[kjc]

This, as I thought Royal Canin could use a higher quality meat instead of a supplement: (See bold blue print)

Originally Posted by ladyjane

From petdiets.com , Dr. Rebecca Remillard who absolutely knows about this topic! Her resume (and others she works with) is here: https://www.petdiets.com/about

[/COLOR]Dogs are in the order Carnivora, but their feeding behaviors are best described as omnivorous. Their anatomy and physiology also support an omnivore diet. The nearest living ancestors of our domestic dog are wolves, and the closest living relatives are coyotes. Both wolves and coyotes are opportunistic predators and scavengers. They eat carrion (dead animals), small mammals, birds, amphibians, and the feces of herbivores (horses) that does contain plant material (starch, fiber). Canine predators consume the intestinal tract of large herbivores, which contains plant material. Both coyotes and wolves have been observed eating plants; fruits, berries, persimmons, mushrooms, and melons in the wild. Similarly, our dogs have anatomical and physiological characteristics that permit the digestion and utilization of a widely varied diet from both plant and animal sources.

The nutrient composition of an organ or skeletal meat, even including the bone, does not meet the known nutrient requirements of the dog; in fact, it is quite deficient in some nutrients and excessive in others.Yes, dogs like to eat meat and chew on bones. However, that does not necessarily mean that the nutrient composition of such a diet is complete and balanced for the dog.[/B][/I]

Just wondering if rice as the first two ingredients is considered as being “in moderation”

Originally Posted by ladyjane

Wow...quick answer. All I had to do was go look at petdiets.com ........

QUESTION: Hill's Science Diet has changed most of the formulas for their Science Diet line. Most of these new products contain brewers rice and or brown rice. Now I'm scared to feed any of the Science Diet foods or any dog foods that use rice as an ingredient because of arsenic in the rice. Am I overreacting? Should I use grain free or a diet that still uses corn as the starch? Iams still has a few that use corn. My dog is a little overweight and finding a weight loss diet without rice seems to be very hard. He is also allergic to wheat. Thank you.

ANSWER: "Am I overreacting?" The short answer is yes ... the reason is that recently the level of arsenic (As) was measured in rice ... it had not been measured previously, and the feds do not have a reference range for rice so the media compared it to the reference range in drinking water which is interesting but not valid. They are working a determining a safe vs. toxic As range. In the meantime, the odds are b/c As has been in rice (normally taken up from the soil) since the beginning of time, the current levels are what they have always been. Given we do not have an epidemic of As poisoning in any species eating the rice, the newly discovered levels are presumed to be safe. Actually some metabolic reactions in the body use As so like most things in life, moderation is the key. I am fairly certain the levels of As in the any pet food using rice today is the same level it is have been since pet foods have been made. I would not drive myself crazy looking for a no rice dog food.

Just something to think about... maybe a problem, maybe not.