How To Be A Better Pet Food Consumer
Ending the practices of animal rendering and romance marketing in dog food begins with you. As a pet food consumer, you can make your voice heard by choosing where to spend your money on feeding your four-legged friends.
Be on the lookout for words such as inspected this does not necessarily mean approved, i.e. suitable for human consumption. All of the ingredients we use to create our Raw K9 dog food are human-grade, with the exception of a few ingredients that the USDA deems as non-edible for human consumption, such as the green tripe, trachea, lung, and spleen. However, these animal parts are perfectly safe for dogs and, in fact, highly nutritious and delicious.
The easiest way you can determine whether a pet food is healthy for your pet or not is by judging the manufacturers transparency. Reputable pet food brands will give a clear answer whether or not they use 4D meats and whether its human-grade. If companies seem dodgy about answering questions regarding their foods ingredients, this is a big red flag.
Why Is Chicken Meal Used In Dog Food
“When were making pet food, we need a certain proportion of wet and dry ingredients and also need to balance the nutritional needs of pets,” says Dr. RuthAnn Lobos, a Purina Veterinarian. “By drying and grinding up the chicken, the end product is a concentrated, bioavailable protein source.””If we tried to use all chicken breasts for example, which are about 75% moisture, to make kibble, it would be way too watery and would not come out properly through the extrusion process,” says Lobos.
Pedigree Complete Nutrition Adult Grilled Steak & Vegetable
This dog food is billed as providing complete nutrition for adult pups and even includes an optimal content of omega fatty acids for shiny hair.
It also proudly boasts that it is made of the finest ingredients. Looking closely at the label, however, we see a different story.
The first ingredient of the meal is ground whole grain corn. The third ingredient is also corn while the fifth is soybean meal.
So in the first five slots, you get three corn and legume ingredients, which means that this is not a meat-based dish at all. Here, the meat acts as support only and not the other way around, and there are too many grains.
The second thing we dont like about this recipe is that it uses unrecognizable animal ingredients. Were talking about the meat and bone meal.
Meat meals are usually okay provided that the animal the meat comes from is named. For example, chicken meal or lamb meal. But meat and bone meal? Which animal meat was used? Is there more than one kind of animal? And then, which parts?
Lastly, while the brand says that the recipe does not contain artificial flavors or sugar, it does contain artificial colors. There are four we could see, and theyre listed midway in the list, having more volume than the added nutrients the food contains.
Problem Ingredients: Ground Whole Grain Corn, Meat And Bone Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Soybean Meal, Brewers Rice, Ground Whole Grain Wheat, Red 40, Yellow 6, Blue 2, Yellow 5
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Healthy Homemade Dog Food Recipe
Is your puppy prone to food allergies? If yes, then this food recipe will make it easier for you to feed your puppy!
It compromises various healthy ingredients that your canine companion will surely love!
In addition to that, this recipe can make up to 28 servings for small dogs that weigh up to 14 pounds.
Ingredients:
The method you will use will depend on how long you will use the food. If it’s for 1-3 days, don’t use the vacuum sealing method as this will waste time and money.
If you’re going to use the homemade puppy food for 7-10 days, you can use the single-serving containers, which must be air-tight.
ZipLocks work well with short-term storage, although it might be expensive to use disposable bags.
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The water content averages around 70%, along with 18% protein and 5% fat.
Now take this ground chicken and carefully dry it to a moisture level of 10%.
Many pet owners feel that chicken is a superior ingredient to chicken meal.
It would seem logical that feeding a pet a whole, non-rendered chicken would be good.
Some varieties of meat meal are extremely high-quality, giving your dog a dense source of nutritious, natural protein while other types of meat meal are made up of waste materials including animal heads, hooves, bones, and other waste that you would NOT want your dog to eat.
After cooking, the dried solids are added as “meal” to pet food.
Meat By-product meal : chicken by-products that are cooked .
All rendered products are considered “unfit for human consumption.” If we shouldn’t eat it, either should our pets!
Meat meal obtained by cooking, defatting, sterilizing, grinding, and sifting by-products of terrestrial animals.
This denomination includes both meat and bone meal and meat meal in the strict sense, less rich in minerals than MBM it is often referred to as “processed animal protein”.
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The Dangers Of 4d Meats
As you can imagine, dog food sourced from 4D meats can be terrible for your dogs health. Many 4D carcasses have cancerous tumors, worm-infested organs, and the like. In addition, eating 4D meats exposes your dog to denaturing agents, such as charcoal, fish meal, or chemical agents, which are all used to signify that the meat is of low-quality, and should not enter the human food chain. These denaturing agents can be very harmful to your dog.
Eating 4D meats can also expose your dog to harmful medications such as antibiotics, steroids, and the sodium pentobarbital used to euthanize animals in shelters, since none of these substances are neutralized during the rendering process. 4D meats often contain other chemicals with known risks, such as the preservatives ethoxyquin, BHA, and BHT.
Dog Food Myth No : Grain Especially Soy Or Corn Is Bad For Dogs
Some people blame grains for allergies, and its true some dogs can be allergic to some grains, just as some dogs can be allergic to some meats. But for most dogs, grain is fine, and usually contains more nutrients than replacement ingredients used in grain-free diets. Also be aware that the FDA is investigating potential links between grain-free diets and heart disease in dogs.
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How Can You Tell If It’s Meat Meal
Dog food brands that use meat meal are now aware of the unwanted reputation its established. To counter this, theyre carefully modifying packaging and labelling. On the high street shelves, or online, you may come across a number of products that refer to their food as Beef Meal or Chicken Meal – a simple reshuffle to obscure whats really inside.
This is also the case when dog food is marketed as dried chicken or dried meat. If you see this, its likely to be meat meal. If youre against the thought of meat meal, its always a good idea to scan these products when you come across them.
Avoid Too Much Corn And Rice
Corn and rice are often used as a filler in dog food. According to PetMD, however, your carnivorous pet should not have a carbohydrate-rich diet, as dog food low in protein has been linked to dogs becoming obese. Foods with high levels of either of rice or corn can also cause chronic conditions in your dog like gas, bloating, and diarrhea.
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Manufacturer’s Name And Address
The “manufactured by…” statement identifies the party responsible for the quality and safety of the product and its location. If the label says “manufactured for…” or “distributed by…,” the food was manufactured by an outside manufacturer, but the name on the label still designates the responsible party. Not all labels include a street address along with the city, state, and zip code, but by law, it should be listed in either a city directory or a telephone directory. Many manufacturers also voluntarily include a toll-free number on the label for consumer inquiries. If a consumer has a question or complaint about the product, he or she should not hesitate to use this information to contact the responsible party.
Serving Size In Cups Of Homemade Food Per Ingredient
All of these serving suggestions are per 20 pounds of the dog’s body weight and are the ideal amount needed each day:
- 1/4 to 1/3 pounds of meat.
- 1/2 to 3/4 cups yogurt or cottage cheese or 3 to 4 eggs.
- 1 to 2 cups of potatoes, rice, pasta, or other carbohydrates.
- 1/2 cup to a cup of cooked vegetables.
- Tablespoon of canola or olive oil
- for added calcium, 1/2 teaspoon of bone meal, or ground eggshell.
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The First Ingredient Isn’t The Whole Story
Many pet foods claim their first ingredient is meat, but look closely and most of their labels contain chicken meal, fish meal, or some other form of meat meal as a primary ingredient.
The ingredients list on pet food packaging is organized similarly to that of human foodwith the ingredients listed by weight, starting with the highest. The catch is that weight is measured when the ingredient is added, before it is cooked. Fresh meat, poultry, or fish, in its whole form, contains a lot of water, while a rendered meat meal has been highly processed to remove most of its moisture. So while a meat meal often appears as the second or third ingredient by weight on most pet food bags, in actuality it represents a significant portion of the total meat in the recipe.
If what you want for your companion animal is the nutrition of WHOLE meat, poultry, or fish, its important to make sure that a meat meal is not one of the primary ingredients.
I have my parents trained right. They check the ingredients to make sure theres no meat meal in my food.
Homemade Food For A 1
One meal of raw mincemeat and one meal of yogurt will go well with a 1-month old puppy.
Mincemeat is the easiest for a puppy to eat as he will use the sucking motion to eat it. If he can’t manage to eat a yogurt, add some mince to keep it in shape for him to suck.
As an alternative, if you have a meat grinder at home, you can ground the whole raw chicken. In that way, calcium will come out from the bones, and you will not need yogurt anymore.
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What Dog Foods Are Killing Dogs
A pet food recall is widening after the Food and Drug Administration announced that more than two dozen dogs died after eating Sportmix brand dry kibble. The statement issued on Monday said that the suspect is aflatoxin, a byproduct of a corn mold Aspergillus flavus, which at high levels can kill pets.
Picking A Good Beef Dog Food: Things To Look For
As mentioned earlier, beef dog foods vary significantly. Some are fantastic foods that should help keep your dog healthy while pleasing his palette.
But others are full of low-quality ingredients, which may not provide the nutrition he needs or the high-quality flavors he deserves.
But dont worry it is pretty easy to distinguish the goodones from the bad ones. Just try to pick foods that meet the followingcriteria:
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What Is Chicken Meal In Dog Food
Chicken meal is rendered chicken meat that has been dried and ground up, and includes clean flesh, skin, and/or accompanying bone. But if you see a bag of dog food that proudlystates its made with Real Chicken, its referring to a clean combination of chicken flesh and skin.
Chicken meal does not contain feathers, heads, feet, or intestinal contents. Chicken meal is safe and nutritious for your dog!
Beef Meal & Brown Rice Formula
- Breed size
- All Life Stages formula with premium-quality beef meal as primary protein source
- Ideal for dogs with allergies to other meat proteins
- Excellent for dogs with normal activity levels
- Fortified with vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, protein and amino acids
- Made from gluten free grains
With premium-quality beef meal as the primary protein source, Beef Meal & Brown Rice Formula is formulated to nutritionally support dogs with normal activity levels. It is easy to alternate SELECT formulas to offer your dog multiple flavors throughout the year. This formula is appropriate for large and small dogs at all life stages.
VICTOR Beef Meal & Brown Rice Formula for Dogs is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages, including growth of large size dogs .
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The Top 10 Worst Dog Food Brands Of 2021
All pet foods are not created equal but most of the low-quality dog food brands have a few things in common. Some of the worst brands on the market load up their products with inexpensive fillers like corn and wheat products their products also tend to be carb-heavy instead of meat-based.
Low-quality pet formulas make heavy use of by-products and plant proteins, plus they often use artificial colors and flavors to make their products more palatable for pets and the people who care for them.
Something else many of these foods have in common is a history of product recalls by their manufacturing company.
Below is an overview of the Top 10 worst dog foods of 2021 . We started our list with recipes that contain dubious and low-quality ingredients and worked our way down to the worst offenders with recent recalls under their belt.
Meat Vs Meat Meal: Deciphering The Label
Meat. We all know it is a crucial part of a healthy pups diet. Meat is high in protein has many key roles in a dogs body including muscle growth and repair and immune system maintenance.
Sometimes interpreting the meat sources in dog food labels can be tricky. Chicken, Chicken meal and Chicken by-products: they are all the same thing right? Not exactly. Ingredients that sound very similar are in fact very different. Here are the common meats in pet food labels, and what they actually mean:
Meat:
Meat is the clean flesh of an animal- the muscle. This is typically what is sold in supermarkets, for example chicken breast or beef mince. It is the highest quality, and least processed animal protein in pet food. If you see this on your pet food label then its time to celebrate!
Animal By-Products
Animal by-product is the remaining part of the animal, once the meat suitable for human consumption is removed. It may include lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, livers, blood, bone, fatty tissue, stomach and intestine. Although individual organ meats such as beef liver are very nutritious for our dogs, animal by-product tends to also include less ideal animal parts, such as fatty tissues.
Meat and Bone Meal
The rendered product of animal muscle meat. It can also include animal parts such as blood, hair, hoof, hair, manure and stomach contents .
Animal By-Product Meal
What protein does Lyka use?
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What Is Actually In Your Dog’s Food
WAIT! BEFORE YOU GO on about your day, ask yourself: Is the dog food you’re feeding your best friend really the best food out there? At its core, theres an unhealthy meat dependency in pet food. Most of the time, meat in your pet food means: Bad ingredients. Bad practices. And bad health.Learn more about clean protein dog food…
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Blood meal is dried, ground, and flash-frozen blood and contains 12% nitrogen.
While it’s a great organic fertilizer, if ingested, it can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and severe pancreatitis .
Some types of Blood meal are also fortified with iron, resulting in iron toxicity.
Bone meal is a mixture made of ground and crushed bones.
Its original or intended use is as an organic fertilizer for plants and also as animal feed.
It is a rich source of calcium, phosphorus, and other trace minerals, and these ingredients make it suitable as dog food.
But if you see a bag of dog food that proudly states it’s made with “Real Chicken,” it’s referring to a clean combination of Chicken flesh and skin.
Chicken meal does not contain feathers, heads, feet, or intestinal contents.
Chicken meal is safe and nutritious for your dog!
The simple answer: Yes, dogs can eat fish.
“fish can form the basis for a healthy and nutritious diet for your dog,” Hohenhaus said.
Not only can you cook up a fresh piece of fish for your furry friend, there are also are many complete and balanced fish-based dog foods on the market, she added.
Lamb is an excellent source of high-quality protein and essential amino acids, which are vital nutrients for your dog.
Lamb, like other meat sources, provides dietary fats, which serve as a source of energy and help transport essential fat-soluble vitamins.
Plus, many dogs love foods with the taste of Lamb.
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Dog Food Myth No : Meat Is More Nutritious Than Meat Meal
If youre comparing ingredient lists, should you choose the one with meat or with meat meal listed first? If your goal is to have the most meat nutrients, choose meat meal. Ingredients appear in descending order of their weight that weight includes any water in the ingredient. When you see chicken listed as an ingredient, it means unprocessed chicken, complete with water. Chicken meal means chicken with the water and fat removed. It weighs less than chicken but actually can contain a higher percentage of protein.