Rating: 
Techni-Cal dog food gets the Advisor’s mid-tier rating of 3 stars.
The Techni-Cal product line lists eight dry dog foods. Although each formulation appears to be designed for a specific life stage, we found no AAFCO nutritional adequacy statements for these dog foods on the company’s website.
The following is a list of recipes available at the time of this review.
- Techni-Cal Lifestages Senior
- Techni-Cal Lifestages Adult Small Breed
- Techni-Cal Lifestages Adult Large Breed
- Techni-Cal Lifestages Puppy Small Breed
- Techni-Cal Lifestages Puppy Large Breed
- Techni-Cal Lifestages Adult Medium Breed
- Techni-Cal Lifestages Adult Lamb and Rice
- Techni-Cal Lifestages Puppy Medium Breed
Techni-Cal Lifestages Adult Large Breed was selected to represent the other products in the line for this review.
Techni-Cal Lifestages Large Breed Adult Formula
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Poultry meal, ground corn, ground wheat, ground rice, poultry fat, beet pulp, whole dried eggs, flaxseed, potassium chloride, salt, natural flavours, vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, vitamin K, vitamin C, thiamin B1, riboflavin B2, pyridoxine B6, vitamin B12, pantothenic acid, niacin, biotin, folic acid, inositol, -carotene), minerals (zinc oxide, zinc proteinate, iron sulphate, iron proteinate, copper sulfate, copper proteinate, manganese oxide, manganese proteinate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), choline chloride, dl-methionine, glucosamine & chondroitin premix, Yucca schidigera extract
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 2.7%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 26% | 14% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 28% | 15% | 49% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 25% | 33% | 43% |
The first ingredient in this dog food is poultry meal. Poultry meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh poultry.
Although the word poultry doesn’t clearly identify the species, poultry meal is most commonly sourced from chicken and turkey.
The second item is corn. Corn is an inexpensive and controversial cereal grain. And aside from its energy content, this grain is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.
For this reason, we do not consider corn a preferred component in any dog food.
The third ingredient is wheat. Wheat is another cereal grain and subject to the same issues as corn (previously discussed).
The fourth item is rice. Is this whole grain rice, brown rice or white rice? Since the word “rice” doesn’t tell us much, it’s impossible to judge the quality of this item.
The fifth item is poultry fat. Poultry fat is obtained from rendering, a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.
Poultry fat is high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life.
However, poultry fat is a relatively generic ingredient and can be considered lower in quality than a similar item from a named source animal (like chicken fat).
The sixth item is beet pulp. Beet pulp is a controversial ingredient, a high fiber by-product of sugar beet processing.
Some denounce beet pulp as an inexpensive filler while others cite its outstanding intestinal health and blood sugar benefits.
We only call your attention here to the controversy and believe the inclusion of beet pulp in reasonable amounts in most dog foods is entirely acceptable.
The seventh ingredient is whole dried egg, 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.
In any case, eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.
The eighth ingredient is flaxseed, one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided they’ve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.
From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.
But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.
With three notable exceptions…
First, this food contains chelated minerals, minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.
Next, this recipe also includes an item identified as vitamin K. Is this the safe natural version of vitamin K. Or is this a cleverly disguised version of the synthetic (and controversial) form of the vitamin also known as menadione?
Without knowing more, it’s impossible to judge the nature of this ingredient. ***I copied this from the current review. Not sure if the link will copy.)***
And lastly, we find no mention of probiotics, friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing to help with digestion.
Techni-Cal Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Techni-Cal looks to be an average dry dog food.
But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 28%, a fat level of 15% and estimated carbohydrates of about 49%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 29% and a mean fat level of 17%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 47% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 58%.
Near-average protein. Near-average fat. And near-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.
Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a moderate amount of meat.
However, without knowing what form of vitamin K has been included in this recipe, it would be unfair to award this dog food a higher rating.
Bottom line?
Techni-Cal is a plant-based kibble using a moderate amount of poultry meal, chicken meal and lamb meal as its main sources of animal protein, thus earning the brand 3 stars.
Recommended.
Special Alert
Rice ingredients can sometimes contain arsenic. Until the US FDA establishes safe upper levels for arsenic content, pet owners may wish to limit the total amount of rice fed in a dog's daily diet.
A Final Word
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Notes and Updates
10/15/2010 Original review
06/27/2011 Added “Precision” to product name
07/16/2012 Last Update
