Hey… they’re laughing at us. Did you know that?
Right now, some corporate executive is sitting in his plush leather chair… behind his big fancy desk… and laughing.
He’s laughing at how hard we’re struggling to understand his product’s needlessly complicated list of dog food ingredients.
And the guy behind the desk?
He’s just one of hundreds… maybe thousands… of dog food company executives making a huge profit on our trust… and the money we spend trying to satisfy the nutritional needs of our canine companions.
Let’s face it… dog food ingredients lists are woefully inadequate.
Refusing to Share Critical Information
The biggest problem with ingredient lists is that they intentionally leave out a crucial piece of information. They fail to include the amount of each ingredient present.
Simply listing an ingredient without showing its corresponding amount conceals critical details… details necessary for you to make an informed choice.
Why does the dog food industry fail to divulge this vital data? Are companies trying to protect their closely guarded formulas?
Or are they simply conspiring to cover up the inferiority of their products?
In this article I’m going to show you how two separate products with perfectly identical ingredient lists… can contain dramatically different amounts of meat-based protein.
A Problem of Unknown Proportions
Now, take a look at these two dog foods.
Notice they contain the same ingredients… and all the ingredients are listed in the exact same order (in keeping with federal law)… from the highest pre-cooking weight… to the lowest.
On a dog food label, both products would look like this…
Ingredients: Lamb, brown rice, barley, white rice, lamb meal
But here are the actual concealed percentages you never see…
OK… now notice the actual (but concealed) amounts. Same ingredients, same order… but different proportions.
Adding the lamb and lamb meal together you get the total meat content for each product. Dog food A contains mostly grain ingredients… with just 29% meat.
Dog Food B includes significantly less grain… with a whopping 50% total meat content.
Now, which product would you rather feed your dog?
A “no-brainer”… don’t you think?
Sure, it’s a no-brainer… because in this example you’ve been given enough information to make an informed decision.
You actually know the amounts of the individual ingredients in the food.
Of course, that’s something you’d never know if you try to read one of today’s cryptic dog food ingredients lists.
And for me… that’s totally unacceptable.
Attention Dog Food Companies… Tell Us What You Know
Trying to figure out how a dog food measures up shouldn’t be so darn difficult to do.
Dog food companies should voluntarily divulge the precise percentage of each major ingredient in every product they make. That would allow consumers to get a pretty good idea of what they were actually buying.
After all, if you’re a corporate executive… and your company makes a quality product you’re proud of… what have you got to hide?
Come on guys… you already know this information. Please share it.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
now after reading this report. i will make my beloved pets own food. and add trace mineral, vitamins, and bone meal and i know they will be much safer than eating junk that could kill them … i will not pay any company to kill. i want my pets safe,healthy, and happy. this is so shocking. i had a dog that lived 22 years and i made her food i tried every food on the market she would throw up.. that should have told me something.she was around when i had my first child and still home when the child went off to college. didn’t put it together until while reading and thinking back.. after all that was 17 years ago.no i wont pay these pet food companies to kill my pets.i just worry a yorkie couldn’t handle home cooked.food w/ low blood sugar.i would love to get more info on all this mess of pet food and what we can do. i spend over 500.00 a month on my little pets.just in their food alone.just think of all the idots like me and the amount of monies these companies must be making on junk that kills!!!!!and i have very small babies that get sick much faster than a large dog.i am just sick and worried all at the same time. IS… there any answer to all of this? i am so very worried now.my two little babies aren’t just dogs to me. is it safe to make home made dog food it was w/ my large dog she lived 22 years and she was a breed that was to only live about 10 years. lynn
Hi Lynn… I can sense your frustration in your words. I know how you feel. The good news is that many pet owners successfully feed homemade meals to their pets daily… with similar stories of success like yours. I plan to address the topic of homemade dog food as soon as I can. In the meantime, I’m pleased to report that (thankfully) not every dog food company produces such inferior products. There are a number of conscientious manufacturers out there that consistently produce excellent dog food. I’ll be sharing those brands with my readers when I begin to publish my product ratings very soon… maybe next month. So, stay tuned.