Rating: 
Breeder’s Choice Active Care Healthy Joint Formula Dog Food receives the Advisor’s mid-tier rating of three stars.
Currently, the Breeder’s Choice Active Care Healthy Joint Formula product line includes two dry kibbles… each designed to support joint health in puppy, adult and senior dogs.1
- Breeder’s Choice Active Care Healthy Joint Chicken & Brown Rice
- Breeder’s Choice Active Care Healthy Joint Lamb & Brown Rice
Breeder’s Choice Active Care Healthy Joint Chicken and Brown Rice was selected to represent both products in the line for this review.
Breeder's Choice Active Care Healthy Joint Chicken and Brown Rice Formula
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Brown rice, chicken meal, chicken cartilage (source of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate), chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and ascorbic acid), flax seed (source of omega 3 fatty acids), dried egg product, diacalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, salt, potassium chloride, monosodium phosphate, choline chloride, dl-alpha tocopherol acetate (source of vitamin E), sodium selenite, riboflavin supplement (vitamin B2), copper sulfate, amino acid chelates of zinc, iron, manganese, copper and cobalt, niacin, ascorbic acid (source of vitamin C), vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, d-biotin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), calcium iodate, thiamine mononitrate, folic acid, vitamin D3 supplement
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3.3%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this dog food is brown rice. Brown rice is a quality ingredient. It’s a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) is fairly easy to digest.
The second ingredient is chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The third ingredient is chicken cartilage. Chicken cartilage contains both glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate… two natural compounds believed to support healthy joints.
In human studies, there has been conflicting evidence regarding the effectiveness of these two ingredients.
Just the same, chondroitin and glucosamine are widely accepted for the treatment of arthritis in veterinary medicine.
The fourth item includes chicken fat. Chicken fat is obtained from rendering chicken… a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.
Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid… an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Though it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is a quality ingredient.
The fifth ingredient includes flaxseed… one of the best vegetable sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. And it is naturally rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber.
However, we find it strange to see flaxseed here in its whole seed form. Whole flax seeds are almost impossible to digest (at least for us humans) unless they are first ground to a usable powder before they are consumed.
The sixth item mentions dried egg product… a dehydrated form of shell-free eggs. Quality can vary significantly. Lower grade egg product can even come from commercial hatcheries… from eggs that have failed to hatch.
The quality of this item all depends on the caliber of the ingredient purchased by Breeder’s Choice (you get what you pay for).
In any case, eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.
This dog food also contains chelated minerals… minerals that have been chemically attached to amino acids. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are generally found in better dog foods.
Breeder’s Choice Active Care… the Bottom Line
This Breeder’s Choice Active Care product really isn’t a bad dry dog food.
But with a non-meat (brown rice) claiming “first ingredient status” here, we really need to check the product’s nutrient profile to get a better idea of just how much animal protein is in this recipe.
The dashboard reports a dry matter protein reading of 28%, a fat level of 17% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 48%.
Moderate protein. Moderate fat. Moderate carbohydrates (compared to any typical dry dog food).
But when you take into account the lower 24% protein reading of the Lamb and Brown Rice Formula, it’s difficult to get very excited about these two products.
Bottom line?
Breeder’s Choice Active Care is primarily a rice-based dry dog food using only a modest amount of chicken meal as its main source of meat protein… thus earning the brand an acceptable three stars.
Recommended.
Some Final Thoughts
Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult your veterinarian for help.
Have an opinion about this dog food brand… or maybe the review itself?
Please feel free to share your comments below.
- Breeder’s Choice, 2/16/2010 ↩
