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Suitable for all breeds of dogs
Click here for more info.
In general, unless your dog has health issues, you probably won't have to worry about these figures. Click here for more information
Mixing bowl composition
This is the ingredients list as printed on the packaging or manufacturer's website.
Think of the 'mixing bowl' composition like a recipe - all the ingredients you would need to put in a 'mixing bowl' in order to make the food.
Ingredients have to be listed in descending order of their weight so the higher it appears, the more there is.
Highlighted ingredients
Ingredients that we believe to be controversial or inferior are highlighted in yellow with particularly low grade, highly contentious or excessively vague ingredients in red.
As fed composition
While the 'mixing bowl' composition is useful for knowing what went into the food, it doesn't always reflect what your dog is actually eating. This is because the processes that turn the ingredients into the finished pet food can significantly alter the relative weights of the ingredients.
For this reason we've calculated the approximate 'as fed' percentages for the main ingredient categories in the finished product.
Please note that these figures are very approximate. They are estimates based on the information provided by the manufacturer in the ingredients list so the clearer the terminology and the more percentages they provide, the more accurate our estimates will be. Wherever information is lacking, we always assume the worst.
Ingredient categories
◉ Meat ingredients: includes all meat and fish ingredients except isolated fats/oils.
◉Added oils and fats: includes all isolated oil and fat ingredients.
◉ Carb-rich ingredients: includes all ingredients derived from grains, pseudo-grains, potatoes and other starchy root vegetables, sweet potato and legumes (except whole peas which are categorised under fruit and veg) except for isolated protein and extracted oils. Also includes fibre supplements.
◉ Fruit and veg: includes all whole vegetables and fruits.
◉ Other: all other ingredients. Mostly made up by nutritional supplements and additives.
For more information on any ingredient, please take a look at our Dog Food Ingredient Glossary
The dry matter level of a nutrient is the percentage there would be in the food if all of the water was removed.
With water taken out of the equation, these figures allow the nutrient levels of foods of different types (like wet and dry) to be compared on an even playing field.
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35 out of 100 - Poor
Our unique product ratings are calculated based on a number of characteristics including the quality and quantity of the stated ingredients, certain nutritional and technological additives and the processing methods used to create the food. They are designed to indicate how beneficial we think a food is likely to be for the majority of dogs when fed on a daily basis for an extended period. Click here for more information
Country of origin: Europe
A technological additive is any substance added to a pet food "for a technological purpose and which favourably affects the characteristics of feed".
The most common categories of technological additives include preservatives and antioxidants, gelling agents and thickeners and probiotics.
While the primary effects of technoloical additives are certainly 'favourable' (increased shelf life in the case of preservatives & antioxidants, better food texture and consistency in the case of gelling agents and thickeners etc.) some have been linked to health problems in pets and should be treated with caution.
Unfortunately, many technological additives do not have to be declared by the manufacturer so just because they do not appear on the label does not necessarily mean they are not in the food. If in doubt, ask the manufacturer directly exactly what technological additives their foods contain.
smf1956• 11 years ago
This food has been a miracle for my dog, an English Setter with Bilateral Elbow Displasia.
Since being on it, her mobility has improved greatly, her pain has all but gone, and the stiffness in her joints is now minimal.
Prior to the food, she was on monthly Cartrophen injections, daily Seraquin, weekly hydrotherapy, and needed at least 3 doses a week of Metacam (pain killer).
Her symptoms are now so much relieved that she no longer has Seraquin or hydrotherapy, and has needed a maximum of one dose a MONTH of Metacam - and that is usually only because she has overstretched herself during exercise. She still has the monthly Cartrophen injections, but combined with Hills j/d, it has certainly made a huge difference.
My only concern is that the food is very fatty, and even the low calorie variety caused her to gain some weight. The recommended amount was far too high for my dog, and I have reduced it drastically (to less than half). The good thing here is that a bag lasts a lot longer, which is a bonus as it is quite expensive - but so worth it for the benefits.
All in all, I would highly recommend Hills j/d to those who's dogs are suffering joint problems. It has certainly been life changing for our dog.
Pegasus Pets smf1956• 11 years ago
HiHave you asked your vet what ingredients in the the J/D food actually help with your dog's problems? I would suggest it would be the 'crustacean hydrosolate' - which can be found in better dose rates in other dog foods that have better ingredients and are much much cheaper than Hills.