We all want only the best for our pets, and that means getting high-quality food. But, the problem is that there are so many kinds of dog food, as well as numerous brands, that it’s hard to decide on one. Of course, there are some brands that seem to be less popular than others, for example, the Pedigree canned dog food.
Now, we don’t want Pedigree to sue us or or anything. But if you Google this brand and this type of dog food, you’ll only get negative reviews. But why is that so? Why do people hate it so much? Is Pedigree canned dog food really that bad for your pooch?
Well, that’s what we’re going to find out in this article, but while you’re here, read more about dog nutrition:
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Pedigree canned dog food: What you need to know
There is pretty much no one that hasn’t heard about the dog food brand Pedigree. It’s no secret that it has been one of the most popular dog food brands on the market for decades. But, the brand has changed a lot.
In the beginning this brand focused its marketing efforts on breeders and show dogs, that’s also why they signed a contract with the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show! So far so good, right?
Well, the problem is that the company has switched its marketing approach and started focusing more on shelter dogs. Because of that their connection with the prestigious dog show has come to an end, and slowly their good reputation too.
The issue with this dog food
If you ask your pupper, they’d tell you that Pedigree canned dog food is the best! Even if you read Amazon reviews on this food, you’ll see so many four and five star ratings. But, trusted websites like Dog Food Advisor and Dog Food Insider don’t agree and give this food only 1 and 2 star ratings.
But how come the opinions are so split? Well, we’re not saying that Pedigree canned dog food isn’t delicious to dogs, or that it has no nutrients in it. This food does contain many essential vitamins and minerals, such as d-calcium pantothenate, monocalcium phosphate, potassium iodide, potassium chloride, and folic acid. Besides that, it’s really affordable. It’s just that there are much better options for your dog.
So, what are the issues with this dog food? To answer this, we have to look at the ingredient list of Pedigree food. As an example we’ll use Pedigree Chopped Ground Dinner Combo with Chicken, Liver and Beef.
Ingredients: Chicken, sufficient water for processing, animal liver, meat by-products, brewers rice, beef, wheat flour, minerals (potassium chloride, magnesium proteinate, zinc sulfate, selenium, copper proteinate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide), sodium tripolyphosphate, carrageenan, added color, dried yam, xanthan gum, vitamins (choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, thiamine mononitrate, calcium pantothenate, biotin, riboflavin supplement, vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin B12 supplement), natural flavor, guar gum, sodium nitrite (for color retention).
But, despite such a long ingredient list, this food only displays a dry matter protein reading of 36%, a fat level of 27% and estimated carbohydrates of about 28%.
Questionable ingredients
All of the bold written ingredients are more than questionable. The first ingredient that is very questionable is animal liver, which is normally a quality component. But, with this food we don’t know the source of the liver. We don’t know if it’s good. Next, we have meat by-product. But what does that mean?
Meat by-product is produced after all the prime striated muscle slices have been taken from slain animals. So, whatever is left after the process is considered a meat by-product. In the production of meat by-product basically they use everything from the animal, except the hair, horns, fangs, and hooves. This means, industries might use the meat from any mix of cattle, pigs, sheep, or goats. Now, meat by-products don’t have to be bad, and they can be very nutritious. But, you don’t know what is in your dog’s food, the term is just too vague.
The next questionable ingredient is brewers rice. Thta’s basically a cereal grain by-product you get by combining all the left overs after milling whole rice. We admit, it’s very high in calories, but besides that it has almost no nutritional value to your beloved dog.
The same goes for wheat flour, the next ingredient on the list. Now, wheat flour is very refined and not good for your dog at all. But, some brands use it because it’s inexpensive. So, because of that, we can’t really day that it’s positive to see wheat flour in dog food.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Pedigree canned dog food is not the best option you can give your dog. The main issue with it is that they use cheap ingredients to make this food. We’ve only mentioned a few, but there are other potentially harmful ingredients in it too.
For example, they use artificial coloring, which is a big NO NO in any pet food. Dong can’t see color, so the coloring is actually there to make the food more appealing to humans.
Besides that, it also contains sodium nitrite, a controversial color preservative. The issue with it is that it has been linked to the production of nitrosamines, cancer-causing substances when meats are exposed to high cooking temperatures.
So, we won’t tell you what to feed your dog or to stop giving your dog Pedigree food, but it won’t hurt to do more research into dog food and find a better option.