What Is Ash In Dog Food

How Much Ash Is Good

As previously indicated, most dog diets include between 5% and 10% ash. This amount has been proven to be within a safe range for nutritional health, ensuring that your dog receives the minerals he or she needs.

More ash means more vital minerals in your dog’s food. The more calorie dense your dog’s food is, the higher the ash content is likely to be. If your dog’s diet has nutrient-dense ingredients, you can also expect the ash content to be higher.

Generally speaking, high ash content is associated with more nutritious dog food. Of course, the actually breakdown of the minerals is what matters most.

AAFCOwhich regulates the US pet food industrydefines levels at which each vitamin and mineral should be contained in dog food. Brands that go beyond their minimum requirements may have more ash in their food.The ash percentage provides an overall picture of mineral composition rather than a breakdown of particular minerals. If your dog has specific nutritional needs, you should look at the food label for further information.

Younger dogs may need different calcium levels, while aging dogs may require more zinc to combat metabolic deficiencies that occure as they age. Consult your veterinarian to identify the best course of action for your dog.

Worst Wet Dog Food: Cesar Filets

Cesar Filets is considered one of the worst dog foods because of its high salt content .

It has sufficient water for processing, animal liver, chicken, beef and meat by-products, wheat gluten, ground wheat flour, cornstarch, salt, pea fiber, sodium tripolyphosphate, calcium carbonate, added color, choline chloride, magnesium.

It helps if you also understand that the quality of ingredients cannot tell the whole story, but the amount of meat in the dog food is critical to consider before determining whether it falls in the best or worst category.

The amount of protein in Cesar filet is about 44%, with 22% fat and 25% carbohydrates.

This analysis shows that this dog food includes an above-average level of protein intake and just near-average fat.

At the same time, the carbs are below average compared to a portion of typical canned dog food.

Another factor making it a low-quality dog food is that it has artificial colorings added to it, which is useless and not preferred.

How Much Crude Fat Should Be In Dog Food

As a general rule, your dog should get at least 5.5% of their calories from fats. The crude fat content of commercial dog food ranges anywhere from 8% to 18% by weight. This is important to consider because higher amounts of fat can be harmful to dogs. For example, high levels of dietary fat can contribute to obesity.

Furthermore, high levels of crude fat cause inflammation of the pancreas, high blood pressure, and abnormal function of the heart. A study led by Anton C. Beynen suggests avoiding dog foods with more than 40% of their calorie content from fat.

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High Fiber And Weight Loss

High levels of poorly fermentable fiber are used in some weight-reduction pet foods to dilute the calories in a serving. IAMS research found that this is not a good practice because high fiber levels can decrease the digestibility of other nutrients in the food and, therefore, can reduce the nutritional quality of the diet. You might also see more poop piles in the yard because of the indigestible fiber.

Worst Adult Dry Dog Food: Iams Proactive Health

The primary ingredient in IAMS Proactive Health Adult Chunks dry dog food is chicken.

Though chicken is a quality item and raw chicken comprises about 80% water, but when cooked, most of the water is lost, which reduces the meat content to just a portion of its initial weight.

After processing, these ingredients would probably account for a smaller fraction of the whole content of the finished food.

The second ingredient is cornmeal which is coarse ground flour made from the dried corn. Corn is a controversial and inexpensive cereal grain of low nutritional value to a dog.

For that reason, it is not a preferred part of any dog food.

The third ingredient of this product is sorghum , a starchy cereal grain with a similar nutrient profile to corn.

Because it is gluten-free and claims a smoother blood sugar performance than other grains, sorghum may be considered a satisfactory non-meat ingredient.

The fourth ingredient is chicken by-product meal, which is a dry product of the slaughterhouse waste.

This meal is made after all prime cuts have been separated, which includes almost anything left, including beaks, feet, and even undeveloped eggs, anything except the feathers.

But on the bright side, these portions are meat concentrates and comprise protein approximately 300% more than the fresh chicken.

The fifth ingredient is beet pulp, a controversial ingredient, as it is a high fiber by-product made of sugar beet processing.

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Fromm Family Dog Food

It is prepared with real Wisconsin cheese, lamb, chicken, duck, whole eggs and enhanced with salmon oil for a healthy coat and probiotics for aiding digestion.

Their guaranteed analysis has minimum levels of around 24% of Crude Protein, 16% Crude Fat and a maximum 3.5% of Crude Fiber and 10% Moisture.

It also has a minimum of about 0.5% Omega 3 Fatty Acids and 2.5% Omega 6 Fatty Acids.Fromm has all the high-quality dog food ingredients that should be present to strengthen the dogs immune system and provide balanced nutrition.

PLEASE NOTE: Amazon.com and Chewy are NOT authorized retailers to sell Fromm Family Dog Food. Because of this, we suggest using only .

Worst Dog Food Brands To Avoid In 2021

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Unfortunately, not all dog foods are created equal!

Thats why its essential to learn about the worst dog food brands and discover the best dog foods of 2021, to ensure your furry friend is getting the nutrition they deserve.

The list is based on factual data regarding the percentage of all the ingredients used in the various dog foods.

What makes the dog food brands on this list worth avoiding is that they fail to provide manyif anyof those nutrients your dog needs to stay healthy. Instead they use a variety of low-quality ingredients and types of filler.

These can be harmful or unnamed ingredients that make them bad choices.

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Top 10 List Of Bad Dog Foods

We structured the following list of dog food brands to avoid this year in a way that will make it easy for you to make a more informed shopping decision.

You will have a better understanding of why it is critical to seek out the better option for your pup by first emphasizing the bad dog food and then reading about healthy dog food brands to choose from.

Ask The Experts: Ash On Food Labels

Q:“I have noticed on a few labels lately the term ‘ash’ and a measurement in grams. What does this mean? They’re not talking about the same stuff that ends up in the bottom of my fireplace, are they?”

Francis

A: We asked Caroline Gunn, director of Food Safety Services Ltd in Napier, what ‘ash’ means on a food label:

“Ash is the term used to describe the non-combustible elements left over when our body burns up the food we eat. During digestion the carbohydrates, proteins, fats and vitamins in the food we eat all ‘burn up’ as part of metabolism, however the minerals can’t be burnt away because they are elements and exist forever just exactly how they are. Similarly, when a body is cremated there is a small amount of ashes left which represent these same minerals in our body that can’t be burnt away. They are mainly composed of calcium , phosphorus, potassium, sodium, chloride, magnesium and sulphur, with smaller amounts of trace elements such as iron, iodine and zinc etc.

You may have heard foods referred to as acid forming or alkaline. This means that depending on the mineral content of the various foods we eat, the ash residue left after metabolism will be acidic, neutral or alkaline. In general meat, dairy, eggs, processed or refined foods, fruit and sugars are said to be acidifying whereas vegetables are said to be alkalising.

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What Is Ash And Why Is It In Pet Food

If the word ash sparked mental images of ashes leftover from fires, dont worryin pet foods, thats not what it means at all!

Burnt materials are NOT added to pet foods and ash itself is NOT a filler.

Ash, sometimes noted on pet food labels as crude ash, is a term used to describe the mineral content of a given recipe.

These minerals are crucial to your pets health, contributing to bones, teeth, fluid balance, immune system function, blood clotting, muscle and nerve function, and more throughout a dog or cats body.

Ash may seem like a funny way to describe those ingredients, but the term comes from the fact that if you were to burn pet food, the organic nutrients would burn up entirely without leaving any trace. The only thing left behind would be inorganic minerals. Thats one way to measure ash content.

Ash content does give some idea of the quality of a pet food, but so long as its not too high you need not worry about the specific ash number.

For each Fromm recipe, in addition to reporting ash content, we also ensure that each of those individual minerals is present in the right proportionsomething thats important for all pets, but especially important for large breed dogs and growing puppies or kittens.

Where Does Ash Come From

Ash is the residue from heated organic products including proteins, fats and carbohydrates. By heating these products, it isolates essential minerals which can be used in a dogs food to support normal physiological function. The amount of ash in each type of food is however dependant on the ingredients, but it is normally between 5% and 8%.

When reading food labels, you will often see the ash content referred to as crude ash- this is simply an analytical term which refers to the total mineral content of the food. Although crude was once thought to mean poor quality, this is in fact a myth!

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Sarval Provides The Option Of Lower Ash Levels Within Its Protein Products

Historically, protein products have contained high levels of ash, due to the nature of the animal by-product raw materials used, according to Ashley Burdock, Commercial Manager at SARVAL, a UK-based supplier of protein ingredients to the pet food market. SARVAL provides the option of lower ash levels within its protein products.

The residual ash levels are derived from animal bones and contain essential minerals such as calcium and phosphorous. Although a safe ingredient, ash has minimal nutritional benefit. As such, pet food manufacturers are now looking for supplies to provide alternative protein sources with lower ash levels.

From the trends that we see, low ash products will continue to increase in popularity, said Burdock in a press release. As well as a healthy diet, low ash products ensure a premium end pet food.

SARVAL reports that is has invested in recent months to implement technologies and production processes intended to minimise the ratio of ash to nutritionally-high protein.

The Importance Of Ash Level In Pet Food

If the cat or dog food in your pets diet mentions a certain ash level in the contents, you may be curious as to what this denotes. Ash level in pet food is considered as a form of measurement, and refers to the amount of mineral nutrients available in the food. A way to calculate ash levels is by burning the cat or dog food, which destroys the organic material , and leaves behind the inorganic, non-combustible minerals known as ash.

Oftentimes, this mineral content, or ash, comes from the amount of bone, cartilage, tendons and the like thats been ground into the meat meal . It can also come from the mineral additives in the product. As there are many variations in the quality of meat meals, many look to ash levels in a meal to denote the quality of pet nutrition The lower the ash level, the better quality of food.

But dont write off ash just yet. Dogs and cats require roughly about 2% ash in their diet to meet their mineral needs. In the wild, these animals may gnaw on bones or vegetables to get the minerals that are essential to their diet. In commercial pet food, ash levels that surpass 2% is extra space taken up or could even be looked at as a filler that doesnt add to your pets health. It isnt uncommon for ash levels to exceed 10% in low-quality pet foods.

Now that you know more about ash levels, we hope youll use this information to improve your pets diet!

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Is It Bad For My Dog

Ash seems to get a bad reputation. People tend to think its equivalent to garbage but ash holds essential nutrients for our dogs body. As we discussed earlier, trace minerals like calcium and phosphorus are present inside and our dogs need those minerals as a part of their daily nutritional needs.

I think its best to say that ash is important but like most food, too much can be a bad thing. Aside from the minerals, there isnt anything else nutritional for your dog to take advantage of. Excessive amounts can lead to blockage in the gastrointestinal system. It can also affect important organs such as the kidneys and liver. A good kibble requires the right amount.

Why Does Mo Knows Run Tests For Ash

Our third-party laboratory runs ash for us so we can calculate calories and then check the calorie statement on each package. In order to do this, we need five pieces of information:

Knowing the ash in pet food also gives us a rough idea on how digestible and palatable a food might be to your dog. In general, the higher the ash, the lower the digestibility and the lower the palatability.

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Fiber Levels And Fermentability

For more than 60 years, pet nutritionists at IAMS have been studying diets to better meet the special nutritional needs of dogs. IAMS research shows that the optimal crude-fiber level for healthy dogs ranges from 1.4 to 3.5%. At these levels, nutrient digestibility is maximized.

An important characteristic of fiber is its fermentability, or how well it can be broken down by the bacteria that normally reside in the dog’s intestine. This breakdown of dietary fiber produces SCFAs that provide energy to the cells lining the intestines. Different types of fiber vary in fermentability.

Fiber sources used in pet foods include cellulose, which is poorly fermentable beet pulp, which is moderately fermentable and gums and pectin, which can be highly fermentable.

Research has shown that moderate levels of moderately fermentable fiber, such as beet pulp, provide the benefits of energy for the intestinal lining and bulk without the negative effects of excessive stool or gas.

Why Does Ash Vary Between Brands

There are two main reasons why Crude Ash levels may differ between different dog foods.

First, dog foods with high protein that include bones with the meat will have higher ash due to the higher calcium and phosphorus contained in bones.

Second, dog foods with nutrient-rich ingredients will contain higher mineral content than brands with low quality filler ingredients such as rice and potato.

An additional mineral boost may assist to imitate the extra components found in a canine’s ancestral diet. In the wild, dogs receive the vital minerals they need by gnawing on bones, eating nutrient-rich organ meat and collecting everything from vegetables to dirt to complement their meat-based diet. In many aspects, ash serves as a dietary supplement.

Despite the fact that ash is a neutral topic from a scientific standpoint, it leaves a terrible taste in the mouths of many pet parents. Many consumers believe that ash is mostly used as a filler and takes up space where more nutritious components might be added. But this is quite the opposite from the truth. Even AAFCO now requires a certain quantity of ash in order to satisfy nutritional needs.

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Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Adult Lamb & Brown Rice

First 5 Ingredients: Deboned Lamb, Menhaden Fish Meal, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, BarleyPhosphorus content .7%

The Blue Buffalo company is a pioneer in producing natural pet food that is carefully formulated by animal nutritionists using ingredients that youll be proud to feed your animal family members.

The brand uses an exclusive LifeSource Bits system in all of its products. This system refers to a precise blend of minerals, antioxidants, and vitamins that have been selected by holistic vets and nutritionists.

All of these together are crafted to support your pets immune health and oxidative balance. And because the Bits are cold-formed, the nutrients are not lost during processing.

Every Blue Buffalo product starts with real and premium meat and only natural ingredients make the cut. And because each pet is unique, Blue Buffalo has formulas made to fit the specific requirements of dogs regardless of breed, size, age, or dietary needs.

This particular recipe provides a wholesome blend of lamb, grains, fruits, and garden veggies for a nutritious and delicious meal. It features enough protein and phosphorus to develop lean muscles and strong bones but not too much as to make your dogs kidneys overwork.

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