What if you ate something you thought was nutritious… only to find out later your body never had the ability to absorb it?

How nutritious would that be?

Well, for dogs… minerals are one of those kinds of nutrients.

So, what are minerals?

Minerals are basic metal compounds needed by all animals for life.

Here are three familiar examples…

• Copper
• Iron
• Zinc

By themselves… or attached to other “non-biological” compounds… some minerals can be very difficult for a dog to absorb.

So… a good portion of these minerals can pass through a dog’s intestines… mostly wasted in the stools.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

You see, minerals can be chemically “chelated”.

That is, they can be attached to a molecule of protein… or an amino acid… even a sugar “complex” (a polysaccharide).

And Then… Something Magical Happens

Suddenly, that same previously difficult-to-absorb mineral can be readily attracted into a dog’s bloodstream.

And once there, it can be directly carried to the tissues of the body.

Now, to be fair, not all minerals are difficult to absorb… or even need to be chelated.

Just the same, chelated minerals should be considered a welcome addition to any commercial dog food product.

Ten amino acids. Twelve basic minerals. Eleven vitamins. And two kinds of fatty acids.

Whew!  No question about it… there certainly are plenty of canine nutrients to think about.

What’s more… each and every one of them is considered absolutely essential… and must be present in the correct amounts… and the right proportions… in every dog food… to help keep your pet free of disease.

So, how can you be sure a particular product meets some kind of minimum dog food nutrition standards?

A Dog Food Insider’s Secret Revealed

Think about it… are you really prepared to check every product label to confirm the presence and quantity of each one of these vital nutrients?

Even dog food “obsessives” like me lack the time (not to mention… the patience) to perform that kind of detailed analysis.

But alas… there’s an easier way.  And dog food “insiders” know this label reading secret as the Nutritional Adequacy Statement.

Now, once you know what it is… and where to find it… you can use this simple shortcut to instantly screen any dog food for proper vitamin and mineral content.

False Claims… Dangerous Nutrition

The dog food industry defines a nutritionally “complete” product as one that can be fed to a dog as its sole ration.  In other words, it is capable of maintaining life without adding any other substance… except water.¹

Guidelines go on by defining a “balanced” dog food as one that has “all known required nutrients in proper amount and proportion”.²

Now, here’s the problem…

Think about how dangerous it would be for any dog food to be sold as a “complete and balanced” diet… when, in fact, that product was actually deficient in one or more essential nutrients.

Hello.  Does the word “unsafe” ring a bell?

That’s what makes a Nutritional Adequacy Statement so helpful.  No… it’s not perfect.  But it is the industry’s token (but welcome) attempt at policing itself.

What to Look for to Protect Your Dog

OK, now… in order for any dog food company to print the words “complete and balanced” on a package… that claim must first have been validated in one of two ways.

The first uses a product’s “recipe” (or the laboratory analysis of a sample) to assume it meets AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profile³.  Dog food’s meeting this standard usually include words like…

“(Name of product) is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles”

The second method not only meets the AAFCO profile… but also verifies nutritional adequacy by conducting actual feeding trials with real dogs.  This type of adequacy statement will probably look something like this…

“Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that (name of product) provides complete and balanced nutrition”

Now, obviously, products tested using this more rigorous method should be given extra consideration.

Make Sure a Product Fits Your Dog’s Life Stage

Is your dog a growing puppy?  An adult?  A senior?

AAFCO also requires all Nutritional Adequacy Statements to clearly identify for which life stage a product is most suitable.  Current standards⁴ include two specific dog food nutrient profiles…

• Adult maintenance
• Growth and reproduction

A maintenance type product is only suitable for non-reproducing adult dogs with normal activity levels.  This same dog food may not be appropriate for growing, reproducing or working animals.

On the other hand, any product described as acceptable for “all life stages” must meet the more stringent “growth and reproduction” profile.

Sometimes, a product may be labeled for a particular use… or life stage… such as “for senior dogs”.  Even though there are no clear-cut rules governing these various statements, one thing is certain… these special purpose dog foods have definite limitations.

Any product that cannot meet either the adult maintenance or growth and reproduction standards must state…

“This product is intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding”

In other words… it’s a product not intended for long-term use.

Save Time… and Maybe Save a Life

Especially with kibble, cooking and heat processing can destroy vital nutrients.  No commercial dog food can possibly match nature’s built-in vitamin and mineral content.

Just the same… Nutritional Adequacy Statements can still save you lots of time.  And they can at least make it possible for you to have some level of assurance your dog’s food might actually come close to meeting important dietary standards.

Unfortunately, though, the statements themselves are not always so easy to find.  They can be located virtually anywhere on the package.

Yet rest assured… they’re supposed to be there… somewhere.

If you can’t find the statement… or if the statement itself does not declare the product complete, balanced and appropriate for your dog’s life stage… take a pass.

Don’t buy it.

Because feeding your dog the same deficient product day after day… and week after week… can multiply the error… and possibly cost your dog her life.

Bad dog food sucks.  Spread the word.

You know, after reading hundreds of dog food packages, I thought I’d seen it all.  But there it was… printed right there on the label…

Crude ash.

Ash?  You mean the same stuff that comes from a fireplace?

Now, if you’re anything like me… you must be wondering, “Why in the world would they put ash in my dog’s food?

Relax… Ash Isn’t Anything Like It Sounds

You see, ash isn’t some nasty filler ingredient that’s deliberately added to dog food.  No, ash is what’s left over after any food has been completely incinerated.

Ash is the final product of food combustion.

In other words, if you were to completely incinerate a can of dog food… all three major nutrients… protein, fat and carbohydrates… would burn away… leaving just the food’s minerals behind.

These mineral nutrients… calcium, phosphorous, zinc, iron, and so on… make up the ultimate residue of food combustion… ash.

The amount of ash varies from product to product.  What’s more, you’ll only rarely find it listed on a dog food’s Guaranteed Analysis panel.

So… as a rule… you should expect ash content to range between five and eight percent… in most dog foods¹.

All the same, don’t be overly concerned about ash.  Believe me… there’s a lot more to worry about when it comes to what’s really in your dog’s food.

Want proof?

Be sure to read… The Shocking Truth About Commercial Dog Food.

Imagine going to your dentist and being told to forget your toothbrush.  Because all you really need for good dental health… is to simply eat a few crunchy tortilla chips every day.

And like magic… your teeth will be sparkling clean.

Sound absurd?

Well… you’re right.  It’s utterly ridiculous.

But that’s precisely what most of us have been told about the magical tooth-cleaning power of dry dog food.

Well… now it’s time to set the record straight… and separate the science from the myth.

Why Tooth Debris Is So Difficult to Remove

To begin with, there are three kinds of dental debris…

• Food particles
• Plaque
• Tartar (calculus)

Food particles are easy to remove.  Just drinking water can eliminate most of the free-floating fragments from around a dog’s teeth.

But plaque and tartar are different.

Plaque is the sticky biofilm that adheres tightly to every tooth surface.  It requires physical scrubbing to remove it.

And once cleaned away… plaque returns again within just 24 hours.

Left along the gumline long enough, plaque slowly and inevitably turns into a rock-hard, barnacle-like crust referred to as calculus… and more commonly called tartar.

Plaque is what you remove with your toothbrush.  Tartar is the hard stuff your dentist scrapes away when you get your teeth cleaned.

Causing More Problems Than It Solves

Sure… crunchy kibble can remove some of the plaque near the tops of a dog’s teeth.  But it’s completely ineffective within the critical zone near the gumline.

And that’s where plaque and tartar do their ultimate damage… causing cavities and gum disease.

Even industry regulators look the other way when products claim to cleanse or whiten teeth.  They spinelessly avoid the issue altogether by simply labeling these unscientific claims as “not objectionable”¹.

In plain English…

Dry dog food does not help create healthier teeth and gums

No… that rumor is nothing less than complete nonsense.

In fact, since most kibbles are loaded with a much higher carbohydrate content… dry dog foods may actually increase plaque and tartar levels… and cause more dental problems than they supposedly prevent.

So, when choosing between canned or dry dog food… it’s OK to pick dry kibble.  But please don’t choose it because you believe it’s better for your dog’s teeth.

The Only Way to Prevent Dental Disease

The only scientifically proven way to decrease plaque and tartar is the same for dogs as it is for humans… daily brushing combined with routine tartar removal by a health professional.

And I can personally confirm, brushing a dog’s teeth can be one of the most challenging tasks of dog guardianship you can ever undertake.

Penny was the only dog in my last thirty years who actually allowed me to clean her teeth.

Unfortunately, without daily care and regular professional cleanings… canine dental disease is a near certainty.

Just Do It

So, give it a try.  Notice how it’s done here in the photo.  No toothpaste.  Just a nice, baby-soft toothbrush.

OK, it’s not easy.  But some gentle stroking right where the teeth meet the gums can go a long way to improving your dog’s dental health.

Remember… you don’t have to brush all your dog’s teeth.  Just brush the ones you’d like to keep.

And the next time you visit your vet… why not ask about scheduling a routine dental cleaning, too.

You’ll be adding comfort and years of better health to your dog’s life.

My wife and I were out of town when we got the call.

It was the kennel assistant.

“Bailey hasn’t eaten a bite in two whole days,” she advised.  “What would you like us to do?

Patti and I had gone away for the holidays and had no choice but to leave our little guy with the vet.

And now we were worried.

Bailey’s recent favorite… a chicken and rice kibble… had been brought along with him to the kennel.  But now he didn’t want any part of it.

When I asked the aide if she had any suggestions, she quickly replied, “Why don’t you let me try something special.  It almost always works with our finicky dogs who refuse to eat.”

When I called back a few hours later I was relieved to find out Bailey had “gobbled up every bit of it… and even licked the bowl”.

Know what “it” was?

Canned dog food.  That’s right.  Bailey wouldn’t eat the kibble… but he sure did love that wet food.

Fixing a Tarnished Reputation

After that experience I decided to learn more about canned dog food.  I knew Bailey liked the stuff… a lot more than he liked the kibble.  So, I had to be sure if it was OK for him to eat.

After all, I’d always heard that canned dog food wasn’t as good for dogs as dry kibble.

But boy was I wrong!

You see, in many ways, canned dog food can be a better choice than kibble.

For starters, canned dog foods are frequently made from higher quality ingredients.  Fresh meat-based protein.  And fewer carbohydrates¹.

Plus… due to their air-tight packaging… canned dog foods almost never contain dangerous synthetic preservatives.  That’s because fats and oils packaged in cans don’t easily turn rancid.

And artificial flavorings and colorings are also rare additions.

With cans, meat ingredients resemble their natural state.  So, canned products are more palatable… and more appetizing.

Don’t believe it?  Just watch any dog making the switch from kibble to canned.

Help for Dogs with Dietary Problems

Have an overweight dog?

The moisture content of canned dog food can make the same amount of nutrients (on a dry matter basis) occupy more stomach volume… so, your dieting dog can feel fuller… faster.

And what about older dogs?

Seniors are frequently afflicted with serious dental problems that can make chewing dry kibble difficult… even painful.  So, canned dog food can be the perfect solution.

The Truth About Dog Food and Dental Health

Now, I know it looks like I’ve forgotten to mention how kibble is better for your dog’s teeth than canned food.  But my own professional background makes that silly old rumor difficult to accept.

Find out for yourself.  Be sure to read “Dry Dog Food and the Myth of Cleaner Teeth” to learn the surprising truth.

So, Which Is Better… Canned or Kibble?

To help answer that question, here’s a summary of my findings…

From this chart it seems like canned dog food might be a better choice.  But looks can be deceiving.

Where Kibble Wins… Hands Down

Now, to be fair, when it comes to convenience… nothing beats kibble.  Plus… if you’re on a budget… and who isn’t these days… a well-designed dry dog food can almost always be a better buy.

But be sure to heed this important warning…

Never leave any canned food in your dog’s bowl for more than an hour or two.  Unlike kibble, wet foods exposed to the environment can more easily grow bacteria… and quickly become contaminated.

Of course, every open can must be kept refrigerated.  Be sure to discard any unused dog food within two to three days.

Why You Need to Consider Both

Now, don’t get me wrong.  I hope you don’t think I’m recommending canned food over kibble.

No… not at all.  What I am trying to say is that each type of dog food has its own unique advantages… benefits that are just right for each particular situation.

So, never overlook either kind of dog food… canned or kibble.  Take the time to find out which is the better choice for your special friend.

Your dog will be very glad you did.

Finding the best dog food might not be so easy.  After all… have you ever noticed how many different dog food “designs” there are out there these days?

High protein.  Low carbohydrate.  All-natural.  Organic.  Grain-free.  Raw diet.

The list goes on and on.

You know, after years of searching for “the best” dog food, I’ve finally come to the following conclusion…

The ‘Perfect’ Dog Food
Doesn’t Exist

Yeah… yeah…  I know.  So-and-so says there’s nothing better for your dog than the Blah-Blah diet.

And your next door neighbor’s veterinarian recommends you only feed that special dog food… that he just so happens to sell.

Yet once you eliminate all the emotion… the marketing hype… and the greed… it all comes down to science.

And just one critical question…

What would a dog eat if she could choose for herself?

Dogs Don’t Come with an Owner’s Manual

Now… since dogs don’t come with written instructions… all we can do is try to find a nutritious feeding plan that works.  And follow it.

But that’s the problem.  There are dozens of feeding strategies… and literally thousands of commercial dog foods out there.

So, which one should you buy?  Which plan should you follow?

You know, it’s all very confusing.

That’s why it’s such a good idea to have in your mind a picture of what the ideal dog food might look like… a model blueprint… a benchmark recipe against which all other dog foods may be compared.

That way, you’ll actually recognize a good dog food when you finally see it.

So, let’s go back in time to see what the preferred diet of the world’s first dogs must have looked like.

From Wolf… to Woof
in Just a Few Thousand Years

Today, it’s commonly believed that the dog first evolved directly from the wolf about 15,000 years ago somewhere in Central Asia¹.

Now, of course, it should come as no surprise… wolves were… and still are… meat eating animals.  Their teeth, their digestive systems and their behavior clearly confirm this fact.

But dogs have evolved over thousands of years in the constant shadow of Man… mostly surviving on the very food scraps and leftovers of human existence.

So, like Man… dogs are capable of consuming a widely diverse diet.

Are Dogs Carnivores… or Not?

Now, before we go any further… it’s important to make an important distinction.

One way or another, all animals are either…

• Carnivores (animal eaters)
• Herbivores (plant eaters)
• Omnivores (consumers of both animals and plants)

Dogs are, by their very genetic pedigree… carnivores… not herbivores (plant-eaters).  Their teeth, their digestive systems and their behavior clearly confirm this fact.

Now, to be fair… and more accurate… dogs must also be given credit for their significant omnivorous ability, too.

After all, it’s true.  They do have the ability to eat a remarkably diverse diet.  But it’s wrong to ignore the fact that their bodies are optimized for eating meat.

Simply put…

Dogs can eat a variety of foods.  But they naturally prefer meat

Even today’s canine digestive system still retains much of its original meat-optimized design of a dog’s earlier ancestors.

A Dog’s Ancestral Diet vs. Today’s Kibble

So, what should the protein-fat-carbohydrate breakdown of a dog’s diet look like?

Well, let’s compare a dog’s natural ancestral diet² with the nutrient content of a typical dry dog food³…

After looking at this table something should become immediately obvious… the contrast.

It looks like the pet food industry may have taken advantage of the dog’s remarkable willingness to eat just about anything.

Notice the higher carbohydrate content of the kibble compared to the dog’s natural ancestral diet.  Or how about the dramatically lower protein and fat levels?

OK… maybe the ancestral diet represents an extreme.  But considering the dog’s evolutionary changes… it just seems that the pet food industry may have gone too far in the opposite direction.

It all comes down to a matter of common sense.

These two feeding plans are clearly too far apart.

Doesn’t it make sense for a dog’s diet to be more balanced… more like the canine ancestral diet?  With more protein and fat… and fewer carbohydrates?

A design so many dog food companies choose to ignore.

If you agree with me, then you’ll probably want to pay close attention to the following seven suggestions…

What Would the Ideal Dog Food Look Like?

Well, compared to the average cost-first grocery store product, the ideal dog food would probably be…

1.  Higher in meat-based protein

2.  Higher in natural fats and oils

3.  Lower in carbohydrates

4.  Formulated from a named (non-generic) animal source

5.  Free of animal or vegetable by-products

6.  Free of artificial flavoring, coloring or preservatives

7.  Complete in all essential vitamins and minerals

So, relax… and take comfort in the fact that most canine feeding plans can actually work.  Raw diets.  Grain-free diets.  Even vegetarian diets can work.

Yet when taken to an extreme… feeding 100% meat… or 100% barley… or 100% one (and only one) dog food… you run the risk of depriving your dog of at least one (or more) important nutrients.

Just the fact that so many dog foods even exist is more a testimonial to how incredibly tolerant these amazing creatures really are…and not the technical design of the products themselves.

Is It Really Worth All This Effort?

Am I just dreaming when I talk about this ideal dog food stuff?

Probably.  But I want you to know I care a lot about your dog.  And I want you to take whatever precautions you can to protect her.

So, take the time… make the effort… to give your best friend something closer to what she might actually choose for herself.  Remember… your dog’s counting on you.

And of course, never forget…

Bad dog food sucks.  Pass it on.

Feathers.  Beaks.  Hooves.  What do these three animal body parts all have in common?

Give up?  All three contain an unusually high percentage of protein.

But unfortunately… worthless protein… protein that’s nearly impossible for any dog to digest.

High Content May Not Mean High Quality

Just because a particular dog food boasts a high protein content doesn’t necessarily mean the protein is beneficial.

You see… a product’s stated protein percentage ignores a very important factor… its quality… its nutritional value to the dog.

In other words… a protein’s “usability”.

Biological value… or “BV” as it is known… is a scientific way to compare the usability… and digestibility… of different protein ingredients.

BV uses a number value to indicate how easily a protein is taken up by a dog’s tissues.  So, the higher a protein’s biological value… the better its usability.

For those readers who tend to be mathematically inclined… the formula for biological value looks like this…

BV = (protein used/protein available) x 100

The Incredible (Edible) Egg

Due to their nearly perfect usability, chicken eggs are used as the official benchmark by which all other proteins are judged.  So, eggs are assigned a reference biological value of 100.

Take a look at the following table¹.  Notice the substantial difference in protein usability of these typical ingredients…

From this table, it’s easy to conclude…

Animal protein can be expected to demonstrate a significantly higher biological value than vegetable protein

In other words… animal proteins are simply more nutritionally usable.

That’s why it’s so important to make it a habit to check every dog food label’s list of ingredients.  And rate the product’s main source of protein.  Otherwise… you may be depriving your dog of quality nutrition.

Be sure to read my article… Why You Must Never Trust Stated Protein Percentages to Compare Dog Foods.

Atkins.  South Beach.  The Zone.  Recognize them?  For humans… these low carbohydrate diets are truly renowned.

But in the world of dog food… carbohydrates remain a huge mystery.

That’s because the dog food industry makes absolutely no attempt to disclose the actual carbohydrate content of its products.

Think I’m kidding?

Just look at the “Guaranteed Analysis” printed on the label of virtually every dog food product.  Notice the package reveals the percentages of just four nutrients…

• Protein
• Fats
• Fiber
• Moisture (water)

Have you noticed what’s missing?

That’s right… carbohydrates!

It’s Missing from Every Dog Food Label

Carbohydrate content has actually been deliberately omitted from the dog food’s nutrition label.

If feeding your dog a low carbohydrate diet happens to be your goal… and you’re looking for that information on a dog food package… you’re simply out of luck.

But there’s good news.

In less than a minute… you can quickly uncover the hidden percentage of carbohydrates… in virtually any dog food.

Here’s how…

How to Quickly Calculate the
Carbohydrate Content of Any Dog Food

Basically, the bulk of all dog foods consist of four major nutrients…

• Proteins
• Fats
• Carbohydrates
• Moisture (water)

In addition, all these products include something called ash.  Ash is the non-combustible mineral residue that’s left over after burning away all the protein, fats and carbohydrates.

Ash content usually measures about five to eight percent of each finished product¹ .  So, I routinely allow about 8 percent as a benchmark for this important variable.

Together, the protein, fat, ash, carbohydrate and water content must account for roughly 100 percent of the total pre-cooking weight of any dog food.

OK.  Now, some simple math…

Subtract the reported protein, fat, water and ash percentages from the 100 percent total.  And you’ll get a fairly good idea of the carbohydrate content in that dog food.

By the way, if you’re wondering why I’m ignoring the fiber content… it’s because fiber is actually a carbohydrate.  So, its percentage is automatically included in your carbohydrate calculations.

A Real Life Example

Say a particular dog food contains 26% protein, 14% fat and 10% water.  Now, allowing for an ash content of 8%… how much carbohydrate should you expect to find in that product?

No problem…

Simply start with a total of 100 percent… then subtract the protein, fat and moisture.  And don’t forget to allow for an average ash content of about 8 percent, too.

Carbohydrates = 100% – 26% – 14% – 10% – 8% = 42%

In other words, if you remove all the “known” nutrients from the food, you’d be left with just the carbohydrates… in this case, about 42 percent.

The Only Reliable Way to Compare Dog Foods

Now, remember… this way of computing carbohydrate content delivers its results on “as fed” basis (Guaranteed Analysis).  It doesn’t allow for the moisture content of the food.

And that means you can’t reasonably compare the “carb” content of a canned dog food with a kibble product.

That’s why it’s important to first convert all your percentages… whether protein, fat or carbohydrate… to what’s known as dry matter basis.

Then you can simply use your reported values to compare any two products… canned… or kibble… with complete confidence.

If you’re not sure how to do this yourself be sure to read my article, Dry Matter Basis… The Only Reliable Way to Compare Dog Foods.

Stop Waiting for the Dog Food Companies to Tell You

So, the next time you need to know the carbohydrate percentage of a particular dog food… don’t give up.  Just remember this simple method.

You’ll never be at the mercy of the dog food companies again.  And you’ll have a pretty good idea about the carbohydrate content of any product.

There’s a great injustice being done to dog food shoppers these days.  And it can cost your dog dearly.

On pet food labels… the culprit is known as “Guaranteed Analysis”.

In essence, Guaranteed Analysis is the dog food industry’s lame version of the “Nutrition Facts” panel you see printed on the side of virtually every package of human food sold in America.

The whole point of the panel is to place a value on four nutrients…

• Protein
• Fat
• Fiber
• Moisture (water)

But these numbers can be seriously misleading.

Why You Can’t Trust the Reported Numbers

Guaranteed Analysis is supposed to be a reliable way to compare two or more pet foods.  I say, “supposed to be”… because for reasons I’ll soon explain… the method falls miserably short of its intended goal.

You see… the system used for reporting the percentages fails to consider the water content… an especially serious error when comparing moist canned foods to dry kibble.

Even the Food and Drug Administration admits to the importance of this problem on its own website¹ where it warns…

“To make meaningful comparisons of nutrient levels between a canned and dry product, they should be expressed on the same moisture basis.”

OK… let me show you why this is such a big deal… and how you can use what you learn here to more consistently choose better dog food.

How to Correct the Error Using Dry Matter Basis

Let’s say you have a can of dog food listing crude protein at 10% on its “Guaranteed Analysis”… in other words, its percentage content, just as it comes, right from the package.  Or what the industry calls… “as fed”.

Doesn’t sound like much protein… does it?

But wait…

What if that same label showed the product contained 75% moisture?  And what if you were to completely remove all that water from the can?

You’d be left with just 25% “dry matter”.  Are you with me so far?

Good.  Now, here’s the formula…

To determine the amount of protein… on a dry matter basis… simply divide the reported amount of protein… in this case, 10%… by the total amount of dry matter, 25%… and then, multiply by 100.

Dry Matter Protein Content = (10/25) x 100 = 40%

That gives you a dry matter protein content of 40%… a lot more than the label’s reported number of just 10%… four times the amount of protein claimed by the Guaranteed Analysis.

By the way… this same formula can be used to compute the dry matter fat and fiber contents, too.

When Dry Matter Basis Really Matters Most

Now, as long as you’re comparing canned food to canned food… this dry matter stuff isn’t all that important.

But when you’re comparing canned (wet) food to dry kibble… the issue becomes absolutely critical.

Take a look at this example…

Say you’d like to compare two products… a can of dog food with a bag of kibble.

The canned “wet” product lists protein content at 10%… and the dry kibble reports protein at 23%.

At first glance, the kibble looks like the easy winner.  Right?

Not so fast.  Now, let’s use our dry matter formula to level the playing field.

Using our old friend, Guaranteed Analysis… the wet food shows a water content of 75%… and the kibble, 10%.

OK, let’s now remove all the water from both dog foods.  Take a look at the protein values after converting the data to dry matter basis…

Can you see how the canned product now lists 40% protein… compared to kibble’s 26% number?

Now, which one is the winner?  If you had simply followed your first impression and chosen the kibble for its higher protein content… you’d have been dead wrong.

The wet food actually contains much more protein… on a dry matter basis… than the dry kibble.

The Bottom Line

On the surface… when reading the Guaranteed Analysis panel… canned dog foods almost always look inferior to their kibble counterparts.

But as you now know… looks can be deceiving.

So, don’t be fooled by a dog food label’s protein or fat numbers.

And remember, numbers are just that… numbers.  They can’t reveal the true quality… or the digestibility… of the product’s proteins or fats.

Once again, be sure to take the time to look over the ingredients list.  Your dog will surely be better off for your efforts.

Some call menadione a necessity. Others reject it as a dangerous toxin.

So, what exactly is it?  And why is it being used to make certain dog foods… and not others?

Menadione is the man-made version of an essential nutrient commonly known as vitamin K.  Menadione is itself referred to as vitamin K3.

But K3 is just one of five known versions of vitamin K.  The three most common ones related to the subject of dog food are…

• Vitamin K1 – the natural type found in green leafy vegetables
• Vitamin K2 – the kind produced by bacteria living inside a dog’s gut
• Vitamin K3 – menadione, the man-made “synthetic” version

Vitamins K1 and K2 are considered “natural”.  That’s why, in addition to being fat soluble, they’re also chemically ready to be used by the body… just as they are.

Now, menadione (K3) is different.  Not only is it not fat soluble, this synthetic vitamin must first go through a dog’s built-in process known as “alkylation”… before it can be used by the body.

So, What’s So Important About Vitamin K?

Well, the vitamin is used by the liver to manufacture various clotting factors… chemical compounds designed to stop or control bleeding.

So, how much vitamin K does a dog need?

Well, according to one authority… not much.  A dog needs very little Vitamin K per serving to sustain life… just one part per million¹.

The controversy over menadione centers around two opposing views.

Menadione… a Nutritional Necessity?

Supporters² look at menadione as a necessary additive… an important nutritional supplement dog food companies should feel compelled to include in their product recipes.  Defenders argue in favor of the use of menadione because…

• Natural vitamin K may lose its potency during processing
• Intestinal disease may prevent gut bacteria from making the vitamin
• Not all manufacturers include green leafy vegetables in their recipes

Advocates also claim menadione should be considered safe because toxic levels are a thousand times greater than the recommended daily dose.

So, many companies choose the only approved vitamin K supplement readily available… menadione.

Or a Dangerous Toxin?

Opponents³ see menadione as only a precursor to the vitamin’s more natural versions.  They cite studies that make some rather disturbing claims.  Critics like to point out that menadione…

• Causes toxic reactions in liver cells
• Weakens the immune system
• Induces allergic reactions
• Causes abnormal break-down of red blood cells

One company selling menadione warns its human buyers that menadione is “toxic to kidneys, lungs, liver, mucous membranes. Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organ damage.”⁴

A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

By the way, it can be very difficult to spot menadione.  That’s because manufacturers frequently list the vitamin in rather complex fashion.

The cryptic phrases below depict some of the more common chemical variations of menadione that can show up on an ingredients list⁵.

Sorry for the crazy words.  I was a chemistry major in college and I too find them just about impossible to read…

• Menadione sodium bisulfate
• Menadione sodium bisulfite
• Menadione dimethylprimidinol sulfate
• Menadione dimethylprimidinol sulfite
• Menadione dimethylprimidinol bisulfite
• Dimethylprimidinol sulfate
• Dimethylprimidinol sulfite
• Dimethylprimidinol bisulfate
• Vitamin K supplement

And watch out!  You might even come across menadione hiding behind innocent little phrases like one that refers to it as… “a source of vitamin K activity”.

The Bottom Line on Menadione

So, how should you approach products that include menadione in their list of ingredients?

Well, my take has always been to err on the side of safety.

Until there is an authoritative opinion on the subject of menadione, I recommend that shoppers give preference to menadione-free products whenever possible.