Dog Food: Settle for Nothing Less Than Real Meat

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.