dogs being fed grain-free, dry kibble diets. That led to speculation that a lack of grains was the cause of DCM. 

However, these reported kibble cases had something else in common; they all “contained a high proportion of peas, lentils, and other legume seeds.*” This increase has come over the last several years as kibble brands have pursued “high-protein” diets. Because meat is expensive, they have used cheap plant-based, protein boosters instead.

Because of that, along with growing research about the dangers of diets that are heavy in plant fiber, it's become accepted that the real culprit of DCM may be high levels of peas, lentils, and legumes – not grain-free diets. 

Fortunately, Little Hunter is raw, meat-based and minimally processed with zero peas, lentils, legumes or other plant/ protein fillers, and only a small, healthily balanced amount of fruits and vegetables.

Canine Biology and Our Approach to Food

As the scientific community continues to learn more about canine biology, it's evident that a dog’s digestive system, which evolved to process raw, meat-centric diets, struggles with the heavily processed, plant-based formulations of modern kibble. 

In addition to DCM, there has been an increase in other diseases, like pancreatitis, that have been linked to the high plant fiber content in kibble. This scientific evidence supports a much-needed switch to grain-free, raw, ancestral diets.

Because dogs are scavengers by nature, a small amount of plant-based ingredients are included in their ancestral diet. So while grains and an excessive amount of plant fiber have been shown to be unhealthy, a minimal, balanced amount of fruits and vegetables offer essential vitamins, nutrients, and fiber. 

Little Hunter was born out of this approach: raw, meat-focused, and balanced. Our food is:

• Meat-centric, using only USDA-certified, human-grade meat or wild-caught fish
• Raw to ensure pups are getting the natural nutrition their systems were made for
• Made from humanely-sourced ingredients
• Not only grain-free; no added flavors, synthetics, antibiotics, preservatives, or fillers either!
• Balanced with a small, appropriate amount of plant-based ingredients

We’re committed to creating recipes that closely resemble what a dog would eat out in the wild (just higher quality!) and the results show. Check out reviews of our grain-free, raw food straight from pawrents wanting only the best for their pups.

Ready to see the positive difference an ancestral-inspired, raw, meat-based diet will have on your little hunter? Create a custom meal plan to try our food today!