Ground Whole Grain Wheat

Wheat is harvested as a grain crop. Mills clean and grind the kernels for food or feed. Ground whole grain wheat retains the bran and germ alongside the starchy center rather than separating them for refined flour.^9,10

1. 01 // Source Wheat kernels Each harvested kernel contains a starchy center, an outer bran layer and a germ.
2. 02 // Process Cleaned The mill screens the wheat to remove coarse and fine material before grinding.
3. 03 // Process Ground Milling reduces the kernels to smaller particles while retaining their bran, germ and starchy center.
4. 04 // Output Ground whole wheat The dry ground grain reaches the kibble plant ready to be mixed and cooked with other ingredients.

1. 01

   Supplies starch energy

   Wheat is mostly starch. Cooking starch during extrusion makes it more accessible to digestive enzymes, giving the finished food a usable energy source.^5,6

2. 02

   Helps form kibble

   Cooked starch helps bind the food as it passes through the extruder. Wheat contributes starch to that structure, alongside whatever other grains or starches the recipe uses.^5,6

3. 03

   Fits grain budgets

   Wheat is a feed grain whose use depends partly on its price relative to corn, barley and sorghum. That makes cost, as well as formulation, a reason to choose it.⁷

How much Dog trials tested whole wheat at 25% and wheat grain at 30% of extruded diets; neither figure describes a usual recipe amount.^1,2,3

1. Brands say

   Wheat supplies useful energy in kibble

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   Wheat grain averages about 69% starch on a dry basis. In a trial with 18 dogs, food containing 30% wheat produced fecal consistency similar to foods with rye or triticale. That supports its use in a complete recipe.^1,6

2. Owners say

   Wheat is a common food allergy trigger

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   A review counted wheat reactions in 38 of 297 dogs already known to have food reactions. It does not show that wheat allergy is common among dogs generally, and previous exposure to wheat was often unknown.⁴

3. Brands say

   Whole wheat improves a dog's gut health

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   In an 18-dog crossover study, microbial diversity was higher after the whole wheat diet than after rye. The study measured fecal bacteria, not better health, and its authors said the health meaning remains unclear.³

4. Brands say

   Whole wheat keeps blood sugar steady

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   An 18-dog crossover study found no main diet effect on postmeal blood response curves, but glucose area under the curve was higher after oats than after wheat. It did not compare whole wheat with refined wheat or show lasting health benefits.²

5. Critics say

   Wheat is empty filler

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   Wheat grain averages about 69% starch and 13% crude protein on a dry basis. Dogs ate an extruded diet containing 30% wheat with fecal consistency similar to the comparison diets. Wheat supplies food, not empty bulk.^1,6