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Feb
02
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READING LABELS, PART 2 |
READING LABELS, PART 2
INGREDIENT LIST
Each ingredient contained in the dog food will be listed in descending order according to weight. However, the quality of each ingredient is not required to be listed. For best results, look for animal-based proteins to be high up on the list, such as beef, beef by-products, chicken, chicken by-products, lamb, lamb meal, fish meal, and egg. However, use caution and read carefully, because some manufacturers will manipulate the weight of products in order to place it higher or lower on the list. For example, they may divide the grains into different categories, like wheat flour and whole ground wheat, in order to lower the weight and make it seem less prominent on the ingredient list.
You may be wondering what exactly are meat by-products and meal, anyway. Actual “meat” is considered to be the clean flesh of a slaughtered mammal and is limited to the part of the striate muscle that is skeletal or found in the tongue, diaphragm, heart, or esophagus. Meat by-products are the non-rendered lean parts other than the meat, which include, but are not limited to, the lungs, spleen, kidney, bone, blood, stomach, intestines, necks, feet, and undeveloped eggs. Meat and bone meal are the rendered products or mammal tissues, which include bone, hair hood, horn, hide trimming, manure, and stomach. As you can see, the ingredients in dog food can vary widely, so be informed about what your Boston Terrier is actually eating.
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS
The guaranteed analysis states the minimum amount of crude protein and crude fat as well as the maximum amount percentage of moisture (water) and crude fiber. The word “crude” refers to the method of testing the product, not the quality of the nutrient. Sometimes manufacturers will list other nutrients like ash or calcium, although they are not required to do so.
