What kinds of meats are in dog food?

Dog foods may contain some ingredients which make many people raise an eyebrow and question whether they should really be feeding this to their pets. One of the main points of contention can be the meat content of the food, often listed as “meat and animal derivatives”. However, as unappetizing as this may sound, take a moment to consider the facts.

You are not trying to find food that you yourself would be happy to eat, after all. Dogs are not humans, and although many owners think they're doing a good thing by “humanizing” their dog's diet, the reverse can actually often be true. If you were to feed your dog only on meat that you yourself would eat, you can't be certain (unless you're an expert in canine nutrition) that you're providing the specific and complex balance of nutrients that your dog requires. Depending on the breed, size, age and activity level of the dog, the nutrients he or she requires in order to remain happy and healthy can be extremely different. That's why there are special formula foods designed specifically to meet your dog's nutritional needs.

 

 

If you were to feed your dog only on meat that you would eat, you'd quite probably be giving him or her a diet lacking in one or more essential vitamins or minerals, or not providing enough calories, and so on. Not only that, but if you feed your dog a raw meat diet, you yourself have to figure out how much food is required, rather than following the tried and tested feeding guide on the back of the food packet – so you run a very real risk of over or under feeding your dog. In addition to nutritional concerns, feeding real meat can actually be dangerous to pets, particularly if the meat contains bones. Raw bones can easily splinter and become lodged in the throat or digestive system, and raw meat can contain bacteria that can be harmful to your dog.

So when a high quality pet food lists “animal derivatives” as well as meat, don't instantly dismiss it. It says nothing about the quality of the food in most cases. Just because you wouldn't eat hearts, lungs, or meat from muscles, doesn't mean that it's not perfectly OK for your dog to do so! These ingredients are sourced from healthy animals which must legally have been certified as fit for human consumption. Parts of those animals, of course, are not traditionally eaten by people in this country, so those parts are obviously surplus to requirements in terms of human consumption of meat. Your dog, however, has no such concerns!

Even if you're horrified by the idea of dog food containing animal derivatives, and diligently search for one that doesn't, you should be aware that very few (if any!) dog foods, however high their quality and reputation, actually use meat that humans would cheerfully eat. The manufacturers are telling the truth when they claim that the meat used in their pet food is “human grade”, as it certainly comes from animals that are fit for human consumption. But in spite of this, the meat used in dog food is not going to be free range breast of organic chicken, or the most succulent fillet steak. What actually happens is that meat producers take as much as they can from an animal carcass for use in products for human consumption. Dog food manufacturers simply use what's left – the parts that you yourself wouldn't eat, and almost certainly wouldn't buy if it was on the shelves at the supermarket!

This doesn't mean it's going to be inferior in quality. The meat comes from the same animal, after all. All it means is that dog food is made from parts that humans don't eat – not because it would do us any harm (it wouldn't), but simply because we don't find those parts very appealing in our country. Dogs, on the other hand, don't care. So there's no need to be alarmed at the idea of “animal derivatives”! As long as the food is reputable and high quality, there's nothing in there that will harm your dog.

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