FarminaVet Life Canine - Recoup Wet Food Canine

The most common protein in pet food, and for dogs one of the most common food allergens, with beef and dairy. If chicken is what your pet reacts to, it hides everywhere: chicken fat, chicken broth, chicken meal, natural flavor. On a label, chicken listed first is weighed with its water still in, so a food leading with fresh chicken often has less chicken protein than one leading with chicken meal. Neither is better; they are different measures.

A root vegetable used as a carbohydrate source, especially in grain-free foods. It supplies energy, fiber and beta carotene and is well digested by dogs. There is no good evidence it beats rice or oats nutritionally, though it is a reasonable choice for pets that do poorly on grains. Like any starch, a food that lists it high is a starch-heavy food.

Fish with no species stated. The maker may use whatever is available, so the fish can change between batches. Nutritionally it is a fine protein and often a source of omega-3 fats. The gap is for pets with a known fish allergy, or whose owners are trying to track which protein causes a reaction, because an unnamed ingredient makes that very hard. Named fish such as salmon or whitefish give you that information.

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 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.

Oil pressed from whole fish, usually menhaden, herring or sardine, added as the source of the omega-3 fats EPA and DHA. Those fats support skin, coat, joints and brain development, and a food that names fish oil is delivering them in the form pets use directly. It goes rancid quickly, so look for a preservative named alongside it, usually mixed tocopherols. The species is rarely stated, which matters only if your pet reacts to fish.

Rendered fat, a concentrated energy source and the main supply of linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid for skin and coat. Rendered fat carries very little protein, so many chicken-allergic pets tolerate it, but not all do, and a strict elimination diet avoids it. Usually preserved with mixed tocopherols. Not a quality concern; a good fat source.

A plant source of omega-3 fat (alpha-linolenic acid) and fiber, used in about a third of dog foods for coat and stool quality. Dogs and cats convert plant omega-3 to the useful forms inefficiently, so fish oil does the job better. Flax is not a documented common allergen, though some pets tolerate it poorly, most often as loose stool. Fine in a food; not a reason to prefer it over one using fish oil.

The dried cells of yeast, often a by-product of brewing. It is rich in B vitamins, protein and minerals, improves flavor, and contains compounds that may support gut bacteria. Despite a persistent myth, there is no evidence it repels fleas. Yeast is an uncommon allergen in pets. Yeast culture is a slightly different product, a fermented feed that supplies similar nutrients.

A staple of grain-free recipes, supplying starch, fiber and plant protein. Peas were common in the diets examined in a federal investigation into heart disease in dogs; the investigation did not establish a cause and no ingredient was banned. Pea protein high on a list can inflate the protein number with a plant source. Pea allergy is rare. Not a problem, but worth noticing when it appears in several forms in one recipe.

An extract added in tiny amounts for its antioxidant compounds, and in some dental treats for breath. The caffeine content is the only real question, since caffeine is toxic to pets in quantity; the extract is usually decaffeinated or used in amounts too small to matter. There is no evidence the levels in a pet food produce any health effect. It is a marketing ingredient, safe at food levels.