Grain Free Dog Food In Australia

[GordonsCorner]

hi all, new on the forum long time reader first time poster,justing reading all the topics on dog kibbles and thought i would let you all know about a grain free dog kibble in which i testing on my greyhounds at the moment,we have found it to be fantastic,its due in australia on the 12th june,this is not an advertisment for the company but i just thought this might be good information for all our dogs with skin complaints.The web site for this is www.canidae.com.au,and speak to george as he was ever so helpful to us.

Artemis Maximal is also a grain free food and it's been available in Australia for quite some time now.

It does have a very high protein content but then so does the Canidae fish variety.

I feed my dogs Artemis Maximal kibble when alternating with a BARF diet. I prefer and believe Artemis Maximal grain free is better than Canidae grain free because it contains far less carbohydrate percentage than Canidae. The higher the carbohydrate nutrient percentage in dog food, the further away it is from the dog's evolutionary ancestral diet. Whilst Artemis Maximal also contains a higher protein level than Canidae formulas, it only has a single meat protein source in chicken, as opposed to Canidae containing a few protein meat sources. This can also be advantageous in dogs with either specific or multiple protein source allergies.

[pixie_meg]

I do believe that raw is optimum but only if the dog does well on it. For example if a skinny dog turns its nose up at raw but love kibble then its going to be better to get the dog healthy than starve it on raw. Thats just one example. We did raw for over 9 months but my boy actually lost condition on it. we're back on kibble and he is doing very well. We tried a variety of balanced raw meals and it was a struggle a lot of the time to get him to eat.

You cant always argue that one is better than the other, it really does depend on the dog.

[GordonsCorner]

Hey all,

I was looking on the canidae website and came across this.

Is this true? I have always though that just plain 'meat' (e.g. chicken, lamb, beef etc.) on the packaging was preferable to 'meat meal' (e.g. chicken meal, lamb meal, beef meal etc.) Is what they say about 'meat meal' having higher levels of meat protein than 'meat' true?

Thanks,

Josh

It is 100% true, and part of the reason I would not argue the point to those that 'think' fresh meat is better. What they are really feeding there pet is mostly moisture, a large part of that being H20.

I have spent years dealing with aquaculture foods and the very best ingredient you can use for really adding protein is fish meal, it is a scientifically proven fact.

The commercial foods used for growing aqua-cultured Salmon and Trout, have extremely high levels of protein, this can only be provided by using fish and crustacea meal. The same is on offer for aquatic hobbyists who want high quality foods, although other ingredients such as the skin of shrimp and some fish are added to increase Omega fats and protein levels.

To put it in simple terms, you are dealing with a concentrate.

I could bore you with pages of data, but google will help you make your own mind up.

There is a place for Kibble, as there is for fresh foods, it really comes down to personal preference and what your pet likes or is happy with.

Personally I think a combination of kibble and fresh foods is the best option for feeding of my own pets, but as per above, personal preference is the key to this

I don't "think" that raw has more protein that processed I KNOW it is! What I am actually feeding my dogs is 100% human quality meat

sold to me by a butcher! are you really saying that as a human all I am actually eating when I buy and eat a steak is just water?

Do you really think that people are stupid enough to believe your rubbish attempt at brainwashing to feed processed pet poison?

Thanks very much PSA for the usual patronising "I sell processed Pet Poison for Profit - therefore it must be good Guff!"

Meat Meal is rubbish food - you may as well feed your dog cardboard!

It would be very interesting to hear your reply to the following points:- (from various websites)

If you Google "meat meal" there is nothing good to be said about it at all!

From website #1 -

Meat meals, poultry meals, by-product meals, and meat-and-bone meal are common ingredients in dry pet foods. The term “meal” means that these materials are not used fresh, but have been rendered. While there are chicken, turkey, and poultry by-product meals there is no equivalent term for mammal “meat by-product meal” — it is called “meat-and-bone-meal.” It may also be referred to by species, such as “beef-and-bone-meal” or “pork-and-bone-meal.”

What is rendering? As defined by Webster’s Dictionary, to render is “to process as for industrial use: to render livestock carcasses and to extract oil from fat, blubber, etc., by melting.” In other words, raw materials are dumped into large vat and boiled for several hours. Rendering separates fat, removes water, and kills bacteria, viruses, parasites, and other organisms. However, the high temperatures used (270°F/130°C) can alter or destroy natural enzymes and proteins found in the raw ingredients.

Website #2

If a pet food lists "meat by-products" on the label, remember that this is the material that usually comes from the slaughterhouse industry or dead stock removal operations, classified as condemned or contaminated, unfit for human consumption. Meat meal, meat and bone meal, digests, and tankage (specifically animal tissue including bones and exclusive of hair, hoofs, horns, and contents of digestive tract) are composed of rendered material. The label need not state what the composition of this material is, as each batch rendered would consist of a different material. These are the sources of protein that we are feeding our companion animals.

So how is any of this "better" to feed a dog?? Really interested to see what you have to say PSA - have you ever actually researched these products?

As for not being irradiated - ALL imported dog foods that come through Australia's Quarantine MUST be irradiated - there is no way it can be exempted!

Tyra - Actually it is true that meat meals contain higher protein levels than fresh meat. About 3 times more. But that doesn't mean it is better than fresh. Meat meals are used in kibbles because kibble isn't fresh, and is a way to still include meat protein sources in kibble so pets who are fed kibble don't miss out on meat sourced protein.

You are right about generic and unnamed meat meals. These are ones to stay away from. But ones that are actually named in kibble ingredients labels such as 'chicken meal', 'beef meal', 'lamb meal' etc are actually OK!

Fresh meats do contain water just like out own bodies do. Something like 70 to 80% in fact. It's when fresh meats are cooked, that they'll lose their water content, hence their weight as well.

And lastly, not all imported pet foods including dog foods are irradiated. Even as of the time of your post, your statement is incorrect. For example Artemis and Canidae range of kibbles are not irradiated because they fall in the guidelines set out here. http://www.daff.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/1152071/33-2009.pdf

Orijen kibble that was irradiated before being recalled in 2008 and since not available in Australia any longer, can not be imported with out being irradiated because Champion Foods cook it and their Acana range at 10 degrees below the minimum required by DAFF and AQIS.

[Danois]

This thread is quite old and you're replying to a number of people who are no longer active on the forum.