Buckwheat in Dog Food: What the LMU Munich Study Shows

Buckwheat is gluten-free and filling, so it shows up in lots of recipes for homemade dog food. Still, a review from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich advises against it. Here's what the study did, what it shows and what's still unclear.

What the study looked at

It started with two dogs from the same owner. Both were fed buckwheat and both had liver disease. Anna Lineva, Ellen Kienzle and colleagues then reviewed nutrition consultations at LMU Munich and from a Russian nutrition consultant between 2007 and 2017. They compared dogs with buckwheat in their diet history to randomly selected dogs without buckwheat, all fed homemade food.

• Germany: 34 dogs with buckwheat, 85 without
• Russia: 57 dogs with buckwheat, 48 without

The result

In Germany, 32% of the dogs fed buckwheat had a history of liver disease, compared with 3.5% in the comparison group. In Russia, there was no clear difference between the groups.

The researchers also compared three buckwheat samples, two from Germany and one from Russia. They looked different, and the starch in the Russian sample was more gelatinized. The plant compounds quercetin, quercitrin and fagopyrin weren't detectable in any of the three samples.

What's still unclear

The study can't explain why buckwheat went hand in hand with liver disease in Germany but not in Russia. It doesn't name a cause. It looks back at past cases, so it shows a striking cluster, but no proof that buckwheat caused the disease.

What the study recommends

Because the difference remains unexplained, the authors recommend not feeding buckwheat to dogs. For dogs with liver disease that eat homemade food, the vet should ask whether buckwheat is part of their diet history.

And the dry eye cases in 2026?

In summer 2026, vets in the UK reported a cluster of dogs with suddenly dry eyes. On August 17, the fresh food maker Years recalled almost all of its recipes and named buckwheat as a possible cause as a precaution. According to dvm360, its tests found no problems in any of the buckwheat batches, and the condition also showed up in dogs in the UK, Finland and Hungary that had never eaten this food. The British Association of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (BrAVO) counted over 200 cases by Sep 23, 2026, and states that no link to any specific food, ingredient or manufacturer has been proven. The statement doesn't mention buckwheat.

What this means for you

• Don't use buckwheat as a regular side in homemade food or in a BARF plan.
• Good carb sources include rice or rolled oats.
• If your dog eats buckwheat regularly and its liver values are off, tell your vet.
• Bake dog biscuits without buckwheat flour. You'll find a recipe with rolled oats in Baking dog biscuits.

For everything important at a glance, see the food guide Can dogs eat buckwheat?