Merrick Real Texas Beef & Sweet Potato Recipe
If you are specifically looking for grain-free canine formula, then you cant go wrong with this Merrick recipe.
Its perfect for all breeds, ages, and sizes and is available in a variety of different flavors. We recommend the beef and sweet potato recipe as it is poultry-free .
Containing a whopping 38% protein and 15% fat, Merricks philosophy is that these two properties in combination with a host of vitamins and minerals will do wonders for promoting the overall dogs health.
They are extremely transparent with regards to the ingredient composition, choosing only the best available products and containing no corn, wheat, soy or gluten ingredients.
This helps give us tremendous confidence in recommending the brand. At $60 for a 25-lb bag, this does fall into the premium category.
Whether the exceptional nutritional content is worth the increased price is up to you.
High Protein Dog Food
Dog foods marketed as high in animal protein tend to take advantage of the common perception of dogs as domesticated wolves. Dogs are not wolves. They not only have the means to digest plant matter, but their digestive systems are equipped to access the amino acids in plant-based proteins. According to Petfood Industry, it’s not the amount of protein in a dog’s diet that is important, but the digestibility and bioavailability of amino acids. Often, high-protein, meat-based dog foods include protein sources that are neither highly digestible nor bioavailable to your dog. Unused protein ferments and goes into fecal matter, making your dog’s solid waste stinkier, says Petfood Industry.
When Is A High
Sometimes it is recommended for dogs with specific health issues or situations to decrease their fat intake or increase it.
Other than when a dog is providing milk for its litter, a high-fat diet typically does not sit well with most dogs. In a study completed with a panel of dog foods, high-fat content typically leads to issues such as inflammation of the pancreas, high blood pressure, and abnormal heart function.
On top of that, obesity was observed in the dogs, which can lead to a higher risk of your dog developing pancreatitis or hypertension. Although, your veterinarian may recommend a high-fat diet if your dog needs to participate in a lower amount of protein or carbohydrates for a specific health issue.
Low-fat diets may be beneficial when your veterinarian notices that your dog has a history of pancreatitis or high levels of fat in their blood. If your pet has a serious health issue, your vet can provide them with a Therapeutic Diet, which is made specifically to help treat diseases your pet may have.
It is always recommended to consult a veterinarian before you change the amount of fat in your dogs diet as it could greatly impact their health.
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Ground White Meat Turkey
You may have noticed that turkey is a common ingredient in dog treats and dog food. Thoroughly cooked and drained ground white meat turkey, as long as it’s plain and has no additives or salt, is perfectly healthy for dogs. However, there are some parts of the turkey you should never feed to your pup. Obviously, never feed your dog turkey bones as they can splinter and cause serious problems for them. Also, the fat in turkey skin may cause pancreatitis, a condition in which the pancreas becomes inflamed and swollen, so you do not want to feed them the skin either. The seasoning added to pre-cooked store bought turkey and deli meat usually contains onion and garlic which can irritate your dog’s bowels and cause serious digestive issues, such as vomiting and diarrhea.
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 Crude Protein Does Not Equal High Quality
If the protein is poorly digestible, then the excess protein is excreted into feces or fermented into some nasty fecal and flatulence odor compounds like cadaverine and putrescine . If you have dogs that sleep in your room at night, you have likely fallen victim to this crime.
If the protein is highly digestible , it will be used for structural protein synthesis , synthesis of enzymes and hormones and, finally, deaminated for energy utilization and storage . The excess nitrogen resulting from the deamination is excreted as urea in the urine . High concentrations of urea in the urine will result in your lawn having yellow and burnt spots. Didnt think I would come back to the color of your grass, did you?
Is Excessive Protein In Dog Food Bad For My Pet
Protein is a calorie dense nutrient and many of the high protein diets are extremely high in calories and can quickly lead to weight gain. With over 50% of dogs in the U.S. considered overweight or obese, dog owners need to be aware of where those extra calories are hiding. If a dog has kidney or liver issues consuming too much protein can increase the workload on these organs and upset the balance of nutrients leading to exacerbation of disease.
Rather than look for a dog food that contains excessive levels of protein you should find one that is specifically formulated for your dogs lifestyle, life stage, and size. A working sled dog, for example, will have significantly different nutrient and caloric requirements than the average pet dog that ventures outside for a few walks a day and spends the rest of the time lounging. These two dogs should not be fed the same diet.
Puppies, meanwhile, require more protein than adult dogs because their bodies are busy growing. Among breeds of puppies there are different requirements for nutrients as well. For instance large breed puppies like Labrador retrievers need a much different diet than a Yorkie for optimal growth. Feeding large breed puppies something that is too high in protein may make them put on weight too quickly causing abnormal joint development and making them more prone to issues like arthritis in the future.
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Faqs Regarding General Dog Nutrition
- What is the best vet recommended dog food? The truth is, there is no real consensus among vets on which food is the best. This is because all dogs are different and unique. There is no one catch-all formula that would be perfect for any dog. We would, therefore, recommend searching for a well-regarded food that is high in protein and fat, and that your dog likes the taste of!
- What foods should dogs avoid? There are more foods that dogs should avoid than could ever be listed here. Some common human foods that are poisonous to dogs are chocolate, caffeine, onions, garlic, and sweetcorn. Check with a veterinary website before you feed your dog anything that isnt marketed as canine food.
- Is Grain Free Dog Food Really Better? Dogs have been found to have trouble digesting grains and therefore grain-free foods can help aid digestion. A grain-free diet for your dog will also mean that you are likely buying formulas with higher levels of vegetables, fiber, and proteins. This will help the development of your dogs coat and skin, as well as provide your dog with more energy. A grain-free diet has however recently been linked to a small increase in canine heart disease.
- What dog foods are causing heart problems? The FDA has recently begun to investigate how grain-free canine formulas might increase the risk of canine heart disease. Its still too early to come to any major conclusions, but we will keep an eye out on this story as it develops.
Comparing Wet And Dry Pet Food
The GA can also help consumer compare levels of nutrients in different pet foods. To make a meaningful comparison between a nutrient level in two foods, its important to evaluate the nutrient levels in the absence of the moisture content, in other words, on a dry matter basis, particularly when comparing wet and dry foods.
To compare two pet foods:
- For example, the GA for moisture on a can of cat food may be listed as 70 percent, which equals 30 percent dry matter .
- Using the example above, if that same product GA reports 10 percent crude protein, then the product has a dry matter protein level of 33 percent .
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A Word About Aafco Regulations
Dog food manufacturers that adhere to the AAFCO standards are allowed to put the wording ‘a complete and balanced diet’ on their food bags.
This means that the food has been tested during feeding trials and is considered a well balanced diet…. however, not ALL foods whose label carries these words provide the nutrition that your dog needs!
To get all the information you need to understand AAFCO regulations, dog food ingredients, the different dietary needs of puppies, large breed dogs, small breeds and super-active dogs and much more, visit my About Commercial Dog Food page.
It’s packed full of important information and will help you understand and interpret these comparison charts fully.
Beware: Crude Protein Doesnt Mean What You Think
It came as a big surprise to me to learn that the words crude protein that you see on all bags of pet food that you are carefully looking for on the label dont really have anything directly to do with what we think of as being protein meat, fish or poultry. This was a distressing discovery since as a pet foodie, my number one concern is protein and how much of it is in there when I judge a pet food.
We all know from practical experience that protein is the most expensive part of any meal, whether it is for people or pets, so we want to assure ourselves that the pet food we are choosing is really full of a good protein source.
We all think of protein as one of the building blocks of life and recognize it as a vitally important ingredient in our food, and that of our pets. We also know that the quality of the protein you eat matters, and for years I had this misconception that the words crude protein referred to protein in its most basic form as the absolute value of protein that was in the food, the bottom line, the percentage of protein you could trust this food to deliver to your pet. Boy was I wrong! Guess what crude protein is actually a measurement of? The nitrogen content of the food!
What it boils down to is that not all crude protein is created equal. Its what I love about Halo they are proud about that aspect of their dog food ingredients that celebrates the highest quality protein source: real meat !
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Protein Fact #: Higher Protein Diets Promote Superior Weight Loss And Body Condition Maintenance
Obesity levels today are alarmingly high at 54% of dogs. Key contributors include the sedentary lifestyle of many dogs as well as the types and amount of food were feeding them. Research has shown that dogs fed a higher protein diet with lower carbohydrates lost more weight. In these studies, dogs also maintained their lean muscle mass while losing fat, leading to overall improved body composition than dogs fed a high carbohydrate, low protein diet.
What Kind Of Snacks Can I Feed A Dog With Kidney Disease
Our dogs seriously LOVE snack time, but snack time has had to seriously change! Dogs with kidney disease should avoid meat based chews/treats that are high in phosphorus, so you may find that you need to explore new types of treats for your dog instead. My probiotic rich Pumpkin & Yogurt Bowlsare our dog’s favorite treat these days! They also really enjoy thin apple slices, blueberries, and fresh banana chunks. When it comes to crunchy chews they both are SUPER into dehydrated banana chips, pumpkin, and sweet potato. I swear, our dog’s drool for them like they are the jerky chews we used to treat them with!
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Dog Food Comparison Charts
These easy-to-follow dog food comparison charts will help you compare a host of brands according to the most important factor…. ingredients!
With the huge selection of options available today, we could all do with a little bit of help choosing the right formula for our pets.
You can use this page to decode the confusing world of dog food labeling and to find out what ingredients are in a whole range of popular dog food brands.
I’ve taken a close-up-and-personal look at the nutrient profiles of twenty dry dog food formulas.
They’re all quality brands, but two of them have had issues with recalls and reports of dog illnesses being related to certain batches or formulas.
At this point no research has proven them to be poor choices, but I’d recommend doing some research yourself before choosing a food.
To see what I personally consider to be the best options, visit my Top 10 Best Dog Food Choices page.
The dog food comparison charts below will help you to make sure you’re giving your dog the nutrition he needs, without all the ‘stuff’ that he doesn’t.
*A growing puppy has completely different nutritional needs to those of an adult dog.
to find out more about the very best puppy food choices.
Pet Food Nutrition: Its Not Just About High Protein
As discussed in my previous blog post , the retail trend for pet foods has leaned toward meat-rich and high-protein products. Crude protein in dry dog foods can range from 15.5 percent to greater than 60 percent depending on dogs nutritional needs. In the case of renal disease, Jacob et al. demonstrated that lowering crude protein in dogs improved the mortality rate in dogs . Nevertheless, no published scientific data has demonstrated that high protein is the root cause of any health issues. Nor has published scientific data demonstrated the benefits of high protein.
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Call The Company If You Have Questions About Any Protein Listed Among The Ingredients
If you have questions, try to get in contact with the nutritionists of the company. Most of them are passionate about pet health and will help you with what you should know rather than what they want you to hear.
This video explains how to select a good dog food among the many terrible dog foods out in the market. Eric Letendre especially zeroes in on how to read the ingredient label of dog foods.
Wellness Core Natural Best Grain Free
First Five Ingredients:
This quality dog food is designed from a fantastic combination of ingredients. Right at the top of this recipe is a deboned turkey as a whole protein, followed by chicken and turkey meal. These are excellent supplemental nutrients.
The grain-free formula also contains sweet potatoes, potatoes, and peas which provide carbohydrate content. The minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants featured in this recipe will boost the immune system of your pets. We also need to mention that it is fortified with 4 different probiotics to ensure normal digestion, and chondroitin and glucosamine to help promote joint health.
If you have more than one pet, these best high protein meals are a great option for them. The formula doesnt contain artificial colors, preservatives or flavors, no meat-by-products, soy, corn or wheat.
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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.
First What Are Proteins
Because, crude protein, at the heart of it, is just protein. Of course, theres more to crude protein than this but we move from the known to the unknown.
Proteins, known as the building blocks of life, contain smaller useful nutrients known as amino acids. These amino acids are 22 in number and ten of them are considered essential while the other 12 are considered non-essential.
So, whats the difference between the essential amino acids and the non-essential ones?
Essential amino acids are not produced naturally by the body. Hence, man and animals must consume it from the food they eat to grow healthy.
On the other hand, there are the non-essential amino acids which are naturally synthesized in the body.
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