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Originally Posted by Britster  From what I understand, the freeze dried raw guaranteed analysis has to be re-constituted. You are supposed to soak it and not feed it dry as they don't get enough moisture.
When reading the Guaranteed Analysis of a food with a high moisture content such as wet, raw and reconstituted freeze dry diets, it is important to remember that the guaranteed analysis (GA) of a diet always equals 100%. So when one goes up (e.g. moisture) then the others go down (protein, fat, carbohydrates) as it is based on proportions and not absolute values.
Farmina is a great brand with a lot of research put into their foods. The last I researched a few years ago, they had 6 staff veterinarians and 20 other professionals with advanced scientific degrees working for them. Two of their people are fellows to the European equivalent of the AVMA. They do extensive testing with the University of Milan and Naples and been around since 1965 and is owned by the Russo family. The food is tested for 24 months in three published studies for safety before they are put on the market. They're a solid company with some good formulas.
For what it's worth, I've fed Acana for... 7+ years? We've rotated and experimented with other brands and I do feed different canned foods with the kibble. But Acana has been our staple food. We use the Singles line, and primarily duck, but we rotate flavors sometimes. Jackson has always done and looked very well on their food. Bloodwork has always been good, vet visits checked out normal, good poop and body condition. He will be 10 in October this year and doesn't act a day older than 3. Who knows how much diet contributes or genetics (I got him from a BYB) but I do feel nutrition makes a difference in their day to day life for sure. Who knows.
I like Acana because most of their formulas are the proper calcium and phosphorus (sooo many foods nowadays have astronomical numbers that I am just not comfortable with for kidneys), good sodium levels (again, some foods have super high sodium), moderate protein and fat for a small active breed, good ingredients (IMO), overall reputable company (though not without faults as well), they manufacture their own food in their own plants. And well, my dog has always done best on it. And he's picky and he seems to enjoy the taste compared to others he has tried. If I found a food he did significantly better on, I wouldn't hesitate to switch. But this has just been our staple even though I've been irritated with some changes through the years.
I would feed Purina before I'd touch Blue Buffalo, if I'm being honest. Super shady company and 95% of dogs I know (as a pet sitter) that eat it have gurgly tummies and not so great poop. |
When comparing protein and fat contents of various foods, you need to do it on a dry matter basis (what it would be if the water was removed). Those are the statistics I supplied for the various foods. Stella and Chewy had a gross labeling error on their website for moisture content of their freeze dried chicken patties, but it's correct on their bags. If a dog is prone to kidney problems or bladder stones, super high protein content is not a good thing to be feeding. Ditto high fat content and pancreatic issues. With calcium and phosphorus, it's not only the amounts, it's also the ratios that are important. Home made foods and raw diets are often way out of whack. AAFCO sets guidelines on the amounts of phosphorus and calcium, as well as the calcium to phosphorus ratio, so it's less of a problem with commercial foods that follow AAFCO guidelines. See
http://www.aafco.org/Portals/0/SiteC...t_Profiles.pdf for their 2014 guidelines.
I'd place Farmina and Wellness on about the same level: nutritionists on staff, feeding trials, good quality control. My only issue is that the protein content is a little high for both of them, but then again, I'm feeding Wellness to Bella and she seems to be doing okay.
Acana looks more like the kind of food that I would be more comfortable feeding to Bella, but since she's doing well on her current food, I'm not planning to switch. I'm glad that you're having a good experience with Acana. I'll keep that in mind if I have to change her food in the future.
I do remember some kind of lawsuit going on between Blue Buffalo and Purina because Purina had Blue Buffalo food tested, and Blue Buffalo contained different ingredients than what was listed on the bag. Something to keep in mind. Purina makes some good foods in their higher quality lines, and I believe that they make some prescription foods as well, but I would not feed their regular dog chow line.