Quote:
Originally Posted by PrincessDiana  Nature's Variety is a GREAT company and while I prefer to feed only grain free, Prairie would definitely be on my list if we didn't. We are planning on switching to Instinct, soon. All of the ingredients listed are fine, actually wonderful, ingredients. Here is a better explanation of each one, from their website:
Chicken Meal
Chicken meal is the clean combination of the flesh and skin of chicken with the moisture removed. Our high-quality chicken meal is an excellent source of highly digestible, lean meat protein, which never contains added growth hormones. High quality, protein specific meals are simply a dried and more concentrated form of the meat, poultry or fish protein. It is important to make sure the meal is protein specific (Beef Meal, Lamb Meal), and not generic like Meat Meal or By-Product Meal which by definition can contain any species of animal.
Brown Rice
Whole brown rice is unmilled – or partly milled – rice. Brown Rice is a nutritionally intact whole grain, and is rich in fiber, dietary minerals (including manganese, phosphorus), and vitamins (including niacin, vitamin B6, and vitamin E).
Barley
Barley is a hearty cereal grain, and is a member of the grass family Poaceae. Whole barley is a nutritionally intact whole grain, and is rich in dietary fiber, antioxidants, dietary minerals (including magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and selenium), and vitamins (including niacin, vitamin B6, and vitamin E).
Alfalfa Meal
Alfalfa is a member of the legume (bean) family. Alfalfa meal is the above ground portion of the alfalfa plant, which has been cut and dried naturally in the sun. It is then finely ground into a meal. Alfalfa is known for its excellent source of phytochemicals and phytoestrogens and their antioxidant effect stimulates the immune system. Alfalfa is also a good source of vitamin C, folate, vitamin A, vitamin K, niacin and pantothenic acid, calcium and iron. Alfalfa contains beneficial saponins that may have cardio-protective and immune-enhancing properties.
Flaxseed
Flaxseed is the whole seed of the flax plant (genus Linum). Flaxseed is an outstanding source of both soluble and insoluble fiber. Together these fibers aid in digestion and help to prevent constipation. Flaxseed is also an excellent source of amino acids, Omega-6, and more importantly Omega-3 essential fatty acids. When in the proper ratio with Omega-6 fatty acids, Omega-3 fatty acids regulate and control inflammatory reactions. The richest source of alpha-linoleic acid (ALA) is found in flaxseed. Nature’s Variety selects only the highest quality whole flaxseed grown in cool Canadian climates. |
Thanks
It seems the more I read the more confused I became about the different grains and the possible allergy reactions they could cause , I was lumping all grains in the same category. I was worried because my older dog Sydney has always licked at her paws ,rubbed her face , and itched at her fur ...but I just assumed that's what dogs did ( she was my first) I
never even considered allergies to something in her food and I never brought it up to her vet because I thought it was just normal.. Considering her food was
awful ( beneful) and filled with every bad ingredient on the list , I just want to make it better for her and not worse.So I stay up and read all night and confuse myself by morning
Chloe also seemed a
little itchy on her old food , but nothing extreme.
That's why I started with Wilderness. My dh is against raw
so I thought I could ease him into it...They haven't been on it long enough to tell a difference yet, but they don't seem to "gobble" it up and they have been having
BIG poo's , but I will wait and see. If they are still itchy on grain free I will have to look for other reasons. And considering Syd has has so much of the bad food , it could have made her sensitive to just about anything.
I was also way off on the Chicken meal ( I was thinking 'animal' meal and confusing the two) I swear in my everyday life I can figure out most anything , but give me a list of dog foods and I become dumbfounded by a simple list of ingredients !
Life was much simpler when I was oblivious and feeding bad food
I will continue to hunt for the perfect food for my girls ...thanks again for the answers and opinions ....keep them coming
I know I can be annoying with sooo many questions , but I just want to really learn as much as I can
