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This page is currently under construction. We have had many questions regarding the message about Canidae brand dog foods on our homepage. Therefore, I am going to attempt to answer any questions you may have about 1) what ingrediants are good & bad 2) which pet food is right for you 3) what we use and what we would recommend.
Feel free to e-mail me with any questions: sutcliffec@uwplatt.edu
All of the information that I have learned is based on my work experience as a Pet Nutritionist, and my knowledge gained while earning my animal science degree.
*Corn Gluten Meal (anything that is a "gluten")
*BHT/BHA (Butylated Hydroxytoluene/Butylated Hydroxysanisole) or Ethoxyquin=chemical preservatives
*Animal By-Products (chicken by-products, poultry by-products)
*Wheat or grains as the 1st ingrediant
*White Rice, Rice Hull, etc.
*Artifical Dyes (i.e. yellow 5, Red 40, yellow 6, blue 2)
*In general, any corn, wheat, or soy
*Corn syrup, sucrose=sweeteners
*Animal fat, poultry fat (unspecified; may be mixed)
*Fish, unspecified type
*Apple Pomace or other unspecified/not whole fruit or vegetable
Controversial Ingrediants
*Dried Beet Pulp
*Brewers Rice
*Tomato Pomace
Ingrediants to Look For:
*Poultry, Chicken, Beef, or other meat as 1st ingrediant!
*Also, should be a meat "meal" or whole products
(whole chicken, not by-products)
*Ground Brown Rice
*Mixed Tocopherols or Rosemary preservatives
*Chicken fat (specific type of fat)
*Omega-3, Omega-6 fatty acids
*Salmon, other specified fish
*Fruits & Vegetables (specified: apples, carrots, potatoes, yams)
Definitions of the Main Ingredients
What your dog is eating!
REALLY
1)Animal By-Products
According to www.bornfreeusa.org,
"About 50% of every food animal does not get used in human foods. Whatever remains of the carcass — heads, feet, bones, blood, intestines, lungs, spleens, livers, ligaments, fat trimmings, unborn babies, and other parts not generally consumed by humans — is used in pet food, animal feed, fertilizer, industrial lubricants, soap, rubber, and other products. These “other parts” are known as 'by-products.' By-products are used in feed for poultry and livestock as well as in pet food."
Chicken By-products,
Poultry By-products,
Turkey By-products, etc.
Found in:
Iams, Purina, Pedigree, Bil-Jac, Ol'Roy, Science Diet, Eukanuba, Beneful, Diamond, Pro Plan, Hill's Prescription Diet, & many more lower quality dog foods.
According to www.bornfreeusa.org, "Potentially cancer-causing agents such as BHA, BHT, and ethoxyquin are permitted at relatively low levels. The use of these chemicals in pet foods has not been thoroughly studied, and long term build-up of these agents may ultimately be harmful."
They are predicted carcinogens (may cause cancer) and should not be used. Synthetic preservatives have a longer shelf-life (about 12 months) compared to safer, natural preservatives that last about 6 months.
Fortunately, chemical preservatives are no longer aloud and I have yet to find any dog food that has them in it. Natural preservatives include Vitamin E or Vitamin C.
2)Chemical Preservatives
BHT/BHA, Ethoxyquin, etc.
Found in: None that I can find :)
3)Corn Gluten Meal
Corn/Wheat Gluten Meal is a low quality "filler" that has little to no protein in it. It is the end product of corn syrup that dog food companies purchase simply because it is cheap. Corn Gluten Meal is very non-palatable (harder to consume/digest) for dogs and cats.
Gluten Meal is usually listed within the first five main ingrediants; thus, it is used in a higher quantity. I try to stay away from any dog foods with this in them because I feel those companies do not care what goes into their product and are only looking to make a profit.
Also, some dogs can have allergic rections to wheat or corn. It is easier to stay away from these potential problems. Plus, dogs are not meant to digest corn, which makes it harder for them to do so.
Corn Gluten Meal, Wheat Gluten, any other "gluten" etc.
Found in: Nutro, Royal Canin, Science Diet, Pro Plan, Eukanuba, Purina, Beneful, Pedigree,
4)Meat as #1 Ingrediant!
Make sure the first ingrediant is always a specified meat or specific meat meal. Cats are carnivores which means they are meant to eat mainly meat; dogs may be omnivores, but as stated above, they can be allergic to corn and have trouble digesting it. Meat is also a better source of protein for both. Corn or wheat cannot supply a sufficeint amount of protein.
The highest amount of a product is seen in the first five ingrediants--number one being the most important and containing the highest amount of all of the ingrediants.
Poultry, Chicken, Beef, Duck, etc.
Found in: Fromm, Natural Balance, California Naturals, Solid Gold, and many more higher quality dog foods.
Wheat in Top Five Ingrediants: Diamond, Nutro, Science Diet, Pro Plan, Beneful, Eukanuba, Bil-Jac, Purina, Alpo, Chicken Soup, Hill's Prescription Diet, Pedigree,
In order to enforce my conclusions, I have a statement from USA Dogs Today magazine which is as follows:
"Current dog food regulations allow manufacturers to use ingredients that you would never knowingly give to your dog. In fact, you may be shocked to learn what some brands of dog food really contain. For example: the use of by-products (feet, bones and intestines, etc.), chemical preservatives (BHA and BHT) and grains that are often difficult to digest (corn, wheat, gluten and soy), which are often used as a protein source instead of meat."
Summary: How to Compare Dog Food Brands
1. Get your bag of food. Look for the Ingredient Statement on the label.
2. Read the first 5 ingredients. They play a significant role in the nutritional make-up of a food.
What are the protein sources?
The primary source should come from quality animal protein, not vegetable protein or grain. Foods that list 2 or more grains in the first 5 ingredients may have more vegetable protein than animal protein.
What about grains?
Two or more grains listed in the first 5 ingredients means your food may have more vegetable protein than animal protein. Grains such as soy, corn, corn gluten and wheat gluten can be difficult to digest, which means less nutrition and more clean up.
Are there by-products?
By-products are considered inferior sources of protein and, depending on the source, they can be difficult to digest.
What are the fat sources?
Some fats are better than others. We believe the primary fat source in dog food should be animal based because animal fats contain a profile of fatty acids that are easily metabolized and thus are generally more available to the body. However, the fat should be a specified animal protein such as, turkey fat or chicken fat, so you know excatly what your dog is eating.
Your dog deserves the very best food. How does your food measure up?
Dissecting the Dog Food Label: Guidelines set by the Association of Animal Feed Control Officials (AAFCO)
ATTENTION: Canidae Dog Food Changed Their Package!
We have been supporters of the Canidae dog food company for a couple of years now. But, just recently, it has come to my attention that the owners have changed the looks and composition of the Canidae dog food in October 2008. This has caused problems for many people including ourselves. Our golden retrievers had diarrhea and became very sick when this change happened. Obviously, this is due to the fact that Canidae has switched it's products. I am only saying this so that other people are fairly warned.
To view other opinions please Click:
If you are using Canidae at this time, I would highly recommend that you change to a different dog food. There are many other healthy brands out there including but, not limited to: Fromm, Mounds Dog Power, Natural Balance, Wellness, Merrick, Evo, Innova, Eagle Pack, Eagle Pack Holistic Select, California Natural, American Natural Premium, Solid Gold, Precise, et cetera.
Our Recommended Dog Foods:
1)Fromm: they are made in our very own state of Wisconsin!
2)Natural Balance: great dog food and even better treats!
3)Mounds Dog Power: made by Fromm in WI too, but is more cost efficient!
We are currently using Fromm dog food for our puppies and our adults! We usually use Fromm Puppy Gold, Fromm Adult Gold, and Fromm Duck & Sweet Potato. However, we also use Mounds Dog Power which is made by the Fromm company, as well. Dog Power is found exclusively at Mounds.
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