Quality
dog food consists primarily of protein, as can be seen from the
nutrition information on dog food labels. In fact, the protein
concentration on some dog food brands is higher than on human food,
despite both being made from the same kind of meat. For example,
chicken meals for dogs contain three to four times more protein than
a whole chicken, which has more water.
Chicken meal is made by
rendering, a cooking process that uses low heat to melt the fat from
animal tissue and cook the meat to crispiness. By eliminating the
water content of the chicken, or any other kind of meat for that
matter, rendering increases the concentration of protein for every
ounce of meat.
However, protein
content is no guarantee of quality. Pet owners who want only the best
for their pets should make sure that the dog food they’re getting
is made from quality meats, and not from questionable sources such as
slaughterhouse waste.
A mark of quality pet
food is straightforward labeling, which clearly identifies the type
of meat or food source used. Ingredients listed as “meat meal” or
“animal meats” should raise red flags for customers. It is always
good practice to check the ingredients of pet foods and to know their
effects on pets before making a choice.
