About our ingredients
By law, ingredients are listed in order of size, with the biggest ingredients first. So when you see that our first ingredient is chicken meal (which is pure chicken), you’ll know that we aren’t fobbing your dog off with cheap ‘grains’ like so many dog foods do.
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| Chicken meal |
Good solid protein. And lots of it.
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Oats
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A low GI source of fibre, that releases energy slowly. |
| Soya meal |
A low-cholesterol energy source, also contains protein.
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Brown rice
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A low GI source of fibre, for slow energy release. |
| Barley |
Barley is another low GI food, and a good source of both soluble and insoluble fibre. |
| Sugar beet pulp |
An insoluble fibre source that is moderately fermentable. This means the fibre from beet pulp adds bulk and moisture to dog stools while providing an energy source that can improve the health of the colon. One of the best sources of fibre for dogs.
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Soy bean hulls
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The outside of the soya bean. It’s a highly digestible source of fibre. |
| Whole linseed |
Also known as flax seed, this is one of nature’s magic foods. Formula K founder Kit puts it on his cereal every day.
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| Brewers yeast |
One of nature’s wonder foods. It is an excellent source of all the major B vitamins, except B12. It also contains other vitamins, sixteen amino acids and fourteen or more minerals.
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| Chicken digest |
Liquid or powdered chicken tissue which has been broken down. It does not contain horn, teeth, hair, hooves, or feathers except in trace amounts.
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| Chicken fat |
Easily digested, a good source of fat.
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| Fish meal |
A source of Omega 3 oils. Good for your dog’s skin and coat.
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| Fish oil |
A great source of Omega 3 oils.
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| Minerals, vitamins |
Every dog needs his vitamins and minerals, just like us, to keep us healthy, with glowing skin and healthy bones.
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| Cellulose |
Inert fibres that contribute no calories and no carbohydrates but make your dog feel full. The fibre also gives a firm, more consistent stool.
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| Salt |
Just a dash, to bring out the tastiness of our recipe. |
Now let's look at the food groups, especially protein, carbohydrates and fats.
PROTEIN
Chicken meal is our first and largest ingredient. It is of the highest quality available, and is an excellent source of protein. You may be surprised to know that ‘chicken meal’ is better than ‘chicken’. Chicken meal is chicken that has been baked to get rid of any toxins. It has much less water, and therefore contains more chicken!
Note that some dog food list ‘grains’ as their first ingredient. Dogs were never supposed to live on corn flakes! They are carnivores – look at your dog’s teeth!
Our recipe contains a good level of protein, which produces a recipe with less carbohydrate, as well as promoting lean muscle growth rather than depositing fat.
Our recipe is free from wheat, wheat gluten, and beef which can cause dietary problems.
CARBOHYDRATES
We use a variety of indigestible, partially digestible, and fully digestible fibres from oats, brown rice, barley, beet pulp, soya hulls and cellulose. This provides the benefits of
- Low calories
- Control of bowel motions
- A source of energy for the intestinal flora.
With this range of fibres, your dog doesn't run the risk of gut compaction and lethargy that is associated with excessive levels of indigestible fibre (which some companies use)
We have individually listed all the grains used in the Formula K recipe. Not every company does this. Some refer only to ‘grains’. In such cases, you don’t know whether the recipe includes wheat (which can cause dietary problems in dogs).
Our grains have been selected for their low GI levels, and included at minimal levels (i.e. the right level for weight-loss).
Calorie Count
Formula K has only 340 calories per 100 grams. This
is substantially lower than conventional dog foods.
Competitor Comparison
We've recently completed a comparison of
Formula K against some of our competitors. The diets
we compared were:
IAMS Adult 1+ Light
Formula K
Hills Prescription Diet r/d
Bakers Complete Weight Control
Purina Pro Plan Light
Eukanuba Special Care
Pedigree Complete Light
You can see the findings by clicking
here.
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OILS and FATS
Our main source of fat (which animals and humans need!) are refined chicken oil and fish oil. They are highly digestible, declared openly so you can see what your dog is getting, and they provide very high levels of omega-3 oils).
Our recipe contains 1% fish oil, which is an excellent source of the omega-3 oils DHA & EPA. While it is expensive, it is commonly acknowledged as being the best source of these nutrients.
Comparison Continued...
Of the seven diets listed in the green
box above, Formula K has the lowest content of
saturated fats by a significant margin.
Fats
Formula K also has the lowest
ratio of saturates to unsaturates. This will
provide health benefits for the obese dog,
such as reduced heart & circulatory problems.
Formula K provides
the highest levels of poly-unsaturated fats,
which have been proven to help control cholesterol
levels and heart disease.
Omega 6 and 3
With regard to Omega 6 and 3,
the optimal dietary
ratio for these should be between 5 and 10:1.
The only diet that approaches this is Formula
K at 13:1, which is due to the inclusion of linseed
and fish oil in the recipe.
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NO COLOURS OR ARTIFICAL INGREDIENTS
Formula K contains no artificial preservatives or additives.
We don’t include sodium hexametaphosphate which is a chemical used to stop plaque. We don’t need this as the texture of the nuggets lends itself to teeth cleaning, so industrial chemicals aren’t necessary.
We don’t use any colours. Dogs can’t see colours, so other companies put them in for the dog owner. They have also been linked to dietary intolerances.
The cost of the ingredients has not been the main focus with this recipe. That’s another way of saying that Formula K is expensive to make!
WHAT DOG FOODS TO AVOID
Here's how some companies make their dog food.
1. They use lots of indigestible fibre. It's cheap to
buy and will fill the dog up without being converted
into calories. However, it will give the dog insufficient
energy, so he won’t run off his weight. And he
will suffer from tummy troubles. That's not the Formula
K way!
2. They use vague terms like 'Grains'. That means
you can buy whatever is cheapest. The customer won't
be able to tell what they are getting.
3. Their dog food has grains such as corn as its
first ingredient, rather than a protein source such
as chicken. That will cut the cost of their dog food.
It will fill the dog up with calories and fibre.
4. They also add lots of chemicals
with long-sounding names. That's another bad sign.
Want to see how some other brands compare? Click here.
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