Commercial kibble can contain ingredients ranging from fresh meat to organs and bones and from brown rice to ground corn, millet and food dye. What do these ingredients mean? Are there ingredients that we should avoid feeding our cats and dogs? What is wrong with feeding corn, ground rice, animal fat or soybean meal? What are vets telling us is good quality kibble, and why?
One website I like is www.dogfoodanalysis.com because it tells you what the ingredients are in many of the commercial kibble products found on the North American market, as well as analyze them, explaining why some are considered unhealthy and some are superior and highly recommended. It is a great teaching tool to allow YOU, the consumer, to decide for yourself what is a good food to feed your pet. Don't believe your veterinarian. Don't believe the young sales clerk at your local store or the guy you meet at the dog park. Learn what the ingredients mean and you will be able to tell, on your own, what constitutes a high quality kibble and what doesn't.
Some kibble contains chemical preservatives such as ethoxyquin, BHT and BHA which are allowed in pet products but are banned or heavily regulated in human food due to the belief that they are carcinogenic. Do you really want to take the risk and feed this to your animal? Did you know that many, or most of the kibble sold in vets' clinics, supermarket shelves and bargain stores contain these ingredients?
As to what is wrong with feeding corn, ground rice, animal fat or soybean meal, consider that corn provides little to no nutrition to a dog or cat and can even cause allergies, digestive problems, hair loss, itchiness and/or chronic licking and ear infections. Ground rice and other grains such as corn (maize), millet, soybean or wheat are fillers and items that are not always fit for human consumption. They can raise blood sugar levels, cause allergic reactions and provide no nutritional value. Animal fat, when listed as "animal fat", is a generic fat source that is most often made up of rendered animal fat, restaurant grease, or other oils too rancid or deemed inedible for humans. Look for a named fat source, such as poultry or chicken fat, that is naturally preserved.
Check this site out: http://recipes4gourmetdogs.com/2010/01/avoid-these-dog-food-ingredients/ for a list of some of the ingredients to avoid and why. Here is another site: http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/9830/1/Ingredients-to-Avoid-in-Dog-Food.html
Is the cost of kibble a factor in what you decide to buy? Then please consider the cost of having to feed twice as much kibble that contains grain and fillers, as well as cheaper ingredients just to fill a dog's tummy, compared to one that has a high protein level and few if any grains at all. If you pay $20 a 5 lb. bag and only have to feed 2/3 cup kibble per day, but pay $10 for the same size bag and have to feed twice as much, leaving a dog still hungry because the meat protein content is so low, then where do you save, exactly? Of course, that doesn't take into account what the cost of medical care will be when you feed a toxic-filled commercial food to a dog for several years. Are you having to buy medication or special shampoos and supplements for chronic ear infections, allergies, hair loss, behavioral issues and chronic conditions? Just like with us humans, if fed a diet poor in nutrition and containing toxins, an animal can't help but become ill in the long-run.
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