Quando eu disse "ler os rótulos", como é evidente referia-me a interpretá-los, e saber distinguir o que é bom do que é prejudicial para os nossos amigos.
RC e Eukanuba são similares (quantidade de cereais), com alguma vantagem em termos da qualidade de carne para a RC. (Chicken Meal)
Para a ajudar a entender aqui vai a análise da RC Shih Tzu:
Royal Canin Mini Shih Tzu
Ingredients
Chicken meal, brown rice, brewers rice, chicken fat, oatmeal, chicken, wheat gluten, natural chicken flavor, dried beet pulp (sugar removed), rice hulls, anchovy oil, dried egg powder, potassium chloride, soya oil, calcium carbonate, DL-methionine, fructo-oligosaccharides, sodium tripolyphosphate, L-tyrosine, salt, choline chloride, taurine*, Vitamins [DL-alpha tocopherol (source of vitamin E), inositol, niacin supplement, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C*), d-calcium pantothenate, biotin, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), riboflavin supplement (vitamin B2), thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin A acetate, folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement], borage oil, Trace Minerals [zinc proteinate, zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, sodium selenite, calcium iodate], marigold extract (Calendula officinalis L.), glucosamine hydrochloride*, L-lysine, L-Carnitine*, tea (green tea extract), chondroitin sulfate*, preserved with natural mixed tocopherols, rosemary extract and citric acid.
*Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profile
ANÁLISE:
Pros: First ingredient is a named meat product
Cons: Insufficient meat content, low quality grain, controversial filler
The first ingredient in the food is a named meat product. It is the sole significant meat product in the food, and our confidence that this product contains a decent amount of meat is low. There is a further meat product 8th on the ingredient list, but this is not only a minor ingredient but is inclusive of water content (about 80%). Once that is removed, as it must be to create a dehydrated product, the ingredient will weigh around 20% of its wet weight. Ingredients are listed in order of weight, and the dehydrated ingredient would probably be more accurately placed much further down the ingredient list. It is highly unlikely that this ingredient makes any significant contribution to the overall meat content of the food.
The main grain in the food is rice, which is a decent quality grain, but brewers rice is a low quality grain and byproduct. Oatmeal is decent quality. Wheat is believed by many to be the number one cause of food allergies in dogs, and wheat gluten is a low grade product being the dried residue from wheat after the removal of the larger part of the starch and germ, and the separation of the bran by the process employed in wet milling manufacture, or by enzymatic treatment of the endosperm. In plain English, that bit of the grain leftover after most of the nutritious bits have been removed. The husks of rice are further filler.
Chicken fat is the fourth ingredient. We note that research at Purdue university has identified fat in the top four ingredients of dry food as a factor increasing the risk of bloat in large breed dogs. Smaller breeds are untested. We would prefer to see the use of whole eggs rather than egg product in the food.
Beet pulp is controversial filler which appears to be used in large quantities in this food. It is a by-product, being dried residue from sugar beets which has been cleaned and extracted in the process of manufacturing sugar. It is a controversial ingredient in dog food, claimed by some manufacturers to be a good source of fibre, and derided by others as an ingredient added to slow down the transition of rancid animal fats and causing stress to kidney and liver in the process. We note that beet pulp is an ingredient that commonly causes problems for dogs, including allergies and ear infections, and prefer not to see it used in dog food. There are less controversial products around if additional fibre is required. Soya oil is a further substance commonly linked to food allergies.
Entendeu agora ?
(como não deve saber eu digo já, arroz integral é o "brown rice" 