Pet Food Allergen

Corn Allergy in Dogs and Cats

Corn is one of the most misunderstood ingredients in pet food. Frequently labelled a "filler," it is actually ~9% protein and highly digestible when ground finely — pet-food industry digestibility data puts cooked corn at 85-90%. True corn allergy is uncommon, though specific dogs do react.

Prevalence

~2-5% of food-allergic dogs react to corn (Mueller 2016) — less common than lamb, fish, or even soy.

Label names that contain corn

Any of these on an ingredient list means corn is present.

cornground corncorn mealyellow corncorn gluten mealcorn starchcorn syrupmaizehominy

Ingredient pages

Symptoms that point to corn

Factual reference based on AAFCO ingredient definitions, FDA guidance, and peer-reviewed veterinary literature cited above. Not medical or veterinary advice. Consult a veterinarian for decisions about your pet's diet.