Home Brand Cat Food (tinned Fish) For Dogs

[Mana]

I usually buy a number of tins of Home Brand tinned mackeral and sardines (human grade) when I go shopping, for the dogs' fishy additions.

Yesterday I noticed that the tinned Home Brand Cat food is just fish, not much else, and is a fraction the cost of the other dark oily (human grade) tinned fish I've been buying.

Other than less stringent quality control in the animal food, is there any reason that I can't give these to my dogs in place of their sardine and mackeral supplements?

Tuna: Ingredients: Tuna, Vitamins (E, D3), Water.

Chunky Sardines in Jelly: Ingredients: Sardines, Gelling agent, Vitamins.

Chunky Pilchards in Jelly: Ingredients: Pilchards, Gelling agent , Vitamins.

I have heard you can't feed cat food to dogs, but I think that was in the context of using a "balanced and complete" commercial food, whereas this is just a supplement.

Also, what is the difference between a "guaranteed" and "typical" analysis on foods (pet or human)? Is there such a thing as an "actual analysis"?

Edited October 13, 2005 by Mana

[espinay2]

I often use this for the dogs. I see no problem with it. I do alternate with other fish including whole raw fish), but find it a handy standby for the odd meal. Yes, it is lower grade than the human quality, but it is still fish with not much else added.

[collie angel]

i was told to give bella sardines in oil for her coat/skin these are about 50c in the homebrand....never tried the tinned cat food ones as i dont even feed my cats tined cat food.....hate the smell

[Koza]

I can imagine, they are tinned whole, unlike human ones. I give cat food, one tablespoon, with the dry doggy food. Stella loves it.

[espinay2]

I dont find the smell of the canned (pure) fish cat food much different to the 'human' canned fish really. My cats eat a raw diet too, just like the dogs, but they do get some canned fish (although they much prefer the prawns and raw fish we buy for them on occasion. They are just too messy with the whole raw sardines though - we almost have to hose out the room after them! )

[MaxSpots]

I have heard you can't feed cat food to dogs, but I think that was in the context of using a "balanced and complete" commercial food, whereas this is just a supplement.

I thought it was the other way around

Dogs can eat catfood

but cats can't eat dogfood (longterm) because it doesn't contain the added Taurine that cats need.

Oh hang on, maybe it's the added Taurine in catfood that dogs can't process

eeek I'll have to check now

Edit: OK done some reading

Turine is an amino acid that's destroyed by cooking, cats need it daily (or they go blind + heart probs) so it's added to catfood.

Won't hurt dogs, it's not added to dog food as dogs can make it in their liver.

Sorry for the useless info... nothing to do with the thread

and here's a link for more fun

http://www.petcarenaturally.com/book_health_bible.php

Edited October 13, 2005 by MaxSpots

[dogcop]

This is a good one sounds like what I tell my clients to give them sardines etc but only buy the home brand as they are just as good. I would only tend to think that the difference between John West & home brand would be the label and oil quality.

To be honest I've never looked to see if there is a home brand fish cat food but I will now ! Generally dogs don't do well on cat food because it has too much salt in it. Cats don't normally do well on dog food because it doesn't contain enough of what a cat really needs. P.S. what is Taurine in cat food ???? My wife says it a style of cooking ??

[MaxSpots]

Also, what is the difference between a "guaranteed" and "typical" analysis on foods (pet or human)? Is there such a thing as an "actual analysis"?

Typical analysis is the "actual" amounts (%) in the tin

see below

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chemical analysis declarations

Guaranteed analysis

The order and format of this statement is governed by state laws. The minimum information the label must state is:

Crude protein Minimum %

Crude fat Minimum %

Crude fibre Maximum %

Moisture Maximum %

Salt (NaCl) Maximum %

Other nutrients are optional.

Typical analysisThis gives the actual % crude protein, % crude fat, % crude fibre, and % salt (NaCl), rather than just maximum or minimum amounts as in the guaranteed analysis statement. Any individual analysis must not vary by more than 10% from the stated value.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The page I quoted from is only available in Google cache (can't link direct), I can post the whole page if interested... It's a how to read lables module from speedyvet.

[MaxSpots]

. P.S. what is Taurine in cat food ???? My wife says it a style of cooking ??

Sorry dogcop, I edited my post...it's explained there now...an amino acid found in raw meat but destroyed during cooking.

[espinay2]

Taurine is an amino acid in raw meat that is destroyed by cooking. If cats dont get it they die (as was found in the 70's when cats fed solely on commercial cat foods started dropping off). The need for dogs to have taurine is now becoming recognised. Their reaction to a lack of taurine is not as violent as a cats, but it can cause problems. A lot of commercial dog foods still do not include it though some have started to.

The main difference is that cats are obligate carnivores. Dog are carnivores but they are a bit more of a scavenger than cats and can exist (I say exist but not thrive) with a higher percentage of grain etc in their diets as is used to 'fill out' commercial foods. Commercial dog foods contain a high percentage of grain generally, whereas commercial cat foods tend to contain less (although some -especially dry foods - have still contained reasonably high percentages). Again, this can effect dogs but in cats the reaction to long term use is much more obvious - for example kidney failure.

[booboo]

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Edited March 12, 2009 by booboo

[Mana]

Wow! Thanks for such detailed responses!

Maxspots - not useless info - this is exactly what I was thinking of I just got it the wrong way round!

I wont buy cheap food for our dogs, only stuff that I would eat myself.

I buy good quality canadian sardines and would rather go without something for myself that buy crappy stuff alot of which comes from south east asia, and I worry what actually is in that... Booboo

Thanks for mentioning this Booboo - I certainly agree with your sentiments, and if I was concerned with the quality of something I had bought I would not continue to use it.

Buying anything these days is a bit of an ethical minefield, but keep in mind many of the generic products on our shelves are produced and packed in Australia, and often from the same (local) sources as the premium Australian stuff! I've found some generic products to be of better quality than their pricey counterparts.

Some very good quality, expensive products are still environmentally and ethically dubious, and if I do not feel comfortable about those aspects of a product I will not buy it, whether cheap or expensive. That is actually more important to me than a slight variation in quality.

Collie Angel -

i was told to give bella sardines in oil for her coat/skin these are about 50c in the homebrand....never tried the tinned cat food ones as i dont even feed my cats tined cat food.....hate the smell 

These are the sardines I've been using up till now - the 49c ones. The cat tinned fish wasn't actually like cat food though - it was sort of whole fish and bits of fish in a jelly - so didn't have that vile tinned-dog-food smell.

One other thing - I learnt in another thread today to avoid tomato - so no more tinned sardines or mackerel in tomato sauce for my lot.

[dogcop]

Mana what's wrong with tomato's is there something in them that can cause problems. Never heard of anything but I know of some people that used it to try and get rid of tear staining.

[Marine Girl]

Fresh is best..go to the seafood section of your supermarket and 1 whole fish of whats on special, I mean around the $5 mark per kg...is not expensive and all my dogs have loved it..

Lucky I have friends that fish and Pearl will get snapper 1-2 times a fortnight..

[booboo]

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Edited March 12, 2009 by booboo

[Mana]

Mana what's wrong with tomato's is there something in them that can cause problems. Never heard of anything but I know of some people that used it to try and get rid of tear staining.

Deadly nightshade family... apparently a nono...

What Vegetables? thread

Which I think means eggplant's out as well. Anyone know their botany?

I think it might also be an idea to avoid toms for arthritic dogs? I know human friends with arthritis have had to cut out tomatoes and other acidic fruits to prevent very bad flareups.

No idea about the tear staining, sorry dogcop!

[nynka]

I had typical analysis and guaranteed analysis explained to me by a person involved in a large pet food company.

G'teed Analysis - they promise that every cup of food will be made with the exact proportions of ingredients listed on the pack (therefore higher quality and more consistent)

Typical Analysis - they use those ingredients in those proportions most of the time, but sometimes the recipe may be varied - for instance if one ingredient is not available they may put more of another ingredient in -so the balance is not always the same.

Chicken byproducts for example - can include a large proportion of feet, beaks which doesn't have any if much nutritional value. If you have a food that is g'teed analysis then you know that "chicken and chicken byproducts" has real meat in it not just ground up bones, feet and beaks.

It's interesting reading food labels and if you get a chance to speak to a dog food rep, they know a lot about the way the foods are made.

I've been feeding premium dry foods and buy them in bulk for many years and it is surprisingly inexpensive to feed your dog top quality food.

[dogcop]

Ty Mana altering the menu now to read toasted ham & night shade sanger. Wonder what they do to us ????

[Netti]

Potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant are all part of the deadly nightshade plant family. Cant think of any others right now.

There is a weed that grows in our garden that has a purple flower and matures into little purple fruit. Apparently that is deadly night shade as well.

Cheers Netti

[Christina77]

My dog always gets the other 1/2 of the can of homebrand sardines/seafood as I won't keep those cans for more then a day.

I feed the cat homebrand fish 2x a week , human grade canned fish often has a lot of brine etc whereas the cat food is all fish/jelly etc.

Just a tip , if you do have fish of any kind left over , tip the remainder into a small freezer bag ( 120 for 49c at Coles) then put the bag back into the can , no plastic dishes to wash up and the fish doesn't get tainted by the can.