posted 01-21-2004 10:18 PM         

Guaranteed analysis
CRUDE PROTEIN (MIN) 26.0%
CRUDE FAT (MIN) 16.0%
CRUDE FIBER (MAX) 3.0%
MOISTURE (MAX) 12.0%
LINOLEIC ACID (MIN) 1.4%
CALCIUM (CA) (MIN) 1.0%
PHOSPHORUS (P) (MIN) 0.8%
SELENIUM (SE) (MIN) 0.30 mg/kg
VITAMIN A (MIN) 13,000 IU/kg
VITAMIN E (MIN) 100 IU/kg
GLUCOSAMINE* (MIN) 400 ppm



Ingredients

Chicken, brewers rice, corn gluten meal, whole grain corn, poultry by-product meal (natural source of glucosamine), whole grain wheat, beef tallow preserved with mixed-tocopherols (source of Vitamin E), natural flavor, dicalcium phosphate, chicken cartilage (natural source of glucosamine), salt, potassium chloride, calcium carbonate, choline chloride, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, vitamin supplements (E, A, B-12, D-3), zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, niacin, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, copper sulfate, riboflavin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, garlic oil, folic acid, calcium iodate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), sodium selenite.

This food contains alot of fillers,the first ingredient is chicken but the next three is where I have a problem. Brewers rice is the small milled fragments of rice kernels that have been separated from the larger kernels of milled rice. It is a lower quality rice product that is missing many of the nutrients found in ground rice and ground brown rice. It's cheap. Corn Gluten meal is the dried residue from corn after the removal of the larger part of the starch and germ, and the separation of the bran by the process employed in the wet milling manufacture of corn starch or syrup, or by enzymatic treatment of the endosperm.
It is a low ash source of protein and acts as a urine acidifier in some cat foods. Cats vs Dogs: While not the best quality source of protein, the use of corn gluten in small amounts offer preventive health benefits for cats. Cats don't seem to suffer allergies to corn...but dogs do.Theres no reason to use it in dog foods other than as a cheap protein filler. Whole grain corn, while nutritious is a common allergen in dogs, including mine.
The next ingredient... Poultry by-product meal consists of the ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcasses of slaughtered poultry, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, and intestines -- exclusive of feathers except in such amounts as might occur unavoidably in good processing practices.
This is a low-quality, inconsistent ingredient, with multiple organs used, constantly changing proportions, and questionable nutritional value. The origin can be any fowl (turkeys, ducks, geese, buzzards, etc.), instead of a single source, like chicken. Poultry by-product meal is much less expensive and less digestible than chicken meal, which is considered the single-best source of protein.
I have heard horror stories about what actually makes it into by-product meals.

Beef tallow is obtained from the tissue of cattle in the commercial process of rendering. Although this is a very palatable source of fat, it is low in linoleic acid, which is necessary for skin and coat health. In addition, beef can be a source of allergies for some animals. Bottom line...there are much better sources for fats.
I'd like to know what "natural flavor" actually is.

I have to admit..it isn't as bad as I thought it would be, at leaste there's no BHT and BHA. I think the Fat is too high, but that could be individual to the dog by need. I won't even look at a food with corn or by-products in it though, so I wouldn't feed it. Maybe with the ingredients posted you will get more opinions though.

posted 01-22-2004 04:47 AM         

Sometimes you have to be creative to find a distributor of premium foods. I found a little "barkery and bath" shop that I didn't know about, and they are terrific.

I would imagine you could also order food over the internet, but who knows how much shipping would be.

And then there's always raw feeding!

Bates Pets Paradise Booragoon 61 08 9316 8181 Garden City Shopping Cent...
Booragoon, W. AUST 6154

Bates Pets Paradise Bullcreek 61 08 9332 8728 Shop23A Bullcreek Shoppin...
Bullcreek, W. AUST 8149

Pets Paradise Carousel 61 08 Westfield Carousel1382 Al...
Cannington, W. AUST 6107

Bates Pets Paradise Geraldton 61 08 9964 5998 Stirling CentreShop 1 San...
Geraldton, W. AUST 6530

Bates Pets Paradise Joondalup 61 08 9300 3593 Lakeside Shopping Centre4...
Joondalup, W. AUST 6027

Bates Pets Paradise Mirrabooka 61 08 9344 1082 Mirrabooka SquareShop 53 ...
Mirrabooka, W. AUST 6061

Bates Pets Paradise Morley 61 08 9375 3780 Galleria MorleyShop 84 Co...
Morley, W. AUST 6062

Bates Pets Paradise Riverton 61 08 9457 9950 Riverton Forum Shopping C...
Riverton, W. AUST 6148

Bates Pets Paradise Rockingham 61 08 9592 2901 Rockingham City Shopping ...
Rockingham, W. AUST 6168

Bates Pets Paradise Warwick Grove 61 08 9246 2276 Warwick Grove Shopping Ce...
Warwick, W. AUST 6024

posted 01-22-2004 06:06 AM         

You also have to realize that the cost of the food can be worth it in the long run by cutting down on the number of vet visits (which are VERY pricey). Good nutrition is the basis for all other health issues with your dog. Besides disease conditions, allergies can also be very expensive and are sometimes caused by inferior foods.

In my case, I am switching to raw feeding. Feeding raw meaty bones every day will keep Nala's teeth clean (among many other health benefits), which will save $100 every 6 months for a vet cleaning. Well worth it! There are tons of other benefits as well, including less disease, less doggie smell, and less stinky feces (and less of it altogether).

posted 01-22-2004 11:41 AM         

Chicken Soup is pretyy good, but my dogs poop a lot on it and have bad gas. Diamond is okay but I don't like the ingredients that well. The closest Petsmart is two hours away. I go up there every once in awhile and stock up. Between the dogs and cats I buy a lot of food when I am there. They carry Nutro and Authority which have work really well and aren't too expensive. I wish I could get Natural Balance, but alas no Petco.

posted 01-23-2004 04:56 AM         

Basically, a variety of raw meaty bones, organs, fish, and eggs is about all they need. The more sources of meat and organs, the better - chicken, beef, lamb, goat, rabbit, kangaroo, etc.

"Give Your Dog a Bone" is a really interesting read because he talks about how kibble has been popular in America for about 60 years, but only about 30 years in Australia. He illustrates many times how the health of dogs in Australia started to decline (just like the situation already was in America) when kibble became more popular.

Even if you don't want to feed raw, give it a read! Here is a link to dogwise, where you can buy it: http://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=DN138
It might be available elsewhere as well. You might even be able to buy it locally or something.

Jamiya