So to touch a little bit on the nutrition side of things. I had my 3 cats on a food (I will not mention brand) but it was not a well known brand. The food was said to have 0-3% carbs and high protein high fat all meat based dry food. The mineral levels were spot on mind you. None were excessive. This food almost killed my 4 year old cat!!!! I do not say that loosely. If I did not change foods when I did I truly believe she would not be here now. My oldest cat had elevated glucose levels the last 3 times she had bloodwork while on that bad food. Once I switched foods her glucose levels went back to normal. The new food I switched to is not part of the big 3 as some like to call it but another independent brand. The carbs in the new food are higher than some carbs in Hills. I believe it’s 38% DBM. All of the other nutrients are well within range for all my adult cats and none are excessive for my senior. The ingredients if you need to look at it have a mixture of plant and meat based protein and carbs. People say cats get diabetes from eating excess carbs but my cat’s blood work is proof that this is not the case. Everyone has their own opinion on everything. I truly believe that between the scientific proof and the bloodwork the only opinions that should matter are ones that can be backed by proof!! Luv ya Glenn! Thanks for all your hard work and research for this community! You and Dr Rea are true inspirations and have helped many pet parents. ❤
the people who say cats get diabetes from carbs are ignoring all the research that shows that is false. and your cat shows that too! Thanks so much for sharing! And for the encouragement!
Every time you mention "chicken lips" I think of the time I gave my dog a whole chicken head (as a treat, she does love her monthly pigs' foot treats), she looked at it, gave me "WTF is that?" look and ignored it, lol. Great video, we are looking for balance always balance.
Ingredients are important, for various reasons. Such as bioavailability to allergies, but if the nutrient numbers do not line up then there is no point to even looking at the ingredients.
my take is, the ingredient list like orijen (or other premium brands) that many pet owners like and think sounds good on paper, translate better if it were some freshly cooked meal. but once turned into kibbles, i'm sorry, even if they use organic free range chicken sourced from the south of france, it's still being processed to heck into meal form before they get turned into kibbles through the same heat & manufacturing process. if you want your pet to eat whole foods, then feed whole foods. just don't expect whole foods quality and experience in kibbles. if you're opting for kibbles, pick one that's nutritionally balanced, lab tested, and approved by board certified veterinary nutritionists and vets.
I think this is the key point here: if you want whole foods, that's the direction you need to go. You take on an added responsibility, but you're right. I have no problem with kibble done right but don't fool yourself looking at the bag pics or the ingredient list!
@@PetFoodPuzzleGuy totally. my cat will only eat wet food if it's freshly cooked in puree form and hated all the commercial brand canned food. so i make him homemade wet food with ezcompleter, but of course, first consulted with the vet's recommendation based on his bloodwork on the how much to feed and ingredients to avoid. he's still getting his royal canin kibbles just to make sure he's getting all the essential nutrients and calories in a balanced formula. so far it's been working well and he's a happy, healthy boy.
Great video Glenn! This is exactly what I have been trying to spread on fb to those who only look at ingredients. I tell them “ it’s ok to look at ingredients, but if the nutrition is no good why bother? One has no idea what quality these “pretty” ingredients are, and it doesn’t matter what the company says since it’s all marketing gimmicks.” Furthermore, at the end of the day, one has really no clue what they are looking at. They compare ingredients to what humans eat, but forget dogs are not humans and have different dietary needs. As for those who say bad things about vitamins and minerals added to do foods, of course they work or we would have millions upon millions of deficiencies and dying cats and dogs. Here’s basic ingredients to BABY formulas: The most commonly used infant formulas contain purified cow's milk whey and casein as a protein source, a blend of vegetable oils as a fat source, lactose as a carbohydrate source, a vitamin-mineral mix.
Thank you, great info. when you see three or four meats listed first you think this has got to be the best food for my pet. Only issue is you have no idea what the quality is. I worry when food is coming from Serbia for example. I'll stick to the the manufacturing companys in the US
Thanks for all the information you provide for pet parents!! You are much appreciated. Quick question: When choosing dog food for a senior dog (7+), should I prioritize protein, calcium, or phosphorus levels? For example, one food has 24% protein, 0.77% calcium, and 0.57% phosphorus, while another has 22.5% protein, 0.97% calcium, and 0.69% phosphorus. Which is better? Is it better to have slightly higher protein and less calcium and phosphorus, or the reverse?
It seems from everything Ive been taught, that I'd rather have high protein and lower phosphorus. I guess, as everyone is saying, both those foods are great. Maybe now look at the ingredients, maybe Vit E levels.
Thank you. I am very much concern with my cats health while thinking of choosing the more affordable products. How do you think of Friskies? I don't care about the ingredients anymore. I care which can keep my cats free from UTi, struvite forming
I would love a video comparing Hills Science Diet and the Hills Vet Essentials range. I’m in the vet field but still find it difficult to compare the two! My dog is a large breed puppy but any thoughts you have on the topic would be much appreciated.
My response must have gotten lost. I am not familiar with Veyt Essentials. Mist be in Europe? I did a video on Large breed puppy food. Its in the playlist Marketing vs Nutrition.
Thank you for your reply. Yes, I guess that line must be in Europe. It is exclusively available from vets and appears to be better quality but it’s difficult to tell. I will watch the video you mention. Thank you!
Great video! not specifically related to this video but... I just come here to say once again the Hills Biome is a miracle food!! I first tried it 5 years ago and it fixed my beagles gut issue (which she had since a pup) Then last week her gut was awful after switching her off the c/d urinary food and onto Royal Canin mature. The c/d was not a good fit for her and then to top it off the RC made things worse LOL (vet said it was fine to take her off the c/d) Well thank heavens for the biome.. within 24 hours we are back to normal! Like seriously what magic potion goes into this??
So are we all extremists if we compare foods on a dry matter basis? I mean how else do you compare different foods properly if you don’t look at the nutrients?
Well you and I aren't! Saying "We" was just to include all of us in the question. I suppose some of the folks that claim Dr Rea and I ignore ingredients are extremists. And it it totally correct to say the ingredients must be bioavailable and digestible to deliver those optimal nutrients. Im going to try and show ingredient panels with my reviews to see how much we really can gain from them.
@ The funny thing is Glenn. You both don’t ignore ingredients. You just judge the food by its nutrients. It’s simply a scientific way of looking at things.
My kitten had a reaction to anesthesia when he got neutered. So, my mission is to hopefully reduce any extra chance of anesthesia. I have been looking into a lot of different dentals tools/ideas. I'm very interested in putting him on prescription dental kibble from Hills. I'm just wondering if it would still be effective if it was only a small part of his diet? Like one out of 5 daily meal s, maybe? What are your thoughts on dental kibble?
@Oak_Hollow Yes, I know a lot of companies have this policy. It's so incredibly wasteful if I know there's a good chance he won't eat it. Plus time and gas to return and get new items is extremely cumbersome. I will check my local stores or vets office for samples.
if you're going to introduce him into eating a small amount of dental kibbles, might as well just spend the extra time and effort in getting your kitten comfortable to get his teeth brushed, with actual toothbrush and toothpaste made for pets. no amount of kibbles that shave away years of build up in plaques and tartars.
When researching dog food a person can get lost in the two camps of nutrition and ingredients. But why? We can combine the two, which in the end results in a healthier decision. What I look at and recommend is to create a triangle. Nutrients being on the top (point) and ingredients being on the left or right bottom point with the other point being occupied by the “fillers, binders, preservatives” ( it does not have to be a negative connotation as a filler could be a healthy grain that binds the kibble.) The two bottom points of the triangle lead to the top point. We start with analyzing the nutrients first, the top of the triangle, if they pass muster, then we move to the ingredients and make sure they are what we are looking for and if they truly enhance or diminish the nutrient levels. Finally, we look at the third option and that is the preservatives, fillers, and binders. Here a total picture emerges. We keep hearing about “species appropriate” or a “biologically appropriate” diet which is used for the most part for marketing purposes but that term in my opinion confines a person mentally into believing that the dog or cat can only eat a certain food and will not thrive/live if the diet deviates from that manufacturer suggested “appropriate” ingredient. I prefer to use a more realistic term that frees us mentally from those confines and that is “ancestral diet” because it leaves room for dietary evolution in its interpretation and as history has shown those canines have indeed evolved to eat more than just a meat-based diet. As an omnivore a canine scavenged what it could find to live. There is no argument that a meat/protein-based diet is preferred by dogs as a recent food preference study has shown. Dogs when given a choice always choose the meat protein and fat and avoided the “carbs” and only went for the carbs when the meat was eaten and gone. As a human I will always choose my steak over a salad but the salad still plays an important role in my human diet as do carbohydrates in the canine diet. All our diets have evolved from primitive times and now through science we understand nutrition and its metabolic influence. Dietary evolution and science improved and extended our lives and the lives of our companion friends. In the Middle Ages people consistently ate gruel, old cheese, apples and hard stale bread. If we would stick to our “species appropriate” diet then we would be ordering a McGruel with a side of old cheese on a daily basis. Thank God we evolved. The “ancestral diet” was there to feed the animal and give it by nature the minerals and vitamins to live-by and procreate in its short life. As evolution progressed carbs, from human garbage most likely found their way into the canine diet. Those same canines evolved into human companions and science has shown how to improve, yes, improve their diets for their longevity and our happiness.
Can someone provide me with the research mentioned here that protein causes kidney disease in otherwise healthy dogs? This is not the case in human studies, wondering where the research is on animals/dogs? Also, what’s excessive? Science diet food recommendations often seem excessive for the average dog, do you have to feed according to the recommendations to achieve recommended minimum values of macronutrients? Specifically protein, if my dog eats half the daily rec on the food chart and science diet is low protein to begin with, how is he meeting recommended daily minimums?
First question is easy. There is NO evidence that high protein, or high anything CAUSES kidney disease. There is plenty of research showing once compromised, protein, phosphorus, sodium (at least in cats) is harmful. the idea is reducing the risk by feeding optimal levels at least when they are older, since the early stages of the disease almost always go undiagnosed. Sadly, most cases aren't detected till Stage 3. As far as feeding too little, I din't know at what point you're not delivering enough nutrition. I had a make Berner who ate exactly 4 cups of food and maintained weight perfectly. The bag said 5 -7 cups. Never had a problem. But you're right as far as could we end up feeding too little.
Dr Rea kinda already disproved the second commentors stance in a cideo she released a week or so ago comparing purina to hills and then going more indepth yo other companies. In the videos shes showing food and protein weight. Just because a good had high protein weight didnt mean it had high mineral content. 1 food that had 9 grams of protein had better nutrients then the bulk of the foods at 7 grams of protein.
LOL! I'm thinking you might be thinking of my video, but I love being confused with Dr Rea! LOL! But yes, Farmina is a great example of higher protein, some exotic ingredients, yet healthy mineral levels, And low protein can also be excessive in minerals.
@@PetFoodPuzzleGuy ok I don't know what happened. I must have watched her video right after yours because I swore she did it and I just checked my history. Lol. Anyways yeah that video is on the purina pro plan was the one I was refering to you're right. I'm clearly out of it lol
So to touch a little bit on the nutrition side of things. I had my 3 cats on a food (I will not mention brand) but it was not a well known brand. The food was said to have 0-3% carbs and high protein high fat all meat based dry food. The mineral levels were spot on mind you. None were excessive. This food almost killed my 4 year old cat!!!! I do not say that loosely. If I did not change foods when I did I truly believe she would not be here now. My oldest cat had elevated glucose levels the last 3 times she had bloodwork while on that bad food. Once I switched foods her glucose levels went back to normal. The new food I switched to is not part of the big 3 as some like to call it but another independent brand. The carbs in the new food are higher than some carbs in Hills. I believe it’s 38% DBM. All of the other nutrients are well within range for all my adult cats and none are excessive for my senior. The ingredients if you need to look at it have a mixture of plant and meat based protein and carbs. People say cats get diabetes from eating excess carbs but my cat’s blood work is proof that this is not the case. Everyone has their own opinion on everything. I truly believe that between the scientific proof and the bloodwork the only opinions that should matter are ones that can be backed by proof!! Luv ya Glenn! Thanks for all your hard work and research for this community! You and Dr Rea are true inspirations and have helped many pet parents. ❤
the people who say cats get diabetes from carbs are ignoring all the research that shows that is false. and your cat shows that too! Thanks so much for sharing! And for the encouragement!
Every time you mention "chicken lips" I think of the time I gave my dog a whole chicken head (as a treat, she does love her monthly pigs' foot treats), she looked at it, gave me "WTF is that?" look and ignored it, lol.
Great video, we are looking for balance always balance.
I can't help but chuckle at the image of your dog's "WTF is that?" face!
Ingredients are important, for various reasons. Such as bioavailability to allergies, but if the nutrient numbers do not line up then there is no point to even looking at the ingredients.
my take is, the ingredient list like orijen (or other premium brands) that many pet owners like and think sounds good on paper, translate better if it were some freshly cooked meal. but once turned into kibbles, i'm sorry, even if they use organic free range chicken sourced from the south of france, it's still being processed to heck into meal form before they get turned into kibbles through the same heat & manufacturing process. if you want your pet to eat whole foods, then feed whole foods. just don't expect whole foods quality and experience in kibbles. if you're opting for kibbles, pick one that's nutritionally balanced, lab tested, and approved by board certified veterinary nutritionists and vets.
I think this is the key point here: if you want whole foods, that's the direction you need to go. You take on an added responsibility, but you're right. I have no problem with kibble done right but don't fool yourself looking at the bag pics or the ingredient list!
@@PetFoodPuzzleGuy totally. my cat will only eat wet food if it's freshly cooked in puree form and hated all the commercial brand canned food. so i make him homemade wet food with ezcompleter, but of course, first consulted with the vet's recommendation based on his bloodwork on the how much to feed and ingredients to avoid. he's still getting his royal canin kibbles just to make sure he's getting all the essential nutrients and calories in a balanced formula. so far it's been working well and he's a happy, healthy boy.
Great video Glenn! This is exactly what I have been trying to spread on fb to those who only look at ingredients. I tell them “ it’s ok to look at ingredients, but if the nutrition is no good why bother? One has no idea what quality these “pretty” ingredients are, and it doesn’t matter what the company says since it’s all marketing gimmicks.”
Furthermore, at the end of the day, one has really no clue what they are looking at. They compare ingredients to what humans eat, but forget dogs are not humans and have different dietary needs.
As for those who say bad things about vitamins and minerals added to do foods, of course they work or we would have millions upon millions of deficiencies and dying cats and dogs.
Here’s basic ingredients to BABY formulas:
The most commonly used infant formulas contain purified cow's milk whey and casein as a protein source, a blend of vegetable oils as a fat source, lactose as a carbohydrate source, a vitamin-mineral mix.
exactly!
Once again ‼️Thank you for the information ℹ️
That's what I'm here for. I hope it made sense.
Thank you, great info. when you see three or four meats listed first you think this has got to be the best food for my pet. Only issue is you have no idea what the quality is. I worry when food is coming from Serbia for example. I'll stick to the the manufacturing companys in the US
Thanks for all the information you provide for pet parents!! You are much appreciated.
Quick question: When choosing dog food for a senior dog (7+), should I prioritize protein, calcium, or phosphorus levels? For example, one food has 24% protein, 0.77% calcium, and 0.57% phosphorus, while another has 22.5% protein, 0.97% calcium, and 0.69% phosphorus. Which is better? Is it better to have slightly higher protein and less calcium and phosphorus, or the reverse?
It seems from everything Ive been taught, that I'd rather have high protein and lower phosphorus. I guess, as everyone is saying, both those foods are great. Maybe now look at the ingredients, maybe Vit E levels.
@this helps a lot, thank you!
Great as always!!!! Thank you!
Thanks for watching!❤
Thank you. I am very much concern with my cats health while thinking of choosing the more affordable products. How do you think of Friskies? I don't care about the ingredients anymore. I care which can keep my cats free from UTi, struvite forming
budget cat food I'd look at Iams and Purina One Urinary Care.
I would love a video comparing Hills Science Diet and the Hills Vet Essentials range. I’m in the vet field but still find it difficult to compare the two! My dog is a large breed puppy but any thoughts you have on the topic would be much appreciated.
My response must have gotten lost. I am not familiar with Veyt Essentials. Mist be in Europe? I did a video on Large breed puppy food. Its in the playlist Marketing vs Nutrition.
Thank you for your reply. Yes, I guess that line must be in Europe. It is exclusively available from vets and appears to be better quality but it’s difficult to tell. I will watch the video you mention. Thank you!
He said I was one step ahead of him, haha!
We go back to see him in 6 months. We're hoping nothing changes from now until then.
Hoping for wonderful numbers!
@@PetFoodPuzzleGuy Thank you! Fingers crossed 🤞
Great video!
not specifically related to this video but...
I just come here to say once again the Hills Biome is a miracle food!!
I first tried it 5 years ago and it fixed my beagles gut issue (which she had since a pup)
Then last week her gut was awful after switching her off the c/d urinary food and onto Royal Canin mature.
The c/d was not a good fit for her and then to top it off the RC made things worse LOL (vet said it was fine to take her off the c/d)
Well thank heavens for the biome.. within 24 hours we are back to normal!
Like seriously what magic potion goes into this??
It really is! Just imagine what science without BS can do!
So are we all extremists if we compare foods on a dry matter basis? I mean how else do you compare different foods properly if you don’t look at the nutrients?
Well you and I aren't! Saying "We" was just to include all of us in the question. I suppose some of the folks that claim Dr Rea and I ignore ingredients are extremists. And it it totally correct to say the ingredients must be bioavailable and digestible to deliver those optimal nutrients. Im going to try and show ingredient panels with my reviews to see how much we really can gain from them.
@ The funny thing is Glenn. You both don’t ignore ingredients. You just judge the food by its nutrients. It’s simply a scientific way of looking at things.
@ I'm trying to be more diplomatic this new year. For folks just trying to learn, I don't want to scare them off.
@@PetFoodPuzzleGuy Glenn you know me my mantra is “Fed is best.”
Glenn, I kinda think nutrients and ingredients are equally important. What would you call me?
LOL! Hmmmm, that's a tough one! You came up with DangerousDiva so maybe you can come up with one? Maybe I need to do a video Okay, ingredients matter!
@@PetFoodPuzzleGuy I guess I'm a rebel, lol
Great video. Thank you.
well thank you!
My kitten had a reaction to anesthesia when he got neutered. So, my mission is to hopefully reduce any extra chance of anesthesia. I have been looking into a lot of different dentals tools/ideas. I'm very interested in putting him on prescription dental kibble from Hills. I'm just wondering if it would still be effective if it was only a small part of his diet? Like one out of 5 daily meal s, maybe? What are your thoughts on dental kibble?
He's such a picky eater. Do you know how palatable the food tends to be? Do vets have samples?
@@Fabhuntress IIRC, Hill's will take back and refund if the pet refuses to eat the food.
@Oak_Hollow Yes, I know a lot of companies have this policy. It's so incredibly wasteful if I know there's a good chance he won't eat it. Plus time and gas to return and get new items is extremely cumbersome. I will check my local stores or vets office for samples.
if you're going to introduce him into eating a small amount of dental kibbles, might as well just spend the extra time and effort in getting your kitten comfortable to get his teeth brushed, with actual toothbrush and toothpaste made for pets. no amount of kibbles that shave away years of build up in plaques and tartars.
I have been doing that since he was 5 weeks old actually...@rubiirae
When researching dog food a person can get lost in the two camps of nutrition and ingredients. But why? We can combine the two, which in the end results in a healthier decision.
What I look at and recommend is to create a triangle. Nutrients being on the top (point) and ingredients being on the left or right bottom point with the other point being occupied by the “fillers, binders, preservatives” ( it does not have to be a negative connotation as a filler could be a healthy grain that binds the kibble.)
The two bottom points of the triangle lead to the top point. We start with analyzing the nutrients first, the top of the triangle, if they pass muster, then we move to the ingredients and make sure they are what we are looking for and if they truly enhance or diminish the nutrient levels. Finally, we look at the third option and that is the preservatives, fillers, and binders. Here a total picture emerges.
We keep hearing about “species appropriate” or a “biologically appropriate” diet which is used for the most part for marketing purposes but that term in my opinion confines a person mentally into believing that the dog or cat can only eat a certain food and will not thrive/live if the diet deviates from that manufacturer suggested “appropriate” ingredient. I prefer to use a more realistic term that frees us mentally from those confines and that is “ancestral diet” because it leaves room for dietary evolution in its interpretation and as history has shown those canines have indeed evolved to eat more than just a meat-based diet.
As an omnivore a canine scavenged what it could find to live. There is no argument that a meat/protein-based diet is preferred by dogs as a recent food preference study has shown. Dogs when given a choice always choose the meat protein and fat and avoided the “carbs” and only went for the carbs when the meat was eaten and gone. As a human I will always choose my steak over a salad but the salad still plays an important role in my human diet as do carbohydrates in the canine diet.
All our diets have evolved from primitive times and now through science we understand nutrition and its metabolic influence. Dietary evolution and science improved and extended our lives and the lives of our companion friends. In the Middle Ages people consistently ate gruel, old cheese, apples and hard stale bread. If we would stick to our “species appropriate” diet then we would be ordering a McGruel with a side of old cheese on a daily basis. Thank God we evolved.
The “ancestral diet” was there to feed the animal and give it by nature the minerals and vitamins to live-by and procreate in its short life. As evolution progressed carbs, from human garbage most likely found their way into the canine diet. Those same canines evolved into human companions and science has shown how to improve, yes, improve their diets for their longevity and our happiness.
Lots of great points in there to unpack! I would just have to say if given the choice I'd choose cake over steak.
Can someone provide me with the research mentioned here that protein causes kidney disease in otherwise healthy dogs? This is not the case in human studies, wondering where the research is on animals/dogs? Also, what’s excessive? Science diet food recommendations often seem excessive for the average dog, do you have to feed according to the recommendations to achieve recommended minimum values of macronutrients? Specifically protein, if my dog eats half the daily rec on the food chart and science diet is low protein to begin with, how is he meeting recommended daily minimums?
First question is easy. There is NO evidence that high protein, or high anything CAUSES kidney disease. There is plenty of research showing once compromised, protein, phosphorus, sodium (at least in cats) is harmful. the idea is reducing the risk by feeding optimal levels at least when they are older, since the early stages of the disease almost always go undiagnosed. Sadly, most cases aren't detected till Stage 3. As far as feeding too little, I din't know at what point you're not delivering enough nutrition. I had a make Berner who ate exactly 4 cups of food and maintained weight perfectly. The bag said 5 -7 cups. Never had a problem. But you're right as far as could we end up feeding too little.
Dr Rea kinda already disproved the second commentors stance in a cideo she released a week or so ago comparing purina to hills and then going more indepth yo other companies. In the videos shes showing food and protein weight. Just because a good had high protein weight didnt mean it had high mineral content. 1 food that had 9 grams of protein had better nutrients then the bulk of the foods at 7 grams of protein.
LOL! I'm thinking you might be thinking of my video, but I love being confused with Dr Rea! LOL! But yes, Farmina is a great example of higher protein, some exotic ingredients, yet healthy mineral levels, And low protein can also be excessive in minerals.
@PetFoodPuzzleGuy oh no she literally did one recently it was pretty good
@ I'll have to check it out! I never miss hers!
@@PetFoodPuzzleGuy ok I don't know what happened. I must have watched her video right after yours because I swore she did it and I just checked my history. Lol. Anyways yeah that video is on the purina pro plan was the one I was refering to you're right. I'm clearly out of it lol
@ happens to me more and more!