Food vs. Croquettes: what are the differences?
Water content
Unlike dry food such as kibble, dog food is part of the wet food category. They are composed of 70 to 80% water compared to only 8 to 10% for croquettes.
Thanks to their water content, mash has the great advantage of limiting the risk of chronic kidney failure, the formation of urinary stones and facilitating digestion.
The other advantage is that at equal energy value, a diet rich in water occupies a larger volume in the stomach and generally makes it possible to better satiate dogs who tend to always be hungry.But, this also implies that pâtés have a lower energy density than kibble and that to provide the same amount of nutrients to the dog, it is necessary to give 3 to 4 times more than kibble. Therefore, feeding a dog industrial food is therefore more expensive than feeding it with kibble and this is why their use is most often limited to small to medium-sized dogs.
Oral he alth: be careful!
Pâtés are wet foods that tend to stick to the teeth of our dear doggies and promote the accumulation of tartar. If your dog is fed mash, think more than ever about brushing his teeth and offering him chew toys/bones to maintain his hygiene and oral he alth.
Available carbohydrate and protein content
What most often fails in kibbles is their content of assimilable carbohydrates.Assimilable carbohydrates are the "slow sugars" found in cereals, rice, legumes or even potatoes, all of which are ingredients that are mandatory in the composition of kibbles. Because yes, the industrial process for manufacturing croquettes requires the introduction of these ingredients into the recipe. Technologically, we cannot do without! The starch, the "slow sugar" , present in all these ingredients will serve as a binder and support for the extrusion of the croquettes. The only problem is that our dogs do not know how to digest starch well when it is brought in too large quantities in their diet and that certain manufacturers force the quantities of starch to reduce the manufacturing costs of the kibbles as much as possible. In doing so, they manufacture croquettes where the quantity of assimilable carbohydrates (or starch, if you followed me) takes precedence over the quantity of meat ingredients of the croquettes (the "meats" ) and we end up with Croquettes too rich in starch and not rich enough in animal protein which our carnivorous dogs sorely need! This type of kibble can cause short-term digestive disorders and longer-term protein deficiencies.
On these points, industrial pâtés take the advantage over kibble because their manufacturing process does not require manufacturers to introduce sources of carbohydrates. Generally, pâtés are therefore relatively richer in meat ingredients and lower in assimilable carbohydrates than croquettes. They are therefore more adapted to the dog's digestive system as well as to its nutritional needs. This is the closest thing to a home diet. But, let's face it, it's not because the ingredients that are sources of carbohydrates are not "obligatory" that the manufacturers do not introduce them into their mash to provide fiber to the dog's ration. but also to reduce manufacturing costs. And there is no guarantee either that the meat materials used are of good quality. As with kibble, you must therefore be vigilant and learn to decipher the labels in order to make the best choice for your dog.
Decode dog food labels
Choose Whole Foods
In the world of dog food, there are two types:
- the complementary pâtés designed - as their name suggests - to supplement your dog's ration of kibble or household ration,
- complete dog food designed to provide all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals your dog needs on a daily basis.
If you choose to feed your dog exclusively pâtés, be careful to choose foods that include the mention "complete food" on the packaging, otherwise your dog will risk suffering from serious nutritional deficiencies. in vitamins and minerals in the medium to long term.
Pay attention to the ingredient list
In the list of ingredients on a food label, the ingredients used in the product before cooking are listed in order of importance.The first ingredients mentioned are therefore generally present in greater quantities. If the ingredients that appear first in the list are products of plant origin (cereals, rice, etc.), you are already proving to be on your way! Above all, a dog needs animal protein that these ingredients cannot provide!
Then favor mash with a clear and detailed list of ingredients, especially with regard to the nature and quantity of the meat ingredients that go into its composition. Always prefer pâtés with the most precise labeling possible, such as those where the species of meat ingredients used in the product is specified (example: "chicken" , "beef" ) and avoid compositions with vague and categorical names (example: “meats”, “animal by-products”).
An example to understand
- The trademarks cited in the following example are fictitious trademarks -
Precision but not too much
As a general rule, the more detailed the naming of the ingredients, the more likely you will be dealing with a quality food, but as always, there are exceptions! The marketing departments of manufacturers have understood that to reassure the consumer, it was necessary to be transparent, even if it means sometimes pushing precision as close as possible to lies and deception. The term "meat" , for example, can only be used legally if the manufacturer incorporates only skeletal muscle (i.e. tenderloin) in his mash. However, let's be clear, in petfood, this never happens quite simply because it would cost too much! All petfooders without exception use animal by-products (of different qualities) but never meat, as understood by law, yet many still use this term on the label of their products.Paradoxically, it is better to favor mash whose composition displays "chicken" rather than "chicken meat" or "chicken meat raised in the open air" because it is less misleading!
Finally, identify any chemical additives that must be indicated in the list of ingredients: preservatives, colorings, texture agents, artificial flavors or synthetic flavor enhancers. Preferably orient yourself towards mashes formulated with the fewest possible additives and with natural preservatives such as ascorbic acid from vitamin C or tocopherols from vitamin E. Be aware, however, that this type of preservative is less effective than synthetic preservatives and that, consequently, mash containing them will keep for less time than others
Consult analytical constituents
Analytical constituents tell us about the amounts of nutrients present in the mash and also give us clues about the quality of the proteins present in the product.This information can also be found under the terms average analysis or nutritional analysis.
On dog food, we must find at least the following information:
- Protein level,
- Lipid (fat) level,
- The fiber/cellulose rate,
- Crude ash content.
- The humidity level.
The two most important criteria to take into account, to judge the quality of a can of mash, are the content and the quality of its proteins.
Ideally, it is said that a dog food must provide at least 8% protein on the raw material (which is equivalent to 32 to 40% protein on the dry matter). But beware, this protein level is not an absolute guarantee of quality. Protein in mash can be provided by poor quality meat ingredients or, to a lesser extent, by ingredients of plant origin.However, all these proteins are of poor nutritional quality: they are poorly digestible and do not cover the nutritional needs of dogs well.
To judge the quality of these proteins, we must not be satisfied with the protein level but we must interpret it, by crossing it with other information available on the label: protein sources listed in the composition but also and above all the ash content and, even better if available, the phosphorus content.
If the phosphorus content of your mash is high (more than 0.3%) it means that the incorporated proteins come more from bones, tendons, cartilage than from "meats" and than sub - Animal products incorporated into your dog's mash are therefore of poor quality. If, on the other hand, the phosphorus content is low (less than 0.3%), it is either because the proteins are of good quality, or because the proteins are of vegetable origin (which is not recommended , but you will normally have detected it by looking at the composition of the product). Only problem! The phosphorus level is not a legal data that manufacturers are obliged to display on the labels of their product even if most do
If the phosphorus content is not available, fall back on less precise but nevertheless significant information, namely the ash content.
Raw ash (or mineral matter) represents all that remains when the food is completely burned in the laboratory. Legally, their percentage must be indicated in the analytical constituents. When this rate is too high, it is a sign that too high a percentage of bone (and therefore poor quality protein) has been incorporated into the mash. Choose food with an ash content of less than 2%.
Check that the mash is adapted to your dog's protein needs
Once all these checks have been made as to the quality of the proteins contained in the mash you have selected, it will be necessary to check that it is "concentrated" enough in protein to cover your dog's needs.
To do this, it is possible to use an indicator called the protein-calorie ratio (RPC) of the food. This ratio evaluates the protein concentration of a food in relation to the calories it provides.
The protein-calorie ratio of the kibbles should ideally be greater than or equal to the required protein-calorie ratio (RPCnecessary) for your animal so that we can say that the kibbles are well suited to their protein needs. Otherwise, the food will be likely to cause protein deficiencies and muscle wasting.
Warning!
The protein-calorie ratio is only a theoretical value that provides information on the amount of protein present in the kibbles, but it does not in any way provide information on the quality of these proteins. This is only an additional indicator that should help you in your choice, but you should not choose kibble solely on the basis of this criterion alone.
You can determine if your mash is suitable for your dog's needs using our calculator:
A mash that works for my dog
You will have understood that the quality of a mash is based above all on the quality of its ingredients and mainly on its good quality animal protein content and its relative poverty in assimilable carbohydrates.
Of course, other elements must be taken into account, such as the quality of the lipids that go into their composition.
You should also always keep in mind that a mash that ticks all the boxes "on paper" will not necessarily suit your dog. Maybe it won't be palatable enough for him or something in its composition will upset his digestion, each dog is different and in the end it is he who will always have the last word!
It is therefore essential to validate your choice of mash by "testing" them on your animal to see if they are suitable for him. To do this, observe:
- its acceptance of the product. He must eat his mash with good appetite,
- the general appearance of your dog: his coat must be full and shiny, his skin must be he althy and free of dandruff and his muscles must be well developed. This aspect will unfortunately only be observable after a few months of feeding with the pâtés in question
- his excrement. A dog that digests its food well must make small well molded droppings. In the opposite case, if your dog has bulky, frequent, soft and/or particularly smelly stools, there is a good chance that his food does not suit him.
Keep in mind that if you suddenly switch from a dry diet to a wet diet, it will most certainly result in loose stools or even diarrhea. When changing your dog's diet, always take the precaution of making a gradual food transition and only judge the "quality of the excrement" of your dog at the end of this transition.
Note carefully!
A recent study published in the journal Nature showed that pâtés seem to respect the minimum recommended by FEDIAF less in terms of nutrients than kibble. The lessons of this study also lead the authors to make the following recommendations: avoid the daily use of foods rich in fish to prevent arsenic contamination and vary the types of food (brand and reference) over the course of life of the animal.
To sum up:
" To select good food for your dog, you need:"
- Select complete mash if you plan to feed your dog exclusively with it (or if mash represents more than 25% of his ration in the case of a mixed diet),
- Look carefully at the information on the label and select the pies:
- whose ingredients are as precise and detailed as possible (mention of the animal and/or vegetable species of the ingredients),
- that contain the most protein and the fewest possible carbohydrates AND whose protein is provided by good quality animal sources (phosphorus rate below 0.3% and/or ash rate below 2% , no vegetable raw material in 1er in the list of ingredients)
- Calculate the RPC of your mash then check its adequacy with the RPC necessary for your dog in order to determine if your mash is "concentrated" enough in protein for your dog.
- Validate the choice of your mash by checking that they are suitable for your dog's particular case. Base yourself on his acceptance of the product, the state of his hair, his skin, his musculature and his excrement.