Look at meat first when looking at the ingredient list of dog food

The ingredient list of pet food is the same as that of human food. The more ingredients are present, the higher they are ranked in the ingredient list. The first ingredient of high-quality dog ​​food should be a clear meat or meat meal (such as chicken, beef, mutton, etc., or chicken meal, beef meal, etc.).

The meat after the meat in the dog food ingredient list should be meat powder/dried meat

When the first or first few words in the ingredient list contain clear fresh meat, it is followed by a clear of meat powder.
As we all know, fresh meat contains a lot of water (usually more than 75%). Even if this raw material accounts for the largest proportion of all raw materials, the content in dog food will be very limited after drying. If fresh meat is at the top of the ingredient list, but there are no other clear sources of meat after it, then there won’t be a lot of this high-quality fresh protein in the dog food.
This is why another clearly sourced meat or meat meal must follow fresh meat.
It seems a bit abstract to say this. The translator takes two different formulas, Desire Tundra and Snow Mountain Premium, as examples.
Let me explain, in terms of pricing and brand positioning, the quality of Desire Tundra is better than that of Snow Mountain Special, so I don’t mean to criticize the formula of Snow Mountain Special.

Let’s take a look at the recipe for Desire for Tundra:

Fresh goat meat, fresh venison, fresh sheep meat, fresh bison meat, fresh char meat, fresh hare meat, fresh wild duck meat, fresh Rainbow trout, fresh sardines, fresh Alaska pollock, red lentils, green beans, dried duck, dried herring, chickpeas, peas, alfalfa, dried kelp, pumpkin, cod liver oil, goat tripe, lamb liver, lamb liver, sheep Tripe, venison liver, deer tripe, carrots, spinach, apples, pears, cranberries, elk liver, deer liver, frozen bison liver, frozen lamb liver, zinc proteinate, juniper berries, rose hips, dandelion root, elderberry Flowers, marigolds, chicory roots, dried enterococcus fermentation products, etc.

The top 10 ingredients in the formula are fresh meats from clear sources, followed by two types of beans that provide carbohydrates, followed closely by two dehydrated meats from clear sources.
It is completely consistent with what is said above. Fresh meat is followed by meat powder (here is dried meat, which is better than meat powder). If you are not allergic to the 11 protein sources in it, this is a very good dog food. formula.

Let’s take a look at the Snow Mountain Premium recipe:

The first step in the recipe is chicken, followed by brown rice, oats, and potatoes, which are all carbohydrates, and then chicken meal.
Basically in line with the principles mentioned above, meat powder with a clear source appears in the ingredient list along with fresh meat.
Although compared to the formula of Longing for Tundra, Snow Mountain Special is not as luxurious (and the price is not as luxurious). But if your dog is allergic to red meat, Snow Mountain Special Formula is better thanLonging for tundra is more suitable~
This is also in line with what was said before. The choice of dog food varies from dog to dog, and expensive ones may not be the most suitable.

The carbohydrates in the dog food ingredient list should be complete

Complete, unprocessed fruits, vegetables and cereals, containing all their vitamins, enzymes, antioxidants and other ingredients, are better ingredients. This is easy to understand. For example, beets are better than beet pulp, soybeans are better than bean dregs, potatoes are better than potato flour...
However, there are occasionally one or two such "dregs", "flour", "meal" and " "Fiber", and it is at the back of the ingredient list and has little impact on the overall formula. However, if it is all by-products of this type and there are few fresh ingredients, you should be careful.

Unscrupulous dog food that needs to be avoided

① Various meat by-products, poultry by-products from unclear sources, and powders made from these things
Although it cannot be denied that the ingredients in these It also contains a lot of nutrients, but after all, it is the "leftovers" of some human foods.

② Ambiguous fat
"Animal fat" is a very vague concept, and it is difficult to guess its source.
It may come from scraps produced by regular slaughterhouses, or it may be obtained from animals that died abnormally, which cannot be verified. In comparison, clear materials such as "chicken fat" and "duck fat" are better.

③ Add sweetener.
Sweeteners can increase the flavor of food, make dogs like it, and improve the taste that may not be what "dogs" want.

④ Artificial colors, flavors, preservatives (such as BHABHT ethoxysilica, etc.)
For dogs, the color of food does not increase appetite, and the protein and fat of meat The aroma is the most attractive.
Artificial preservatives, commonly used sorbic acid, benzoic acid, and nitrous acid are all toxic to varying degrees, while fat-soluble BHA and BHT are potentially carcinogenic. Natural preservatives are usually used in better formulas. (such as mixed tocopherols) instead.