I have had so many dog food questions and so dug deep after employees at PetCo told me to my face that Euk and Purina were a waste of money!! That just flew in my face so I have been reading up and would like to share some of what I have found for anyone interested.
1. FACT - Contrary to popular belief, the ingredients list actually tells very little about the nutritional value of the food and bay be used primarily to appeal to consumers. Pets require nutrients, not ingredients: a diet full of great sounding ingredients can be less nutritious than a diet containing ingredients that, at least to us, sound less appealing. A pet diet made of chicken breast, peas and white potato may sound like something we would eat but that doesn't make it healthier or higher quality than a diet containing pork liver, corn flour and fish meal. There can also be a big difference in quality and nutrition between 2 diets that have very similar ingredients - not all chicken is the same quality. According to the government regulatory agency AAFCO - ingredients must be listed in decending order by weight INCLUDING WATER WEIGHT). Therefore ingredients listed at the top of the list, typically the main proteins, carbohydrates and fat sources - are present in higher amounts by weight than the food items at the bottom. Because water is listed in the weight, food items like meat and vegetables will be listed higher than similar amounts of dry ingredients even though they may contribute fewer nutrients to the overall diet. So, just because chicken or lamb or duck is the first ingredient doesn't mean that food has more of that meat than one that has chicken meal or lamb meal a little farther down on the list.
FACT The AAFCO also provides regulatory definitions that must be adhered to by manufacturer for almost all pet food ingredients. These definitions define what an ingredient can and cannot include. An example of this follows; The AAFCO definition of meat by-products allows this ingredient to include organs and bone but NOT intestinal contents, hair, horns, teeth or hooves. Despite being clearly defined, a quick internet search will find multiple websites falsely stating that meat by-products contain hooves, horn and feces. Chicken is 70% moisture while chicken meal is 10% moisture so chicken will be much higher on the ingredient list than chicken meal, even if both ingredients are providing the same amount of actual chicken.
FACT - Marketing pet food as containing "human grade ingredients" is becoming commonplace. While appealing to many pet owners, it is important to be aware that the term "human grade" has no legal definition and is used primarily for marketing purposes. Foods, typically meats, are labeled either as " EDIBLE" or "INEDIBLE, NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION." Therefore, meats used in pet foods must be labeled as "inedible, not for human consumption" regardless o9f the source or quality of the meat. The only way to make a pet food with ingredients deemed "edible" is to never let the meat leave the human food chain and actually manufacture the food in a human food facility and transport it using human food trucks. So, just because a pet food isn't marketed as being "human grade" does not mean that the ingredients are poor quality.
FACT: Grain Free Diets- An Alternative option but don't dismiss the grains. Unfortunately there is a lot of misinformation being propagated regarding grains in pet foods. Contrary to popular belief, grain free diets do not offer health benefits over a diet that contains grains, and each diet should be assessed based on its overall nutrient profile rather than individual ingredients. Regardless of whether an animal is a dog or a cat, its body does not treat grains differently from other sources of carbohydrates - the body recognizes food by the nutrients it provides, not by whether the source is grain, potato or apple. Grains can be important sources of fiber, essential fatty acids and other nutrients and also serve an important purpose by decreasing the total fat and calories in a diet. Some manufacturers suggest that grains are used as " cheap fillers."However, grains contain protein and many important vitamins and minerals so, in fact, are used to provide nutritional value, not just " empty calories."
There is so much more to dog food. I realize that I am just touching the tip of the questions and answers. I am going to learn as much as I can to provide my dogs the best that I can offer them and still be able to afford to feed.