Help Me Read These Ingredient Listings

[nadz]

My puppy is here in exactly 1 weeks time! yay!

I am trying to work out what food I want to switch him to eventually (I'm following the breeders diet for at least the first few weeks). I am thinking of trying Royal Canin dry bits and there are two options for my little boy. The ingredients are as follows:

Royal Canin Dachshund 30 Junior:

rice, dehydrated poultry meat, maize, vegetable protein isolate, animal fats, hydrolysed animal proteins, beet pulp, minerals, soya oil, fish oil, fructo-oligo-saccharides, sodium polyphosphate, yeast extract, L-lysine, taurine, egg powder, DL-methionine, marigold extract, hydrolysed crustaceans, L-carnitine, hydrolysed cartilage.

Royal Canin Mini Junior:

dehydrated poultry meat, maize flour, maize, maize gluten, animal fats, beet pulp, hydrolysed animal proteins, L.I.P animal proteins, minerals, soya oil, yeast, fish oil, fructo-oligo-saccharides, egg powder, hydrolysed yeast extract, DL-methionine, taurine, marigold extract.

Is one far more superior than the other? I was under the impression that the breed specific ones were just marketing but it seems there are in fact additional ingredients in it. Are they even worthwhile though? Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

[Aziah]

I'd go the RC Mini Junior because the first ingredient is dehydrated poultry meat where as the RC Dachshund 30 Junior has rice as it's first ingredient.

How heavy will he be when he's an adult?

[nadz]

Thanks for your reply Aziah. He is a mini dachshund so will get to 4kgs when he is fully grown.

What confuses me is that although the mini junior's first ingredient is poultry, the next 3 ingredients are all maize derivatives (maize flour, maize, maize gluten) so maybe all three of these together would actually mean maize is the 1st ingredient? And they have just found a sneaky way to make it seem there is more meat.

Which is more beneficial, rice or maize?

[Glacius]

What is the breeder feeding/recommending??

I agree with Aziah, tho poultry meat is very general - could be any sort of bird in there! LOL I would go with something that has a meat meal (chicken meal/pork meal/duck meal) as the first ingredient. Ingredients are listed by weight - Meat meal as the first ingredient means that is what the food is mostly made up of.....meat, and meat less the water content! Corn in any form is one ingredient i would stay away from

[Glacius]

this is an interesting website to look thru when choosing a diet for your 4 legged friend.....some of the foods are not available as it is a us site but most premium (or so called premium foods) sold here in Australia are listed..

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_re...index.php/cat/1

[Starkehre]

Thanks for your reply Aziah. He is a mini dachshund so will get to 4kgs when he is fully grown.

What confuses me is that although the mini junior's first ingredient is poultry, the next 3 ingredients are all maize derivatives (maize flour, maize, maize gluten) so maybe all three of these together would actually mean maize is the 1st ingredient? And they have just found a sneaky way to make it seem there is more meat.

Which is more beneficial, rice or maize?

That is exactly correct nadz. And there are a few food compnies that do this particular with maize. they split the ingredient to show it being in smaller percentages, but add them together an they probably end up being a larger percentage than the rice or certainly at least the same.

Personally, if you are wanting to feed a premium or super premium food, I would be selecting one that has the meat meal as the first ingredient, with no splitting a grain into different categories.

also if you had to select a grain from maize or rice, personally I would select rice. It is more digestible for dogs.

Having said this, I do think Royal Canin is a good food.

Best of luck with your new baby.

Edited January 6, 2010 by dyzney

[nadz]

Thank you everyone for your replies! There is also Pro-Plan puppy I was thinking of, and the top ingredient is meat! Here is the ingredients:

Chicken, corn gluten meal, brewers rice, whole grain corn, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), poultry by-product meal, fish meal, dried egg product, corn germ meal, animal digest, fish oil, salt, potassium chloride, calcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, choline chloride, dried colostrum, zinc sulfate, Vitamin E supplement, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, niacin, copper sulfate, Vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin supplement, garlic oil, Vitamin B-12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), sodium selenite.

Maybe I will be better off putting him on this? But what is "poultry by-product meal"? otherwise I'm thinking the RC dachshund puppy, just because it's corn instead of maize (assuming maize is the highest ingredient in RC mini junior)

[Dogsfevr]

Nadz talk to your breeder about diet.Not all breeds thrive on certain brands no matter how good the ingredients sound.

many breeders guarantee there pups if feed the diet recommended unless there has been a discussion why the change.

What diet does your breeder feed??

[Sagittarian]

Keep in mind that if a meat is specified such as "chicken", it is the pre-processed weight that is counted. Take the moisture out and with a lot of foods, the chicken would actually be a minor ingredient. Chicken meal (as an example) is already dehytrated so the meat content is more accurate.

Some companies will tell you the percentage of meat v percentage of grain/cereal if you ask.

At the end of the day, it is what your pup thrives on and enjoys, and that may take a little bit of experimenting. There are plenty of great options out there!

Sags

[becks]

pro plan has a lot of corn in it, something already mentioned to avoid

[pixie_meg]

what about Holistic select small and mini puppy:

Ingredients:

Anchovy & Sardine Meal, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols), Ground Brown Rice, Ground White Rice, Chicken Meal, Pork Meal, Oatmeal, Dried Beet Pulp, Flaxseed, Dried Egg Product, Menhaden Fish Oil, Carrots, Sun-Cured Alfalfa, Peas, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Organic Quinoa, Apples, Blueberries, Cranberries, Dried Kelp, Yucca Schidigera Extract, DL-Methionine, Vitamins [beta-Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Niacin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Biotin], Minerals (Polysaccharide Complexes of Zinc, Iron, Manganese and Copper, Cobalt Carbonate, Potassium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Choline Chloride, Lecithin, Rosemary Extract, Inulin, L-Carnitine, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Enterococcus faecium, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus niger Fermentation Products, Mixed Tocopherols (a natural preservative).

My boy is on the large and giant breed puppy and is doing very well. you can get it at pookinuk.com.au