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.
Whats A Meat Meal And Whats In A Meat Meal
In all probability the most important mistake is to time period these elements a meat meal. This error is made as a result of the language of pet meals may be very completely different than the language of pet homeowners . To know what you might be feeding your pet, its vital to grasp the language of pet meals.
Any animal protein pet meals ingredient that features the phrase meal behind it is a rendered ingredient.
Within the USDA doc Rendering, Carcass Disposal, a Complete Evaluate rendering is outlined as: A strategy of utilizing excessive temperature and stress to transform complete animal and poultry carcasses or their by-products with no or very low worth to protected, dietary, and economically precious merchandise. Its a mixture of blending, cooking, pressurizing, fats melting, water evaporation, microbial and enzyme inactivation.
From the rendering business commerce affiliation, the rendering course of itself is diagrammed beneath. Uncooked materials is floor , cooked, pressed to take away fats, the remaining materials is floor once more and turns into a meal ingredient.
The meal elements are a powdery substance that appears like this:
Although it has NO resemblance to meat, the above image is a load of meat meal being unloaded at a pet meals manufacturing plant .
Why do pet meals producers use meal animal protein elements as a substitute of meat elements?
What forms of animal protein is in meal elements?
How To Prepare Homemade Food For Dogs
When preparing a diet at home for your dog, it is essential that you follow a recipe that is complete and balanced. Once you and your vet have chosen an appropriate recipe, it’s time to get started.
You May Like: Dr Pol Cat Food
Why Salmon Might Be A Better Choice Over Beef Or Chicken
Protein is the foundation of a healthy diet for dogs. In addition to calories, protein provides the building blocks for strong muscles and it helps your dog maintain lean muscle mass. Protein is best for dogs when it comes from animal sources because they are more biologically valuable than plant proteins.
But are some proteins better for dogs than others?
The truth of the matter is that while all dogs have the same basic nutritional requirements, some dogs tolerate certain food ingredients better than others. Food allergies are a common concern for dogs and some of the most common food allergens are common proteins like beef, chicken, and pork. If your dog suffers from food allergies or sensitivities and youre feeding him a dog food made with one of these proteins, that could very well be the problem.
Even if your dog doesnt have an allergy to beef, chicken, or other common proteins, salmon might still be a better choice. Much of the beef used in dog food comes from less-than-stellar sources and it is often very processed which makes it harder for your dogs body to digest. Chicken is usually better in terms of quality, but there are still many dog foods made with chicken by-products.
So, what about salmon? What makes salmon a great choice for your dog?
Rigos Meal Is The Best Raw Diet For Your Dog: Nutritionally Balanced Artisan Handcrafted And Made With Human
Rigos Meal is the best local, artisan, locally sourced, handcrafted raw dog food diet available in Florida. Rigos Meal is FDA approved and provides vitamins, minerals, and essential proteins that improve your pets health. Weve seen year after year how this fantastic raw dog food makes doggies healthy and even helps to cure some ailments like skin irritation, kidney stones, and allergies. Rigos Meal is also 100% preservative and chemicals free.
You May Like: Can You Buy Dog Food With Food Stamps
The Definition Of Chicken Meal In Dog Food
According to the Association of American Feed Control Officials which provides definitions for pet food ingredients, chicken meal is defined as follows:
Chicken Meal is the dry rendered product from a combination of clean flesh and skin with or without accompanying bone, derived from the parts of whole carcasses of chicken exclusive of feathers, heads, feet, or entrails. Chicken meal does not contain feathers, heads, feet, or intestinal contents.
According to some sources, its considered to be the single best source of protein in commercial pet foods.
AAFCO explains that the rendering or cooking process to make a meat meal such as chicken meal is designed to destroy disease-causing bacteria. It leaves behind an ingredient that is very high in protein when the water is removed.
Chicken meal is not the same thing as chicken by-products or chicken by-product meal.
What To Watch For When Feeding Homemade Dog Food
It’s important to monitor your dog closely when changing to homemade dog food. Stay in contact with your veterinarian regarding any changes you notice, whether good or bad. For best results, keep a record of your dog’s weight and body condition over time. Weigh your dog at least once per week and contact your vet if you notice unintended weight loss or gain. Watch for vomiting or diarrhea that may occur if your dog is sensitive to one or more ingredients. Note and report these or any other signs of illness to your veterinarian.
You May Like: Dr Pol Pet Food
The Difference Between Chicken And Chicken Meal In Dog Food
So, why do dog foods so often include both chicken and chicken meal? And what is the difference to your dog?
Dog food ingredients are listed by weight before cooking on the label. Chicken in its whole, fresh, or deboned form is relatively heavy and is often listed as the first ingredient. Thats because whole chicken is made up of 70 percent water.
Most dogs like chicken its nutritious and most dogs can eat it without food allergies or sensitivities flaring up .
However, after cooking, when the moisture is removed from the whole chicken, this ingredient would fall much lower on the ingredient list. It would still provide some protein for your dog but not nearly as much as you or your dog might hope.
Its already a super concentrated protein powder a dried residue from cooking down the clean chicken carcasses.
This means that while whole chicken is made up of about 70 percent water and 18 percent protein , chicken meal only has 10 percent water and 65 percent protein. Most of the fat is removed to use elsewhere.
Using a lot of whole or fresh chicken in making a dry dog food can also cause some manufacturing problems. For example, fresh whole meats are more prone to bacterial growth than dried ingredients, such as meat meals.
Its much easier for companies to work with dried products, such as chicken meal, than with fresh products or meats that are frozen, thawed, or added to dog food mixtures in other ways.
A Chicken Meal In Dog Food
A dog needs a high amount of protein in its meal. Thus, most of the meals available for dogs are enriched in protein, carbs, and fat that improve their muscles growth, offer proper energy and make them full. And for serving these purposes, nothing can be better than a chicken meal? So, are you wondering what is chicken mealin dog food?
Well, chicken meals for dogs refer to the processed chicken meats, which are high in protein and other essential nutrients to ensure their proper growth and health. Such a meal contains clean skin, flesh, and bones of chicken, which are processed and packaged to produce a healthy meal for the dogs.
So, here is everything that you must know about a chicken meal for your dog.
You May Like: Can You Buy Dog Food With Food Stamps
What Is Meat Meal In Dog Food
What are the different types of meat in dry dog food? There are more varieties than most would suspect.
Estimated read time: 4 mins
Lets just say, dogs arent the pickiest bunch. They have an overriding tendency to think with their stomach. Theyre curious and quite happy to guzzle anything up, without considering the consequences. If its not necessarily healthy food for dogs, theyre not fussed.
Thats why its so important as owners we put the right stuff in front of them. A dogs diet needs to be well balanced. They need protein, vitamins, carbohydrates and essential minerals to help keep their bones strong and their bellies full.
Last year, 76% of cat/dog food buyers said that actively looking after pets’ digestive health is essential for their overall health – its great to see that most owners are on the same page. Bowls should be full of nutritious value, but knowing what to put in them can be hard to get your head around.
But what about meat meal? This fine, dry, brown powder has, for many years, been a central component of dry dog food. But is meat meal like chicken meal actually good for our dogs? Or should we be feeding dogs grain free dog food? Wet or dry? Cooked or raw?
Were talking all about meat meal in this post. So, if you are stuck on the fence and unsure whether you should be feeding your pup this common type of dog food, read on.
Alpo Come & Get It Cookout Classics
ALPO is a known dog food brand that may look to many as a quality pet food. But as turns out, its not. Or at least, this particular recipe isnt.
This formulation does not start with meat. In fact, the first meat ingredient wont be found until the 3rd slot in the list. And the only other meat is in 6th place.
What starts off this food is ground yellow corn, meaning that corn has the most significant volume in the diet. Not only that, there are two more corn ingredients in the recipe and one legume.
Its a formulation that focuses more on carbohydrates rather than protein. It meets the AAFCO standard, yes, but does not really go much above it.
The second thing we dont like is the inclusion of artificial food coloring. Color is not a requirement in dog food, and dogs will be better off without it. The less artificial ingredients in dog food, the better.
The Come & Get It! Cookout Classics is the least of the worst dog foods in our list because it contains real and named meat ingredients.
Recall Info: None for this recipe, and the only recall for the ALPO brand happened way back in 2007 for possible melamine contamination.
Problem Ingredients: Ground yellow corn, corn germ meal, soybean meal, corn gluten meal, Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 2, Yellow 6
Recommended Reading: Which Dog Food Is Better Pedigree Or Purina
Blood Meal In Dog Food
Save on pet insurance for your pet
You don’t have to choose between your pet and your wallet when it comes to expensive vet visits. Prepare ahead of time for unexpected vet bills by finding the pawfect pet insurance.
Any dog owner who dares to scan the ingredients list of their dogs food might be shocked at what they find. Many dog foods contain animal byproducts which arent intended for human consumption.
Common animal byproducts added to commercial dog foods include trimmed fat, viscera, bone, and blood. While some dog owners may balk at the inclusion of animal byproducts in their dogs food, recycling such products into animal feed reduces waste and the risk of biohazards. Wild dogs also routinely consume blood and other animal parts as part of their diet.
Now Lets Break Down The Recipe For My Easy Homemade Dog Food Shall We
The recipe box below contains a printable version of my go-to recipe for homemade dog food, which consist of lean ground sirloin, brown rice, carrots, hard boiled eggs, parsley, and a few tablespoons of oil that is high in Omegas. But sometimes, especially since social distancing, Ive found that it is helpful to have a list of easy substitutes for when ingredients run low. Plug in or swap out any of the items below based on what foods your pup likes/needs and what you have on hand to create your pups ideal dog food flavor profile.
Meat || Lean ground beef, ground chicken, ground white or dark meat turkey, & ground pork are all great options. Just be sure to make sure that any meat you feed your animals is free of seasonings when purchasing! Dogs living with a kidney disease diagnosis need meals that are lower in phosphorus so for us a lean ground beef like ground sirloin is best the way to go!
Eggs || Eggs are one the top 5 allergens for dogs and the yolks are very high in phosphorus -which you want to limit in dogs with kidney disease. But, eggs are also one of the highest quality forms of protein you can feed your pet! Ultimately, a hard boiled egg is Hoochs favorite thing on the planet so, with our vets approval we opted to leave them in his food.
Also Check: Is Royal Canin Dog Food Made In China
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.
Gentle Giants Canine Nutrition Chicken
Gentle Giants have produced a chicken-based dry budget dog food that is packed with vitamins and minerals. It uses twelve whole fruits and vegetables including beets, tomatoes, blueberries, cranberries, spinach, celery, and apples.
This means that your dog will not only be enjoying a flavor sensation, they will also be absorbing Vitamin A, Vitamin B 12, and Vitamin C from natural sources. These aim to foster good immune health in your dog. We are a little disappointed in this formula’s protein and fat content.
Containing only 22% protein, this food falls below the average amount in this price bracket. Still, this will adequately meet the nutritional needs of your dog and support their muscles and bones.
This formula has been designed for dog’s with sensitive stomachs, so it might be a good idea to try this if your pet is having digestive trouble with standard canine food.
Whilst, it isn’t really competitive with premium foods, Gentle Giants will be more than adequate for pet parents on a tight budget.
Recommended Reading: Where To Buy Royal Canin Gastrointestinal Low Fat Dog Food
What Is Beef Meal
Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle, particularly cows and heifers. Basically, it is a skeletal muscle that is being used for consumption for a long period.
Beef meal is rendered cattle meat that has been dried and ground up, and includes clean flesh, skin, and/or accompanying bone. Cattle meat is ground down, melted, and cooked for hours to finally create a powder. Beef meal is safe and nutritious for your dog!
Beef is also included in dog food in the form of beef meal. It is obtained through the process of rendering. After raw beef is rendered, all the excess moisture and unwanted fat are removed. This results in getting an end-product that is abundant in protein. Such a highly concentrated protein powder is known as a beef meal.
Beef meal is often added as an important ingredient to dog foods.
Read More: Lamb Meal In Dog Food | Salmon Meal In Dog Food | Corn Gluten Meal In Dog Food
Healthy Dogs Eat Real Fresh Natural Nutritionally Balanced Human
The optimal diet for dogs includes fresh, whole foods made from human-grade ingredients. It should also contain healthy fats, high moisture , and the right balance of protein, carbohydrates, and other nutrients. A great way to feed this balanced diet is with raw food. Raw meats for dogs is simply fresh, whole foods that are uncooked and minimally processed.
Recommended Reading: Can You Buy Dog Food With Food Stamps
Exclusive Data On The Dog And Cat Food Ingredient Center
The Dog and Cat Food Ingredient Center provides pet food industry professionals with a database of nutritional information and full ingredient lists for pet foods currently available in the US market. Dog and Cat Food Ingredient Center users can learn what competitors in the pet food industry are using in their products, along with how they are marketing those formulations.
The Dog and Cat Food Ingredient Center contains exclusive data on which pet food companies are using particular pet food ingredients, along with the nutritional information about these products. Beyond that, the Dog and Cat Food Ingredient Center database allows users to analyze how pet food companies refer to ingredients, for example chicken byproducts versus coproducts, along with the marketing claims made in the names of the pet foods, such as organic or natural.
Other analyses of Dog and Cat Food Ingredient Center information include: