If you ask your vet what to feed your pet chances are they will say " Something with quality ingredients that balance . " What does it mean ? Not all foods are created equal , this applies to companies as well as material . Folks , it's not about name recognition . Do not be fooled by longevity in the industry .
Look at the two labels :
# 1 deboned Chicken , Chicken Meal , Oatmeal , Barley soil , Soil Brown Rice , Tomato Pomace , Rye Flour , Canola Oil ( preserved with mixed tocopherols , a natural source of Vitamin E ) , Tomatoes , Rice Bran , deboned Whitefish , Natural Chicken Flavor , Carrots , Spinach , Sweet Potatoes , Apples , Blueberries , Flaxseed soil , soil Millet , dicalcium Phosphate , Calcium Carbonate , Potassium Chloride , Minerals [ Zinc Sulfate , Zinc Proteinate , Iron Proteinate , Ferrous Sulfate , Copper Proteinate , Copper Sulfate , manganese Proteinate , manganese Sulfate , Sodium Selenite ] , vitamins [ Beta - carotene , vitamin E Supplement , ascorbic Acid ( vitamin C ) , vitamin A Supplement , Niacin , Calcium Pantothenate , Riboflavin , vitamin D - 3 Supplement , Pyridoxine Hydrochloride , thiamine mononitrate , Folic Acid , biotin , vitamin B - 12 Supplement ] , Choline Chloride , Taurine , Mixed Tocopherols ( a natural preservative ) , Glucosamine Hydrochloride , Chondroitin Sulfate , Chicory root Extract , Garlic , Yucca Schidigera Extract , Green Tea Extract , Lactobacillus plantarum dried , Enterococcus faecium , Lactobacillus casei , Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation products .
# 2 Ground Whole Corn , Chicken By- Product Meal , Ground Wheat , Meat And Bone Meal , Animal Fat ( Preserved With Bha / Bht ) , Wheat Flour , Lamb , Rice , Corn Gluten Meal , Natural Flavor , Salt , Potassium Chloride , Dicalcium phosphate , Vegetable Oil ( Source of Linoleic Acid ) , Caramel Color , Dried Beet Pulp , Titanium Dioxide , Vitamins ( Choline Chloride , Dl - Alpha tocopherol acetate [ Source of Vitamin E ] , L - Ascorbyl - 2 - Polyphosphate [ Source of Vitamin C * ] , vitamin A Supplement , thiamine mononitrate [ vitamin B1 ] , Biotin , D - Calcium Pantothenate , Riboflavin Supplement [ vitamin B2 ] , vitamin D3 Supplement , vitamin B12 Supplement ) , Minerals ( Zinc Sulfate , Zinc Proteinate , Copper Sulfate , Copper Proteinate , Manganese Proteinate , Potassium iodide ) , Added FD & C and lake color ( Yellow 6 , Yellow 5 , Blue 2 , Red 40 ) .
Which would you rather eat or serve to your family ? List # 2 has a mystery meat , animal fat preserved with generic Bha / Bht ( do a search on their beautiful disease causers ) , and the first ingredient is corn . The first five ingredients like the cover of a book . They set the tone . # 2 also has a poor source of carbohydrates and a lot of unpronounceable chemicals and dyes . While the food is to be preserved for shelf life and safety , there is a preservative qualities and then there are cheap , which is scary . We also sticklers for use throughout the meat of the animal named species ( eg , chickens than poultry , beef , instead of " meat " ) , and foods made from whole meat of the species named ( chicken meal rather than poultry meal ) . All animal protein ( even by - products , which tend to be lower quality than the meat muscle ) has much more to offer the dogs and cats of plant -derived proteins , especially wheat gluten and corn gluten . What is the source of their meat protein ? Are they human class ( there are currently no regulations on this term as used in the pet food industry ) ? Is half picked up from the floor murder ? Food is cheaper to get a source of meat / fat from rendering plants them . If you want an eye opener really good check out the article about rendering plants in http://www.naturalcanines.com/gpage8.html . It may be clear in your 40 pounds of dog food for $ 4 , but also perhaps how you £ 20 for a $ 15 food brands made .
Nutrition is more than filling stomachs of our pets . It is about nourishing them . Nutrition plays a big role in who becomes our animal friends . GOOD nutrition helps to maintain strong bones and muscles , their shiny coats , and even their personalities more stable . With proper nutrition , pet even able to cope with stress better . This means that the quality of meat , fat , and carbohydrate source .
bad
ANIMAL FAT / DIGEST / byproducts ; CORN / gluten EATING ; MEAT / MEAT EATING
good
Flaxseed , canola , safflower
OIL , CHICKEN FAT
CHICKEN , LAMB , BEEF , WHITE
FISH , etc.
Millet , Barley , SWEET
POTATO / BROWN RICE
In all fairness , the quality does not come cheap . It is also not stocked at Kroger . Whatever your choice is to feed , know what you eat and why you eat it . Understand that sometimes you will look into the bank accounts and had to take a shortcut by buying a lesser quality food . However , be an informed consumer and make these decisions based on facts not misleading information . Do not just listen to the guy at the pet store , your neighbor , or a really cute commercial . Be aware that you get what you pay for .
Commercial Quality Brand
* Wellness * Fromm * Mulligan Stew * Life 4 K9
* Choose Holistic * Innova * Pinnacle * Halo
* By Nature * Canine Caviar * Azmira * Karma
* California Natural * Merrick * Natural Planet Organics
Most pet food manufacturers offer discount coupons or frequent buyer programs . Whatever you eat visit their website to investigate this offer .