JustfoodfordogsPantry Fresh Chicken & Rice Recipe ( )

The liver of the chicken, used both as a nutrient-dense ingredient and as a flavor. It is rich in vitamin A, iron, copper and B vitamins and most pets find it very palatable, which is why it turns up in treats and as a coating on kibble. Because it is chicken, it counts as chicken for a pet with a chicken allergy, even when it appears far down the list.

A dark leafy green, dried and added in small amounts, mostly for the vitamins and the look of the ingredient list. Kale is safe for dogs and cats at food levels. Like spinach it contains oxalate, and in quantity it is a consideration for pets prone to calcium oxalate stones, but the fraction of a percent in a complete food is not a factor. At these amounts it is there for the ingredient list and does not change the nutrition of the food.

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 fruit added for fiber, a little natural sweetness and antioxidants. Apple flesh is safe for dogs and cats. The seeds contain a trace of a cyanide-forming compound, which matters for a dog eating whole apples and is far below any concern at the amounts of pomace or dried apple in a food. Apple pomace is what remains after juicing and is mostly fiber. In either form it appears in small amounts and does not change the nutrition of the food in a meaningful way.

A grain used as an easily digested carbohydrate. White rice has had the bran removed; it digests fast and is the classic bland-diet starch. Brewers rice is the small broken fragments left after milling, nutritionally the same as white rice despite its reputation as a cheap filler. Rice bran is the outer layer, mostly fiber and oil. Grain allergy is rare in pets; rice is one of the least reactive grains.

A plant oil added as a source of linoleic acid, the omega-6 fat dogs and cats need for skin and coat. It is cheap, stable and well tolerated. Sunflower oil contains no omega-3, so a food that uses it as the main fat will usually add fish oil or flaxseed for balance. The high-oleic variety is lower in linoleic acid and used mainly for shelf stability.