Corn is one of the first ingredients in this dog food. Aside from its energy content, this grain is not of much use to a dog. Corn is not considered a preferred component of dog food for this reason.
The second ingredient is meat and bone meal, a dry “rendered product from mammal tissues, including bone, exclusive of any added blood, hair, hoof, horn, hide, manure, stomach and rumen contents” This particular item is anonymous and scientists believe that this decreased absorption may be due to the ingredient’s higher ash and lower essential amino acid content.
This ingredient could come from spoiled supermarket meat, roadkill, dead or dying livestock, and even euthanized farm animals since there is no mention of a specific animal.
We don’t consider a generic ingredient like this a quality item, even though meat and bone meals are still considered high-quality meat concentrates. There are three ingredients, the third one is wheat. Both wheat and corn are subject to the same issues as other cereals. The fourth ingredient is wheat mill run, also known as wheat middlings.
It may sound wholesome, but wheat middlings is an inexpensive by-product of cereal grain processing. In reality, wheat mill run isn’t much more than milling dust and floor sweepings, and an ingredient more typically found in lower quality pet foods.
Animal fat is a generic by-product of rendering, the same high-temperature process used to make meat meals. Wrecked roadkill, spoiled supermarket meat, and even dead or dying cattle are just some of the items that could be used to make this item.
Generic animal fat is not considered a quality ingredient for that reason. After the poultry flavor, we find a supplement that is sometimes used as a replacement for the salt found in table salt. Salt, also known as sodium chloride, is the eighth ingredient. Salt is a common ingredient in dog food. It is necessary for all animals, including humans, to have the mineral sodium. Since the actual amount of salt added to this recipe isn’t disclosed on the list of ingredients, it’s impossible to judge the nutritional value of this item.
A number of other items are included in the list from here. The ingredients located this far down the list are not likely to affect the overall rating of the product. There were three notable exceptions…
The coloring agent caramel is made by caramelizing carbohydrates. To impart a golden brown tint to the finished product, it is used by pet food manufacturers. Even though caramel is considered safe by the FDA, we are always disappointed to find any added coloring in our pet food.
That is because coloring makes the product more appealing to humans than it is to your dog. Do you think your dog is paying attention to the color of his food? There is no mention of the friendly bacteria that were applied to the surface of the kibble after it was processed to help with digestion.
The minerals listed here don’t seem to be affected by chelated minerals. That can make it more difficult for them to absorb. The lower the quality of the dog food, the higher the non-chelated minerals associated with it.
Defender Dog Food Review
Defender Dog Food appears to be a below-average dry product, judging by its ingredients alone. ingredient quality alone is not enough to tell the whole story. It is still necessary to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.
The dashboard shows a dry matter percentage of 24%, a fat percentage of 9%, and an estimated carbohydrate percentage of 59%. There is a fat-to-protein ratio of more than 40%.
There is a below-average protein. The average amount of fat is below average. When compared to typical dry dog food, there is an above-average amount of carbs. The profile of a kibble containing a below-average amount of meat is free of any plant-based protein boosters. Do you think the bottom line is accurate?
The brand 2 stars are earned by the below-average amount of generic meat and bone meal used as the main source of animal nutrition in Defender Dog Food. It’s not something that you should recommend. It is possible for certain recipes to be given a higher or lower rating based on our estimate of their total meat content.
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