CanidaeGoodness Protein Topper, Real Tuna & Vegetables Recipe in Gravy for Dogs

A fish used mostly in cat foods, where its strong flavor is the point. Tuna is a good protein and a source of omega-3 fats. Two cautions apply to tuna fed often: it is higher in mercury than smaller fish, and cats can become fixated on it and refuse other foods. Both cautions apply to the cat eating tuna every day, and much less to tuna as one ingredient in a complete food fed in rotation.

A vegetable that contributes a little fiber and beta-carotene and a lot of label appeal. In dry food it is usually present in small amounts well down the list. It is not an allergen of concern and not a meaningful protein or calorie source. Fine to see; not a reason to choose one food over another.

A leafy green added in small amounts for vitamins, minerals and color. Spinach is high in oxalate, which binds calcium and in large quantities is a concern for pets prone to calcium oxalate bladder stones. The amounts in a complete food are tiny, often a fraction of a percent, so for most pets it is a token vegetable with no nutritional or safety weight.

Starch from the cassava root, used to bind kibble and as a carbohydrate source, especially in grain-free foods. It is nearly pure starch with little protein, fiber or micronutrients, and it is one of the least likely ingredients to trigger an allergy. A food that leans on tapioca for carbohydrate is getting easy digestibility and little else from it, which is fine as long as the rest of the recipe carries the nutrition.

Usually tomato pomace, the skins, pulp and seeds left after juicing, added as a fiber source with some antioxidants. Ripe tomato is safe for pets; the green parts of the plant, which are not used in pet food, contain compounds that are toxic in quantity. Pomace is an inexpensive and reasonably good fiber, and that is all it is doing here.