# high meat % dry dog food



## Henny (1 October 2010)

Hi i am looking for a complete dog food with a high % of meat, definately higher than the rice! I have seen the barking heads food, but I have read fresh chicken % arent good because of the water content. I have tried orijen but he didnt really like it. Any reccomendations?


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## PucciNPoni (2 October 2010)

There's a lot of thought behind protein levels being too high for many breeds of dogs (I'm not a nutritionist, so i can't really comment) so you'll find lots that advertise lower and lower %'s .  However, I suppose if you really need a higher percentage, get a working breed food and if still necessary, top dress it with raw?  Just a thought anyway.


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## EAST KENT (2 October 2010)

Does fish meat count? If so Fish4Dogs is totally brilliant stuff.


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## CAYLA (2 October 2010)

I use the Fish4dogs with my puppy and it is a very good quality food with 70% fish, applaws also has a hight meat content, not sure about the quality of it but def high meat content.


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## fizzer (2 October 2010)

I use Fish4dogs also, excellent.


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## hottoddy (2 October 2010)

Lily's kitchen is great and has a high meat content


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## KarynK (2 October 2010)

PucciNPoni said:



			There's a lot of thought behind protein levels being too high for many breeds of dogs (I'm not a nutritionist, so i can't really comment) so you'll find lots that advertise lower and lower %'s .  However, I suppose if you really need a higher percentage, get a working breed food and if still necessary, top dress it with raw?  Just a thought anyway.
		
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Please do not overdress anything with raw it can be dangerous.  Cereal based "food" is not natural to a dog and in order to get nutrients from it the dog has to digest it differently to it's natural food, meat and bones.   That means it slows the system down and if raw, particularly bones are fed with this stuff you risk impaction.  

If anyone does want to mix raw with cooked (why defeats me but) please feed them separately, ideally with half a day between.

NB Raw fed dogs have a relatively high protein very low to zero carb diet and do not suffer ill effects as the protein is in it's natural state, raw and therefore is very easy for their specialist carnivorous digestive system break down and use.  If you take protein content out of food it means that it has to be replaced by carbs and dogs have no dietary requirement for carbs, so you have to ask the question what is causing this difference?  The glaring answer is cooking but the overuse of plant based proteins is also suspicious to me!

Can't really comment on the brands as I only feed raw meat and bones,  but I know Orijen has caused problems with dogs not feeling satisfied with some users on here, that's what the bone does in a good raw diet and is probably one reason why carbs are added to a lot of feeds.  also meat protein is expensive so that's probably why the price of high meat content food??


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## PucciNPoni (3 October 2010)

How interesting -  I didn't know that (I don't feed raw, I use an holistic diet for my lot).  Okay, supposing you didn't want to go the route of raw, but wanted a biscuit with higher meat content and can't find it, cook up chicken (with no seasoning) and feed that.  Or like some others have said, fish.  I'm not an expert on feeding, just throwing out some ideas for investigation (and perhaps refute   ).


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## KarynK (3 October 2010)

Cooking your own food would be an option (personally can't see the point and I'm too lazy to cook it for em sometimes I'm too lazy to defrost it!)  I would say though cook the food lightly as the longer the cooking the more nutrients are destroyed.  

At least by cooking your own diet you can be sure of the quality of the food you are putting in, but what you are missing is something to bulk the diet, probably some form of veg would be needed in that case, preferably mashed or liquidised, to allow the dog to get something from it.

There are a number of websites with home cooked petfood recipes, it might be an idea to do some research if you feel inclined and find out what others are doing and how they balance the diet?


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## EAST KENT (3 October 2010)

Interesting karynk..must then admit to being a sinner there..as I throw on a handful of the dreaded Wagg as a treat along with the beef headmeat some days.OOPS!,Mostly though it`s headmeat and chook carcase. No one`s died yet though!


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## KarynK (3 October 2010)

It really isn't a problem most of the time but I always advise against it as as you know it will always get blamed on the raw side of the diet if things go wrong!!!!!!  

It's like all things really mine and other's dogs have at some stage gotten hold of a cooked chicken carcass by foul means now and again with no problems, but sometimes luck runs out!!!

Mine do get dog bickies now and again as treats for training and when I go out but it's a bit like taking your kid to McDonalds once a week instead of every day!!!


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## EAST KENT (3 October 2010)

I always compare a bowl of tinned and biks to a Macdonalds..the ungrateful little sods love it! As for my little rescue Lucy..well she`s hooked on Bruno tinned meat(Urgh!) and Bakers moisty chicken chunks.She looks great on junk food..but you cannot expect any posh tastes off a dog rescued off a council tip


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## soloabe (4 October 2010)

KarynK said:



			It really isn't a problem most of the time
		
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Not to be a PITA but i have actually seen it be a problem many times. Its also been show recently that not only does it cause blockages but it holds potentially nasty bacteria in the colon for longer where it can be absorbed and cause a problem.


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## EAST KENT (4 October 2010)

What is a PITA?? Sorry,thick moment! Have to say mine look in rude health on my sinful feeding ways,but it is MOSTLY just raw stuff.


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## soloabe (4 October 2010)

EAST KENT said:



			What is a PITA?? Sorry,thick moment! Have to say mine look in rude health on my sinful feeding ways,but it is MOSTLY just raw stuff.

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Pain in the ass  sorry!


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## EAST KENT (4 October 2010)

katielou_houston said:



			Pain in the ass  sorry!
		
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Yay! Good one!


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## KarynK (4 October 2010)

Like I say sometimes luck runs out!


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