Food

hmc

Finally found a food my 7 mth old will eat but not sure it's good enough? Made from my local feed merchants , beef and veg kibble, 29% beef meal, 20% whole peas and wheat seam to be the main ingred! with all the usual vits
What's your opinion please before I buy their senior and light for the older, thank you they also get a bit of butchers,to encourage , and fresh chicken twice a week and rice once a week

youngie

are we talking dog or cat meat percentage seems a bit low

lee111s

What's the protein value as a percentage?

hmc

23%protein dog food

meritaten

its the amount of wheat that is concerning me - it seems awfully high. I would be worried in case dog had a wheat/gluten intolerance as its not really a natural food for them. in fact that is my main concern about dry food for dogs and cats - the high levels of grain in them. Veg I am not so concerned about - as long as there is sufficient level of animal protein. and there isn't at less than 25%. even the cheapest tinned dog food contains at least 60%.

krlyr

Senior/light versions are often bulked out with wheat, rice, etc. to lower the protein levels. However, studies have shown lower protein isn't necessary for elderly dogs. You're better off going for more of a better quality protein than less of a lesser quality one, so it may be worth avoiding the senior foods.

http://www.dogstardaily.com/blogs/protein-requirements-senior-dogs-you-might-be-surprised
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/05/05/surprising-findings-from-tufts-study-of-37-senior-dog-foods.aspx

Also, protein doesn't always reflect meat content - for example, protein in pea meal could bump up a food's protein levels.