Purina Is Made Almost Exclusively In The United States
Purina was founded in the United States, and even though it merged with the global Nestle corporation in 2001, its focus is still on the American market.
It owns several manufacturing plants in the U.S., mostly in the Midwest and Northeast. Almost all its food is made domestically.
While thats a good thing, it doesnt necessarily mean that the food is sourced domestically, too. With a few exceptions, the company is tight-lipped about where its ingredients come from.
Influencing Factors On Determining Feed Amount
Activity level
Be honest with this assessment. Is your dog mostly a lounger that hangs out inside all day with a few backyard jaunts or is it a truly active dog like a sporting breed that hunts, a working dog like a police K9 or your pal that goes hiking with you multiple times a week for hours on end?
Human tendency is to over emphasize/assess activity levels.
Adjustments for weight gain or weight loss
Simply put, does your dog need to lose weight? Gain weight? Maintain? The answer to those questions will help you figure out which end of that 2-3% spectrum you want to start with when starting a raw food diet.
Life stage
Notice I said adult dogs when referring to the 2-3% of body weight for food amounts. Puppies are an entirely different story as theyre quickly growing and need more calories to support that growth.
There are two approaches for feeding puppies:
- 2-3% of their expected adult weight
- 5-6% of their current puppy weight adjusting with the dog as it grows
Senior dogs shouldnt have drastically different needs than a middle-aged dog unless of course, activity level impacts them.
Pregnant dogs are something you should speak to your vet about in determining the best amount of raw food to support a healthy pregnancy.
Making her homemade raw dog food has just become a part of the weekly routine now.
Its a 30 minute weekly commitment that has made both her and I incredibly happy.
Prep Time:
What To Look For In The Best Wet Dog Food
When buying wet dog food, look for the following factors:
- Meat as the First Ingredient When the meat is the first ingredient, you know your dog will get the highest quality proteins from its meal. A dog can enjoy all kinds of meat from poultry to beef and from fish to rare exotic meat.
- Grain-Free or Whole Grains If your dog isnt sensitive to grains, you can skip grain-free and choose food with quality whole grains such as barley and brown rice. These grains pack a healthy dose of carbs essential to an active dog.
- Nutritious Vegetables Good vegetables like carrot and potatoes are common thickeners in many wet foods and they have nutritional benefits as well. However, I wouldnt recommend products that list a vegetable in the first three ingredients.
- No Fillers Wet dog food is less likely to contain fillers than dry dog food. But it is best to keep an eye for ingredients such as corn or soy.
- Additives Make sure the food you buy is free from additives such as preservatives, colorings, and flavors.
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Nutritional Profile Of Pedigree
Pedigree offers a wide range of ingredients. The key amongst them is the vitamins and minerals that help keep your dog in perfect shape.
It contains vitamin E, which helps keep the dogs immune system at a high level. Omega-6 and zinc ensure the maintenance of a healthy and shiny coat in puppies.
Calcium in Pedigree strengthens the bones and teeth of dogs. Pedigree also contains other ingredients, each having its purpose and nutritional benefits.
Outlined below are other ingredients present in Pedigree, the purpose they serve, and their nutritional benefits.
Ground whole corn: This ingredient contains amino acids, carbohydrates, linoleic acid, and fibers.It supplies energy and lean muscles to dogs.
Animal fat: Present in this ingredient are linoleic acid and fat.It gives the dog healthy skin and coat and supplies it with energy.
Beet pulp: It contains soluble fibers.It aids digestion in dogs.
Wheat: It has carbohydrates as its nutritional diet. It serves both as an energy as well as a fiber source.
Meat and bone meal contains amino acids, calcium, and phosphorus.Its nutritional benefits for dogs include lean muscles, strong teeth, and strong bones.
Vegetable oil: Contains linoleic acid.It gives the dog healthy skin and a shiny coat.
Brewers rice: This possesses carbohydrates and fibers, serving as a source of energy for dogs and aids the proper digestion of food.
Pedigrees Focus Is On Affordability
The company tries to ensure that their kibble is affordable for all dog owners, which is why you can find it in grocery stores and big-box stores as well as boutique pet markets.
To keep their food affordable, however, they tend to skimp on the meat and rely on cheap fillers like corn and wheat. Also, what meat they do include is often heavily reliant on animal by-products, which are the leftover parts of the animal that would otherwise have been discarded.
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What The Marketing Says
Actually, lets start with what the marketing doesnt say. Pedigree dog food is just another . Its one of their cheapest dog foods as well.
Do you think you would buy this for your dog if it had Mars in big letters on the front of the bag?
Probably not.
On the Pedigree webpage for Pedigree Adult with Real Beef they state No Artificial Flavours, but they neglect to mention the artificial colours. They claim its made with Quality Meat Protein and Australian Made With Quality Ingredients, but they dont state how much of the food is Quality .
We find a list of statements which make Pedigree dog food sound wonderfully healthy, such as how the crunchy pieces provide gentle abrasion to promote dental health. Absolute tosh do we eat food to clean our teeth? No, not really.
In fact, theyve bundled up some spin about hard kibble, grains, and nutrients required as an absolute minimum for canine health by AAFCO to be Vital Protection. Clever marketing boffins, arent they!
Lets take a look at the ingredients of Pedigree Adult with Real Beef dog food and find out the truth for ourselves
Transitioning To Homemade Dog Food
Most dogs dont have a problem making the switch to homemade food. If yours is prone to digestive issues, start slowly by mixing a little bit of the homemade food with the commercial food.
Over the course of a week or two, gradually increase the amount of homemade food while decreasing the commercial food.
If your dog vomits or has diarrhea, try introducing only a couple of new ingredients at a time until their systems are well adjusted to the fresh diet.
For dogs with health issues, please consult with a veterinarian if you arent sure what kind of supplements are needed. Use your best judgment, the way you would when feeding yourself or your family.
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What The Ingredients Really Say
The first ingredient in this Mars dog food is wholegrain cereals
Given dogs are essentially carnivores, from the Order Carnivora, were already off to a bad start. You see, cereals arent really included for nutrition, theyre included because theyre one of the cheapest ways to produce a pet food without filling it full of urea.
You may wonder what they mean by real beef, and its a marketing term I find very funny given the opposite would be unreal beef. What they mean is theyre not using meat meal, which is a rendering process which turns meat and meat by-products into a powder. Real beef isnt necessarily Quality beef.
The meat content in the food is unspecified. We dont see chicken here, or lamb, we just see meat by-products. I thought they advertised Pedigree dog food as using quality ingredients? We dont even know what meat theyre using other than its some combination of various poultry, possibly some parts of a cow, or possibly some parts of a sheep.
The truth is more likely this theyll use whatever animal, and whatever parts of those animals, they can source the cheapest.
We estimate over half of Pedigree dog kibble to be carbohydrates . The 20% protein and 10% fat is really bad, and given they use a typical analysis rather than a guaranteed analysis theres probably even less protein, less fat, and more carbohydrates.
Yep, this isnt looking good for Pedigree, and its hard to understand why they market this dog food as quality.
Its not.
Nutro: Hearty Stew Meaty Lamb Green Bean & Carrot Cuts In Gravy Grain
Serve your dog a premium meal with Nutro meaty lamb, green bean, and carrot stew! Your pooch with fall in love with youall over again, meal after meal. The protein levels in this recipe are higher than most wet dog food formulas. Aside from lamb, there is pork and poultry in the mix as well. Then you have enough fiber, vitamins, and minerals to balance out the equation. Overall, the formula is created with larger breeds in mind but it can also work as an occasional protein boost for medium and smaller dogs.
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Dental Care That Will Make Them Smile
Your dog will love showing off her pearly whites after munching on Pedigree’s Dentastix. The patented X-shape design is clinically proven to reduce plaque and tartar when used as part of a daily dental hygiene routine. Dentastix not only scrub teeth as your dog chews, but they also work right down to the gumline. Plus, they come in multiple sizes, so every dog can enjoy cleaner teeth and fresher breath.
Pedigree Dog Food Ingredient Analysis
Although Pedigree formulates its products to conform to standards set by nutrition authorities, their use of questionable ingredients cannot be overlooked. For example, whole grains are more than welcome in dog foods, but a bunch of refined grains, additives, artificial colors and flavors? Not that welcome. Still, one could argue that most healthy canines dont mind these ingredients in small amounts, and its true they dont, but its undeniable that there are better food choices for dogs. Lets take a closer look at the stuff their formulations are made of.
- Protein
Unfortunately, Pedigree is not famous for using high-quality protein sources. Meat by-products and meat meals are pretty much always a part of the ingredients list, and while these may not be bad quality meats, the point is, with meat by-products you can never be sure. As some of you may know, proper naming of ingredients is always a huge plus as it allows buyers to clearly identify each thing that goes into the product. So, chicken by-product is better than poultry by-product, and salmon meal is better than fish meal. However, this is not to say these types of meats are bad theyre just not excellent. By the way, if youre worried about meat meals and by-products, theres no reason. Although these foods are not fit for human consumption , theyre perfectly fine for our pets. Head over to our review of high protein dog food for more options.
- Carbohydrates
- Fats
- Micronutrients
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Recommended Serving Amounts For Homemade Dog Food
As a general rule, dogs will eat around 2 to 3 percent of their ideal body weight in fresh food daily. Larger breeds may need as little as 1 1/2 percent, and smaller breeds may need as much as 4 percent.
This works out to be approximately:
- 2 pounds of food per day for a 100-pound dog
- 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of food per day for a 50-pound dog
- 1/2 to 3/4 pound of food per day for a 25-pound dog
- 5 to 6 1/2 ounces of food per day for a 10-pound dog
There is much variation in what the ideal amount should be as it depends on how much your dog weighs and how active she is.
I feel that the best approach is to feed and watch if your dog is losing weight, give more, and if your dog is gaining weight, give less.
For our pugs, we feed a scoop each in the morning and a scoop each in the evening, plus all their supplements.
We have an easy system for this: homemade food is refrigerated in a sealed container with a measuring cup , and all the supplements are lined up together in a cupboard in the kitchen. Keeping your ingredients organized and accessible will make feeding time fast and smooth.
Compared to feeding commercial food, where you might scoop out kibbles or open up a can, feeding homemade food with all the supplements takes maybe 10 seconds more. And even if it took 10 minutes more, fresh wholesome food for our furbabies is worth it.
Pedigree Dog Food Review
Easily one of the most well-known dog food brands today, Pedigree Dog Food commands a large and faithful customer following. The dog food that is available in dry food, wet food, and treats is suitable for dogs of all ages, breeds, and sizes. Some of the top-selling points of Pedigree Dog Food are its affordable price, its easy availability, and its trusted brand name. However, it is important to take a closer look at the ingredients before making any conclusions about how good the dog food is.
Pedigree Dog Food has corn as its main ingredient. Corn is not the best ingredient for dogs as they dont digest grain very well. Corn can also cause gas in some dogs. The redeeming quality of Pedigree Dog Food, however, is that it uses poultry by-product meal and meat and bone meal. While not the best protein sources, the meal does have a higher percentage of protein than fresh meat.
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Is Pedigree Dog Food Good For Dogs
Do you know what pedigree means? It means the food that is grown in a particular region. The name comes from the name of the region.
Pedigree is a term used in regards to feeding dogs. There are many types of feeding programs that the breeder can use to help his/her dogs health and personality.
However, one important thing to keep in mind is that it is the care for the dog that matters, not the food that is fed.
This is because the food that a dog is eating is not responsiblefor any ailments or health problems. Instead, the food is a tool that helps toimprove the health of the dog.
As such, if the dog is feeling ill, he/she should be fed theright type of food, or a different food altogether. However, this does not meanthat one type of food is better than another.
Some websites are going to suggest the existence of Pedigree dogfood as a way to improve the health of a dog. This does not makesense when the words pedigreefeeding are used in the samesentence.
These words are only used when a website wants to attract yourattention to their dog food. In fact, they may even give the impression thatthere is something special about Pedigree dog food.
There is no proof that Pedigree dog food is good fordogs. While some people may buy it because they want to improve thehealth of their dog, this is not the proper way to go about things.
This is because care for the dog is much more important than just feeding him/her the right type of food.
Is Pedigree Wet Food Good For Dogs
Our answer for this is also yes, no matter what ever you try, chicken chunks given by pedigree brand are awesome to try. The smell drives makes you dog go crazy about eating.
If you still would like explore more on this they had come up with pedigree professional and you can try out that as well but again that is expensive.
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Blue Buffalo: Homestyle Recipe Beef Dinner With Garden Vegetables & Sweet Potatoes
Top Ingredients: Beef, Beef Broth, Beef Liver, Carrots, Peas, Sweet Potatoes
For dogs that prefer beef over anything else, this is a simple recipe that is loaded with healthy beefy proteins and all the essential nutrients. Those simple yet quality proteins are complemented with all the essential nutrients your dog needs for a healthy diet.
These goodies come from vegetables like sweet potatoes and carrots that also add a dose of carbohydrates. Not to forget, there are cranberries and other ingredients that boost the immune system and metabolism.
How Is Dry Dog Food Processed
Dry food contains very similar ingredients, but instead of adding gravy and canning the product, the meat mixture is pulverized in order to create a consistent dough that can be cooked.
Once cooked, the dough is extruded through specifically shaped holes to form kibble. The kibble undergoes a drying process, and then is sprayed with fats, oils, vitamins, and minerals and packaged before the fats and oils can spoil.
Some dry dog food diets also add live probiotics to aid in digestive and immune health.
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Homemade Dog Food Sources
- Meats: chicken, turkey, beef, bison, pork, lamb, venison
- Vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, zucchini, summer squash, spinach, kale, collard greens, chard, thawed frozen peas
- Complex carbohydrates: brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, lentils, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, winter squash
Recommended Serving Amounts
- 2 pounds of food per day for a 100-pound dog
- 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of food per day for a 50-pound dog
- 1/2 to 3/4 pound of food per day for a 25-pound dog
- 5 to 6 1/2 ounces of food per day for a 10-pound dog
This information is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Every dog’s dietary needs are different. Please consult with your veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.