Pet Food Ingredients - XYZ

XYZ

X-ray

Yankee

Zulu

Me?

No not you Zulu.

Oh.. 

There are no interesting xyz food items to talk about - that I have not already covered in other posts.

So what should I do instead?

How about comparing 3 major brand bags of cat food?

Hills Ideal Balance

Purina One Beyond
 







Orijen
-all grain free
-all fish type

 

Ingredients
Hills Ideal Balance

Salmon, Potatoes, Pea Protein Concentrate, Yellow Peas, Chicken Fat, Potato Starch, Dried Egg Product, Chicken, Chicken Meal, Natural Chicken Liver Flavor, Flaxseed, Lactic Acid, Vegetable & fruit blend (Green Peas, Apples, Cranberries, Carrots, Broccoli)

 

Calcium Sulfate, Choline Chloride, L-Lysine, Potassium Chloride, DL-Methionine, Fish Oil, Calcium Carbonate, Iodized Salt, Taurine

 

Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement)

 

Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Phosphoric Acid, Beta-Carotene, Natural Flavors.

Ingredients:

Purina One Beyond

Ocean whitefish, chicken meal, pea protein, pea starch, cassava root flour, dried egg product, beef fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols, dried yeast, canola meal, pea fiber, natural liver flavor, dried sweet potatoes

Phosphoric acid, potassium chloride, salt, sodium bisulfate, choline chloride, taurine, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, calcium carbonate, 

Vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, copper sulfate, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, Vitamin B-12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), folic acid, biotin, sodium selenite.

Ingredients:
Orijen 

Whole salmon*, whole herring*, salmon meal, herring meal, Pollock meal, whole flounder*, boneless walleye*, boneless northern pike*, boneless lake whitefish*, salmon oil, herring oil, chickpeas, red lentils, green lentils, green peas, pea fiber, canola oil, sun-cured alfalfa, pumpkin*, butternut squash*, spinach greens*, carrots*, Red Delicious apples*, Bartlett pears*, cranberries*, mixed tocopheral.

Choline Chloride, Vitamin A, vitamin D3, niacin, riboflavin, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, Sodium Selenite.

*delivered fresh


It may be an unfair match up. 

Hills Ideal Balance, Purina Beyond, Orijen 

So two brands that I highly dislike and one brand that I can not get. 

I think it is a great match up - it shows you the difference between a company that will not expand its operations just to make more money - and two that would probably run over a reindeer for 5 bucks. 

I have not tried any of these foods personally. 

Meaning none of the cats or foster cats have tried any - I would probably never actually eat cat food. 


So here we go !

Round 1 - Best Protein

In round 1 we have 

Hills - Ideal balance - Grain Free - Salmon & Potato - Adult Cat


Protein: 33%
Fat:      23%
Carb:    35.7%
Fiber:    0.9%


10 to 15 lb Cat to eat - 3/8 to 3/4 cup  - A Day
First Ingredient - Salmon
Main Ingredient - Peas



Purina - Beyond - Grain Free - Whitefish & Egg - Cat


Protein: 35% - Min
Fat: 14% - Min
Carb: - not listed
Fiber: 4% - Max

10 to 14 lb Cat to eat - 2/3 to 1 cup - A Day
First Ingredient - Ocean Whitefish
Main Ingredient - Peas


Orijen - Six Fish - Cat

Protein: 42%
Fat: 20%
Carb: - not listed
Fiber: - 3%

9 to 13lb Cat to eat - 1/2 to 2/3 cup - A Day
First Ingredient - Salmon
Main Ingredient - Salmon/Herring - Fish (Named)

*****************
Winner of Round 1 - With 42% Protein - non plant protein 

round one goes to Orijen
*****************

Round 2 - Most informative Website 

Hills

• "We make every bag of our dry dog and cat food in our own U.S. facilities with the highest quality natural ingredients from North America and Europe"

• There is an abundance of information available on the Hills website

• Pet Health Questions to ask your vet - not the answers... its what you would bring to the vet and ask them. 

• If you have any questions the will provide you with the right direction - to their food.

• They have special offers
• A large amount of different available products

Purina 

• "95% of Beyond^® products are made in our own factories, all located here in the United States."
• Offers a product comparison  - sort of - limited to what they have already picked to compare.
• Not a lot of useless information - on the Beyond site - the linked Purina site - has a vast amount of information.
• They state Honesty In Pet Food - claiming to aid in helping pet owners understand the myths and truths of their product. 
• You can chat with a pet adviser right from the website

Orijen

• They state that they never outsource their ingredients

• If you want to know where their ingredients are from - Meet their farmers 
• They do not offer a wide variety of items - Just a few foods - and a few treats
• Impressive awards 

• Information is minimal - but useful - explaining Biologically Appropriate foods 

*****************

Winner of Round 2 - with an almost endless amount of information

Round 2 goes to Purina 

*****************

(though personally I do not want or need most of their information)

Round 3 - Over all quality for Cat

Would I feed it?

What about their other products, would I feed them?

Ignoring personal preference - and personal dislike - name one bad and one good thing about each company 

Hills 

•  No I would not feed this to my cats - but I have before (prescription)
• I would probably not feed any Hills products to my pets based on personal preference
• Good thing - They have fantastic marketing skills
• Bad thing - They have fantastic marketing skills

 

Purina 

• No I would not feed this to my cats - but I have previously 
• I would probably not feed and Purina products to my pets because I highly dislike the company in general 
• Good thing - They have been around for a very long time
• Bad thing - They seem to spend more money are marketing then making a better product 

Orijen

• Yes I would feed this to my cats
• I would feed Orijen products to my pets 
• Good thing - They make Biologically Appropriate pet food
• Bad thing - Availability - smaller company 

 

**************

Winner Round 3 - Over all Quality 

round 3 goes to Orijen

**************

Winning round 1 and 3 makes 

 

Orijen the over all winner

In reality this comparison was not all that equal - it was like comparing Apples to Pop Tarts. 

       

Pet Food Ingredients -N- Names h/d, i/d, j/d

Names continued - 


h/d- Canine Cardiac Health

Ingredients - 

Whole Grain Corn, Pork Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Soy Protein Isolate, Chicken By-Product Meal, Chicken Liver Flavor, Lactic Acid, Dried Egg Product, Powdered Cellulose, Potassium Citrate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Natural Flavor, Choline Chloride, Soybean Oil, vitamins (L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), L-Lysine, Taurine, Vitamin E Supplement, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), DL-Methionine, Magnesium Oxide, preserved with Mixed Tocopherols & Citric Acid, L-Carnitine, L-Tryptophan, Phosphoric Acid, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract.

How it is stated to help -

• Low level of sodium to help maintain normal blood pressure
• High level of taurine to help support cardiac muscle metabolism
• High level of L-Carnitine to support healthy heart function
• Increased B-vitamins and magnesium to help replenish nutrients lost when receiving diuretics

Can't a lower level of sodium can be achieved by choosing a dog food with lean high quality meats?
Rabbit seems to be low in both fat and sodium. 
That could be a possible choice?

• Taurine can be supplemented - through a veterinarian is best. This would only be needed if the dog is deficient.

• L-Carnitine is formed by the amino acids, lysine and methionine. It is naturally produced by the liver and kidneys. 

If your dog has reached the stage where it needs L-Carnitine as a suppliment, then chances are it does not need only a Cardiac health diet - it needs medical attention and probably medication. 

• This I believe can also be supplemented. Again, this is only if your dog is not producing enough on its own.

Both Vitamin B and magnesium can be added through high quality ingredients. 

• Thiamin, Riboflavin, Pantothenic Acid, Niacin - I see these in dog food ingredients all the time.  Those are Vitamin B1, B2, B5,B3

Whole grains are a good source- hey look, for once rice may be for a purpose other than saving money. 

• Spinach, Kale, Fish - all high in Magnesium.

I am thinking - just my thoughts - if the food was half decent in the first place, maybe there would not be a need for supplements?

Orijen Adult Dog

Awesome Company - all ingredients are local and fresh.

Seriously, they are so involved with their suppliers that if there was a recall, they could go punch the guy in the face that messed up the product - and they would know him by name. (I am assuming)

I really can not say if this is appropriate for a dog dealing with heart problems. 
I just think adding crappy food and chemicals to a sick animal is not all that beneficial. 

Why not take a print out of their ingredients and analysis - along with the Science Diet h/d - to your vet. 

Why no, Mr Smith, I... I mean Fido, would not benefit from that high quality food. 
You should stick with the food that has Corn as its first ingredient. 
Pork Fat (Lard) and Chicken By-Product Meal (4-D) are phenomenal ingredients. (Just joking around...I actually deal with fantastic vets and I respect them greatly)
**********************

i/d- Gastrointestinal Health

Ingredients - 

Chicken By-Product Meal, Brewers Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Whole Grain Corn, Pork Fat, Powdered Cellulose, Dried Chicken, Lactic Acid, Chicken Liver Flavor, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Calcium Sulfate, Dried Beet Pulp, DL-Methionine, Iodized Salt, Dried Yeast, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Taurine, Phosphoric Acid, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Natural Flavors.


What in the hell is Dried Chicken? Is it like freeze dried? Dehydrated? Powder? Chicken out of the bathtub wrapped in a towel?



How it is stated to help-

• Highly digestible protein and fat to help assimilate nutrients and repair tissues faster
• Mixed fiber source to help maintain gastrointestinal health
• Optimal balance of nutrients to help replenish the body and help encourage recovery
• Added antioxidants to help control cell oxidation

4-D Chicken scraps, Rice, Corn, Corn, Lard, Wood...

I am having issues digesting the idea, never mind the food. 

'Highly digestible protein' - the meat protein is  - the rest ..not so much. 

I do not like Corn in pet foods. 
Corn bad. 
Corn useless.
Corn not highly digestible.

Fluffy needs less grains - or no grains.

Try different meat sources. High quality - named meat sources. 
Not By-Products

Here is an idea for a grain free that is still chicken - in case Sir Fluffs McFlufferson is a huge fan of chicken.

Instinct Grain Free Chicken

We recently had a cat who needed surgery to have part of her colon removed. 
After the surgery we were given Royal Canin Gastrointestinal 

I believe the idea was to slow down the gastro system  - I could  be wrong.

Since there was a shorter distance for the food to travel, she was using the litter box around 10 times a day. 
I felt rather bad for this poor meow. 

The food, I believe - was not super beneficial for her. 
She needed to put on weight, I could not see how this food was going to do that.
Of course I am not a veterinarian. 
Brewers rice is the first ingredient - am I the only one who thinks that is unhelpful ?

She was not losing weight - that was a good thing - but she was not really gaining weight either. 

How could she? the food was not being absorbed into her system - it was taking a short cut right to the litter box.

Halfway through the bag I started to add what I am currently feeding the rest of the meows

Earthborn Primitive Feline 

She is fully on Earthborn now and spending much less time in the litter box. 
She is also pretending to be the mother cat to 3 kittens... she is actually their Grandmother. Felling young and loving it I guess. 

**********************

j/d- Feline Mobility

Ingredients-

 Brewers Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken By-Product Meal, Pork Fat, Soybean Mill Run, Fish Oil, Chicken Liver Flavor, Flaxseed, L-Lysine, Lactic Acid, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Citrate, Choline Chloride, DL-Methionine, Potassium Chloride, Cysteine, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Taurine, L-Threonine, minerals (Manganese Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Iodized Salt, L-Tryptophan, L-Carnitine, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Magnesium Oxide, Phosphoric Acid, Beta Carotene, Natural Flavors.

• Hill's® Prescription Diet® j/d® Feline is clinically proven to help cats be more active in 28 days.
• Prescription Diet® j/d® Feline contains omega-3 fatty acids, which nourish cartilage.
• Controlled phosphorus and high levels of omega-3 fatty acids help maintain kidney health.
• High carnitine helps burn fat while maintaining lean muscle mass.

* Hill's® Prescription Diet® j/d® Feline is the first clinically proven therapeutic food for cats with mobility issues available in the U.S. It is clinically proven to help cats be more active in 28 days.*

Are we talking Arthritis ? Hip Issues? Muscle Issues? Laziness? 
Is it Disease or Age related?

The site is unclear.

Most Mobility Issues in cats seem to come with age. 

Old kitty, old bones, old joints.. 
Years of crappy food ...
Bad genetics...

• If a cat was fed a high quality food - low in phosphorus, high in omega 3's. Lean and clean meats and the proper nutrients - would 28 days be enough for them to notice a difference ? 

• Weight of a cat is also important. Losing some pounds off Fluffy can greatly improve her over all health. 

So who not look for a grain free high quality meat protein food?

Wellness Senior Cat Food
High in omega 3's 
Deboned Chicken & Chicken Meal

I like the idea of printing off the ingredients and guaranteed analysis and handing it to your vet....If the food is not good then they can tell you why!

Hey, it could be total crap - I only know what half of the stuff in there is. 

• Your vet should be able to help you decide between foods - make sure you do your homework. 

Science Diet and Royal Canin are partnered with many Veterinary Clinics. 

• Get them to prove to you why the food is better. 

I would like to walk into a clinic and not see big company branding all over the place. 


These food suggestions are just ideas for options - j/d may just be exactly what your cat needs ... 

Or maybe it needs a Raw food diet.
Or Rabbit
Or Mice...or a mousie stew.

************************* 

Pet Food Ingredients - I - Ingredient Splitting

I

Ingredient Splitting


Hello, welcome to one of the pet food industries Dirty Little Secrets 

So you have been doing your best to find a quality pet food for Fido and Fluffy.
At first you were unaware of what to look for on the back of a can.

Actually you, like most people ..including myself...did not even look at the back of the can or bag. 

Now you are doing your best to read the ingredients. You know what you want to see - MEAT- as the first ingredient. 

Sure it's still confusing what kind of meat you want to see.. trying to figure out the difference between whole chicken, deboned chicken, chicken, chicken by product, chicken meal, chicken by product meal...you may need a pet food to English dictionary. 

But you do know you want to see MEAT. 

Companies are also aware you are looking.


Now for your higher quality and more ethical companies , the fact that you are looking at the ingredients makes them happy. 

Finally the consumers will know that their product is worthy of being looked at under a microscope. 

Do it! They want you to!!


On the other hand...

Some of the big name brands are terrified. 
They are shaking in their money lined boots. 

They are profiting off of consumers lack of knowledge. 
Big time.
We are talking Billion Dollar Industries. 


They do use some of that profit towards improving their brand...name...
Marketing tactics that make Apple jealous. 

I would not be surprised if Blue Buffalo received a call from Blackberry, begging for use of their marketing staff. (with sales jumping 200% for Blue Buffalo I don't blame them) *not stating Blue Buffalo splits ingredients - I am speaking only on their rather fantastic marketing

So what am I talking about?

Deception. 

Ingredient Splitting :
The practice of subdividing a less attractive ingredient such as corn, in order to make it appear lower on the ingredient list. 
In doing so, meat floats up to the top of the list.
Giving a false impression that Meat is the predominant ingredient in the food. 

You may see a list like this (but not this, I just made it up)
Chicken Meal, Ground Yellow Corn, Animal Fat, Corn Gluten Meal, Turkey By-Product, Wheat Gluten, Brewers Rice, Corn Bran

If it were illegal to split ingredients you would see: Corn, Chicken Meal, Whole Grain, Turkey By-Product

That still looks better then most of your grocery store pet foods
(I could be wrong on the renaming of the rice and wheat gluten as whole grain)


Here are some of the Corn words used.
 
Corn, corn bran, corn flour, corn gluten, corn gluten meal, corn grits, corn starch, corn husks, corn syrup, corn meal, corn oil, ground corn, ground yellow corn, whole grain corn, maize


That is just a list that I could think of...I am really starting to hate corn. 


This is also done with other grains. 
There are some pet foods that are basically just grains.

How is that possible????
Damn plant based protein.
But that is another post...


Here are a few cat foods I have been looking at that currently seem to be good 
(seriously, tomorrow I could change my opinion because of an ingredient I currently know nothing about that happens to cause crazy cat syndrome or something equally fun)

 Nature`s Variety - Instinct

 Wild Calling 

 Orijen

Innova

Wellness Core












So what the heck does a person look for?

Honestly?

Grain Free.


But you also have to be aware of some of the grain free products being higher in fat and lower in protein - why? $$$



Once again I end this post with a hope that we all start to READ THE LABELS 

One of these days I will be able to get through a whole ingredient list on a Meow Mix bag ( why meow mix- long list with strange scary words)