Answer: Nothing is used as a "filler" in Wysong Pet Diets. Please note that Wysong dry foods contain the highest level of fresh meat and organs (not dried pre-processed meat meals) possible in an extruded dry food. Corn and soy are only used in some Wysong pet foods. Aside from the natural nutrition whole corn and soy provide - essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates, fiber - they help permit the manufacture of a dry diet. The starch in grains gelatinizes around the meat ingredients shaping the nugget, changing starch to a digestible form, and permitting the meat to be dried into a shelf stable form. Whether corn is used for this purpose or any other grain such as wheat, rice, barley, potato, etc., makes little difference if diets are being rotated as they should be.
Don't be fooled by the various marketing campaigns to demonize certain grains (such as corn) in order to increase the sales of products that do not have the boogeyman ingredients. The pet food market place is highly competitive and it is common for companies to pander to myths about boogeyman ingredients in order to gain sales: "corn is evil; buy my product because it contains not corn." Also, do not assume that these ingredients will cause allergic or sensitivity reactions as commonly believed. Thousands of animals that supposedly react to these ingredients not only do not react to Wysong Diets, but thrive on them if they are rotated as described in the
Wysong Optimal Health Program™.
"When it comes to ingredients in petfood, no other is more controversial than corn. It has been called a filler, a "hot grain" and a major cause of allergies in dogs and cats. But many petfood producers say corn is a natural and wholesome ingredient that supplies essential fatty acids, protein, carbohydrates and antioxidants. In addition, according to a Hill's Nutrition review of published literature, corn was implicated in fewer allergy cases than other common protein sources such as beef, dairy products, wheat, chicken, egg, lamb or soy. According to recent studies in various species, antioxidants in foods such as corn may potentially reduce the risk of some forms of cancer, heart disease, arthritis, strokes, atherosclerosis and cataracts and slow the aging process. While some argue corn provides no essential nutrition and is indigestible for animals once cooked or ground, others say corn is a rich source of fatty acids for healthy skin and coat, and carbohydrates supplied by corn are an important source of energy."
Excerpt from Nutrition Trends: Allergen-free petfoods. Pet Food Industry, 2011: 30-33.