What to look for in dry food!!!!!

[huskygirl13]

So searching through different threads I noticed a threadwhich was labelled dangerous foods for your dog. This go me thinking about what foods are good for your dog and so i have decided to do a thread about what to look for in dry foods. Before i start just thought i would tell you that I am a Bsc Honours student ofAnimal Science and for the last 4 years as part of my course I have studies animal nutrition. Am only telling you this to show you that I know what i am talking about and that I am not as they say " just blowing smoke.":)

What to look for in a dry pet food:

1. Meat, more meat, and did I mention meat? Dogs are carnivores and due to this they have no evolved need for carbohydrates. When picking a dry food look for whole food sources at the very top of the ingredient list like ‘beef,’ ‘turkey,’ ‘lamb’ or ‘chicken’ -- one-word descriptions.

2. Meat and fat ingredients should be identified by species (turkey, lamb, beef, fish, etc.). Avoid any mixes that uses unidentified sources, described non-specifically as ‘meat,’ ‘animal’ or‘poultry.’

3. The next ingredient of better quality foods will probably be a meat source followed by the word ‘meal.’ Meat meal (with the meat source identified, as in ‘chicken meal’ or ‘turkey meal’) is considered a relatively high-quality protein source by processed pet food standards.

4. Ingredients three and four should be vegetables(avoid corn, wheat or beep pulp) and unless the formula is grain-free (which I recommend), a whole grain source like brown rice. Organic grains are preferable where grains are included, but they are no substitute for meat content. Avoid formulas with ‘grain fragments’ -- these are non-nutritive fillers. Grain-free formulas will frequently use potatoes as the starch, which holds the food together during processing.

5. In terms of grains it is important to remember that Grains (carbs) are added to pet food because 1) they’re cheaper than meat, and 2) they hold the kibbled bits together. They aren’t added for the sake of proper nutrition for your meat-eating pet.

6. Whole fruits as a portion of ingredients three and four are fine -- especially if they replace grains.

7. Leave all pet food containing corn or soy in anyform on the shelf. Corn is a cheap filler ingredient, non-nutritious for pets,and a known allergenic. Soy is estrogenic and wreaks havoc on your pet’sendocrine system.

8. Avoid formulas containing by-products, especially those that don’t specify the type of meat in the meat by-product. Believe it or not, meat by-products – especially those not specified as a certain kind of meat – will contain parts of beaks, feathers, feet, hooves, hair and even tumors that have been ground into the mix during processing. Although some by-products may provide some nutrition, such as spleens and other organ meats, however because they are all lumped together it’s best to avoid them.

9.Avoid pet foods containing artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners and preservatives, especially those known to be carcinogens. In dog food, these usually go by the names BHT, BHA, ethoxyquin and propyl gallate. When considering foods containing fish, look for manufacturer assurance on the label that states the formula contains NO artificial preservatives. Look for foods preserved with vitamins E and C, often called tocopherols.

10.It’s important to note that on pet food labels, ingredients are listed by weight. In terms of dry food this is a bit of a pitfall. The reason is because the meat weight is including the water content. The water is removed from the meat when its being processed which results in the meat weight being reduced by roughly 80 percent. So just because meat is listed first does not mean that the food is mostly meat or that it has a lot of meat in it. In reality the bulk of the food is probably coming from ingredients two, three and four – yet the meat will appear on the label as the first ingredient.

11. In addition, it’s also important to be aware of alabeling practice known as ‘splitting.’ Splitting occurs when different components of the same ingredient are listed separately on the label to improve the look of the ingredient list.

12. If, for example, rice makes up 50 percent of a formula and meat only 25 percent, it’s possible to list the rice as three or four individual ingredients all under 25 percent each, for example, brown rice,white rice, rice bran, and rice gluten meal. Listing the ingredient ‘rice’ in this manner allows the manufacturer to list the meat -- at 25 percent -- as the first ingredient

Finding the perfect formula is difficult but sometimes just knowing a few things to avoid and a few things to look for can go a long way.

Hope someone has found this useful.

Edited December 18, 2012 by huskygirl13

[Elyse]

Thank you - I especially found the last point useful. I didn't know they were allowed to 'split' the ingredients like that. Do you know if that's the case in Canada and the U.S too? Or just the U.K?

[huskygirl13]

The same occurs in U.S and Canada. The main problem inthe pet food industry in general is that a feed may have the minimumnutritional requirements for the animal but the quality of ingredients in thepet feedis low. Basically the majority of pet’s food labels are misleading which is why i think its important to learn about what a ingredients list is actuallying telling you.

[Osinn11]

Question...based on your experience what would be an example of a dry food you would feed?

[huskygirl13]

As you are U.S and I am UK i am not completely sure on which specific foods are available over there which i would get here so i have listed some of the best brands of dog feed. I created the list using some of my third year university notes. These in my opinion are all 5 star brands and Iwould recommend any of them to you. There are listed in no particular order andmost in terms of their ingredient are very similar.

• 
  
• Precise
  All natural, human grade ingredients, naturally preserved, and with several different varieties to choose from. Dry foods are packaged by the company themselves to maintain quality.
  
• Orijen
  This range is high-protein, low-carbohydrate and grain-free and provides what they call a 'biologically-appropriate' diet for your dog. This means that their foods are formulated to meet the natural dietary requirements of canines. Made up from 70% meat and 30% fruit and vegetables.
  
• Canidae
  There are several different ranges of all-natural and holistic Canidae dog food, and they're all formulated with human-grade ingredients. Their 'All Life Stages' range contains over 50% high quality hormone-free and antibiotic-free meat protein, and offers both grain free formulas as well as those with the optimal addition of appropriate grains.
  
• Solid Gold
  A leader in holistic pet nutrition, Solid Gold foods are often seen on top 10 best dog food lists compiled by dog nutrition experts, and in consumer reports. There are 8 different ranges of dog food, all made with premium ingredients and are specifically designed to suit dogs with allergies or sensitivities. All dry foods are packed in the company's special 'foil barrier' bags, which eliminates the need for chemical preservatives or flavour enhancers.
  
• Blue Buffalo
  This kibble is made from superior, all-natural and holistic ingredients and is then combined with Lifesource Bits which are a precise blend of nutrients and antioxidants selected by holistic veterinarians and animal nutritionists. Blue Buffalo foods are also gluten free.
  
• Natural Balance
  Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance range of dog foods is made from all-natural ingredients. There are too many varieties and categories of Natural Balance foods to go into in detail here, but they include the Ultra Premium, organic, hypoallergenic, reduced calorie, vegetarian and more.
  
• Nature's Variety
  This is also a holistic range of dog foods, and all varieties are 100% free of corn, wheat, soy, chemicals, and artificial colours & preservatives. The Prairie range contains meat, poultry, or fish protein, whole grains, plus fruits and vegetables. The Instinct range is grain free, and there's also a frozen raw food option.
  
• Timberwolf Organics
  Timberwolf foods offer a range of superior, carnivore specific formulas made with high levels of animal based protein, multiple grains, fruits, vegetables, seeds and herbs. It is also concentrated and nutrient dense, so your dog will get maximum nutrition from a smaller quantity of food. (and pass fewer, more compact stools.)
  
• Wellness
  A holistic range of pet foods, made primarily with human-grade ingredients. Wellness uses whole foods, with no meat by-products, preservatives, fillers, or artificial colours and flavours. The Super5mix range contains age and breed specific holistic dog foods that meet the unique requirements of puppies/dogs of all ages. The CORE range is grain free and protein-focused, and the Simple Food Solutions range has been designed specifically for dogs with food allergies or sensitivities.
  

• 
  
• Petcurean Pet Nutrition
  Based in B.C. Canada, this company produces the Now! Go! and Summit dog foods.
  

Now! is a totally grain free range and ingredients include onlyfresh, hormone free, deboned meats plus farm-fresh fruits and vegetables. Thereare no rendered meats or oils, no by-products. Low temperature, slow-cookingmethods preserve the wholesomeness and nutritional excellence of theingredients. These foods are particularly good for dogs with digestive tractissues such as IBS (irritable bowel syndrome/disease), Pancreatitis or ChronicRenal Failure.

Hope this helps.

[Elyse]

Thanks, that helps a bit. What do you think of Taste of the Wild?

Oh, and seeing as you took an animal nutrition course in uni...what's your opinion on feeding them raw meat/a BARF diet? Did your classes say anything about that?

[huskygirl13]

Just checked the formular of taste of the wild and if you are feeding your dog this then you are awesome. This feed is well balanced. It does list one ingredient as two different thingshowever it makes up for that by having chicory in its formula which is good forthe GI tract. Also recent studies show that it can help fight of ecto-parasites(internal parasites)I cant see any really bad ingredients in it so i would say that Taste of the wild is definatly a good feed.

As far as raw meat is concerned i buy packs of raw meat from the local pet store and feed it to my dogs. Dogs are built to eat raw meat so feeding them it is completely natural. The only down side to feeding raw meat is that it may contain harmful agents. I.e bacteria. Raw food is good as long as you know where its sourced from.

[serothis]

huskygirl13

Thanks for those wonderful posts. By coincidence bought a bag of orijen last week but there are so many boutique brands i'm glad i'm not wasting my money.