The ingredient list is a major key to what's actually in that bag or can. Ingredients must be listed in descending order of weight (before processing). Unfortunately, the "before processing" piece of this rule, gives dog food makers a loophole to make their food appear higher quality than they actually are. For instance they may use a better quality ingredient in a high moisture composition, and the less liked ingredients in dehydrated form. In this fashion, the high moisture ingredient will appear on the label before the more plentiful dehydrated content.
Meat: Dogs are carnivores, and do best on a meat-based diet. The protein employed in pet food comes out of a variety of sources. When cattle, swine, chickens, lambs, or other animals are processed, lean muscle tissue is trimmed away from the carcass for human consumption, together with the few organs that folks enjoy eating, such as tongues and tripe. About 50% of every food animal doesn't get employed in human foods. Whatever remains of the body â€" heads, feet, bones, blood, intestines, lungs, spleens, livers, ligaments, fat trimmings, and other parts not generally consumed by humans â€" is used in pet food, animal feed, manure, lubricants, soap, rubber, and other products. These "other parts" are referred to as "by-products." By-products are used in feed for birds and cattle as well as in pet food. Avoid the word "by-product" of any kind no matter what its source is, named or not!
Meal: Meat meals, turkey meals, by-product meals, and meat-and-bone meal are common ingredients in dry pet foods. The term "meal" implies these materials are not used fresh, but have been rendered. While there are chicken, turkey, and poultry by-product meals there isn't any equivalent term for mammal "meat byproduct meal" â€" it is called "meat-and-bone-meal." It can be referred to by species,eg "beef-and-bone-meal" or "pork-and-bone-meal." Avoid dog food with the words "meat" or "meat meal" listed without a particular animal identified.
Grains: The amount of grain and plant products employed in pet food has risen dramatically over the last 20 years. Plant products now replace a considerable proportion of the protein that was used in the earliest commercial pet foods. Most dry foods contain a giant quantity of cereal grain or starchy vegetables to provide texture. These high carbohydrate plant products also supply a inexpensive source of "energy", what the rest of us call "calories." Gluten meals are protein-laden extracts from which almost all of the carbohydrate has been removed. They are frequently used to boost protein % without expensive animal-source ingredients. Corn gluten meal is the most commonly used for this reason. Wheat gluten is also used to create shapes like cuts, bites, pieces, shreds, flakes, and slices, and as a thickener for gravy. In most cases, foods containing plant proteins are among the poorer quality foods. Steer clear of dog foods that list excessive grains and fillers among the initial few ingredients on the labels like ground corn, corn gluten, wheat gluten, soy bean, and so on.
For more in-depth info there are a number of good dog food comparison sites on the internet. You should be able to easily find more about how they use animal fats and additives, recalls and other issues round the best food for your puppy .
Meat: Dogs are carnivores, and do best on a meat-based diet. The protein employed in pet food comes out of a variety of sources. When cattle, swine, chickens, lambs, or other animals are processed, lean muscle tissue is trimmed away from the carcass for human consumption, together with the few organs that folks enjoy eating, such as tongues and tripe. About 50% of every food animal doesn't get employed in human foods. Whatever remains of the body â€" heads, feet, bones, blood, intestines, lungs, spleens, livers, ligaments, fat trimmings, and other parts not generally consumed by humans â€" is used in pet food, animal feed, manure, lubricants, soap, rubber, and other products. These "other parts" are referred to as "by-products." By-products are used in feed for birds and cattle as well as in pet food. Avoid the word "by-product" of any kind no matter what its source is, named or not!
Meal: Meat meals, turkey meals, by-product meals, and meat-and-bone meal are common ingredients in dry pet foods. The term "meal" implies these materials are not used fresh, but have been rendered. While there are chicken, turkey, and poultry by-product meals there isn't any equivalent term for mammal "meat byproduct meal" â€" it is called "meat-and-bone-meal." It can be referred to by species,eg "beef-and-bone-meal" or "pork-and-bone-meal." Avoid dog food with the words "meat" or "meat meal" listed without a particular animal identified.
Grains: The amount of grain and plant products employed in pet food has risen dramatically over the last 20 years. Plant products now replace a considerable proportion of the protein that was used in the earliest commercial pet foods. Most dry foods contain a giant quantity of cereal grain or starchy vegetables to provide texture. These high carbohydrate plant products also supply a inexpensive source of "energy", what the rest of us call "calories." Gluten meals are protein-laden extracts from which almost all of the carbohydrate has been removed. They are frequently used to boost protein % without expensive animal-source ingredients. Corn gluten meal is the most commonly used for this reason. Wheat gluten is also used to create shapes like cuts, bites, pieces, shreds, flakes, and slices, and as a thickener for gravy. In most cases, foods containing plant proteins are among the poorer quality foods. Steer clear of dog foods that list excessive grains and fillers among the initial few ingredients on the labels like ground corn, corn gluten, wheat gluten, soy bean, and so on.
For more in-depth info there are a number of good dog food comparison sites on the internet. You should be able to easily find more about how they use animal fats and additives, recalls and other issues round the best food for your puppy .
About the Author:
Lyn Jones has been breeding and showing for over 10 years. As a breeder of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels in Oregon she welcomes the opportunity to answer questions and to supply info to families hunting for information about King Charles Cavalier puppies
