Fillers In Dog Food

There is no regulation when it comes to using the definition and all foods that call themselves natural are not necessarily created equal points out jamie richardson the medical chief of staff at small door veterinary a nyc based practice still if you are eager for a dog food that s responsibly formulated and free.

Fillers in dog food. That s because the 2 most common ingredients used to replace the corn rice and other cereal grains found in other dog foods include. There are also numerous artificial colors and flavors in their dog foods. What is a dog food filler. Some higher end brands even go as far as selecting only locally sourced or organic ingredients.

For example the benefuls originals with real beef dry dog food lists beef as the main ingredient but it also contains five fillers or by products. Though it is a more complex carbohydrate it does very little in way of nutritional value. Beet pulp tomato pumice the fiber in beans potatoes sweet potatoes and vegetables are true fillers. But don t just take our word at face value let s break down the description and see if each of these filler ingredients fits the mold.

The best dog foods should contain quality ingredients such as whole meat fresh vegetables and quality grains or other sources of carbohydrate such as sweet potato. When it comes to such a hotly debated topic here s our argument. It can come in many forms and names but is still considered to be just a filler. Premium dog food will include meat for protein vitamin packed vegetables and fruit and omega fatty acids for a shiny coat freeman told nbc news adding it s also likely to have fewer fillers.

These ingredients fill out the food but they offer little in terms of nutrient value. Be thoughtful when it comes to purchasing natural dog food. Another common filler used in dry dog food is rice. Brewers rice is especially cheap and is missing many nutrients contained in whole ground rice and brown rice.

But many are made with grain substitutes that can upset the nutrient balance of the finished food. The ingredients typically thought of as dog food fillers corn wheat soy rice etc don t actually fit the description of fillers. Beneful s wet dog food products are made with wheat corn and soy ingredients as well as artificial flavors. Why are these ingredients used if they don t offer much benefit.

The tomatoes blueberries and raspberries present in the formula will also help supplement these effects by providing your dog with valuable antioxidants and vitamins. This formula is free from grain corn wheat filler artificial flavors colors or preservatives. The best grain free dog foods typically contain more protein than those made with grain.