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Originally Posted by lil fu fu girl  I do not use RC because one of the top ingredients is chicken "meal". I prefer not to feed mine anything with the term "meal" in it.
As for corn, it is a carbohydrate with trace proteins. The problem arises when corn is used for the main protein,( in the top 5 on the ingredient list) as it is a vegetable protein, or an "incomplete" protein, due to the fact that it does not contain enough amino acids that are necessary for metabolism. In essence, this means that it is very difficult for your pup to digest it.
The second problem with using corn as a main protein is the fact that proteins are processed in the liver and the waste materials from this process are filtered and excreted through the kidneys; both of these functions requires water to complete the process. High quality proteins such as red meat, do not generate large amounts of waste, so not a lot of stress on the liver or kidneys. On the other hand, poor quality proteins such as corn, which is difficult to digest, puts added stress on the kidneys as it generates excessive waste byproducts that need to be taken out of the liver and carried to the kidneys and then excreted, which means a lot more water must be taken in to allow this process to work correctly. When sufficient water is not present these byproducts cannot be expelled, that is where disease issues arise for our pups.
In consideration, I would make sure that my pups get a quality protein that is not vegetable based. |
Chicken meal is not bad, from my understanding. Chicken meal is simply chicken that has been baked to remove bacteria and other toxins. An ingredient listed as Chicken is just that... just chicken, but it's made mostly out of water, therefore even if it says "60% chicken" that's misleading and not true, and would be placed further down on the ingredient list. So technically w/ the "meal" you're actually getting MORE meat. I prefer to see a "meal" followed after the chicken on the ingredient list because it means you're actually getting sufficient meat. If that makes any sense.