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This dry dog food formula is made by Diamond Pet Foods and it belongs to the Chicken Soup for the Soul line of pet foods. This Diamond Naturals Chicken Soup for the Soul Dry Dog Food formula is made with healthy ingredients including chicken, turkey, duck, salmon and vegetables – it is also advertised as being made with antioxidants and natural preservatives. According to the Chicken Soup for the Soul website, this line of pet foods is designed to encourage wellness in pets through providing fresh, nutritious foods made from the purest ingredients. If you are looking for a high-quality source of nutrition for your dog, this Diamond Naturals Chicken Soup for the Soul Dry Dog Food may be a good option to consider. Before you purchase this brand of dog food, however, you would be wise to consider the ingredients used to make this dog food and how they impact the total nutritional value of the product.
Ingredients List
Chicken, turkey, chicken meal, turkey meal, cracked pearled barley, whole grain brown rice, peas, oatmeal, white rice, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), tomato pomace, potatoes, natural flavor, ocean fish meal, flaxseed, duck, salmon, egg product, salt, potassium chloride, choline chloride, dried chicory root, dried kelp, carrots, apples, tomatoes, blueberries, spinach, cranberries, rosemary extract, parsley flake, yucca schidigera extract, L-Carnitine, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D supplement, folic acid.
Explanation of Top 5 Ingredients
The top 5 ingredients included in Diamond Naturals Chicken Soup for the Soul Dry Dog Food are: chicken, turkey, chicken meal, turkey meal, and cracked pearled barley. Below you will find a brief explanation of each of these ingredients:
Chicken – The fact that a high-quality source of fresh, animal protein is listed first on the ingredients list for this Diamond Naturals Chicken Soup for the Soul Dry Dog Food earns it points for quality. Dogs are carnivorous by nature, so meat plays an important role in their diet. Fresh meats like chicken are an excellent addition to a high-quality dog food like this, but there is one thing you need to keep in mind. Fresh chicken (and other meats) contain up to 80% water which means that, once the product is cooked, the weight will be much less than the original. As long as there are other high-quality sources of protein on the ingredients list, however, this is usually not a problem.
Turkey – Turkey is very similar to chicken in that it contains up to 80% water – when the dog food is cooked, the actual weight of turkey meat is much lower than the original. Because there is another source of high-quality animal-based protein before this ingredient, however, there is no problem. In fact, there are two more high-quality sources of protein listed within the first 5 ingredients on the list for this dry dog food formula.
Chicken Meal – If you are unfamiliar with dog food labels, you may be tempted to think that this is a low-quality ingredient simply because it contains the word “meal”. In reality, meat meals are a much more concentrated source of protein than fresh meats. For example, fresh chicken contains up to 80% water so the cooked weight is much lower than the original. Meat meals have already been cooked down to a moisture level around 10% so they contain as much as 300% more protein than fresh meats like chicken and turkey.
Turkey Meal – Turkey meal is very similar to chicken meal in that it has already been cooked down to a moisture level around 10%. Turkey meal contains up to 300% more protein than fresh turkey by weight which makes it a very valuable addition to this dog food formula. In fact, it is the fourth high-quality source of protein listed within the top 5 ingredients for this product.
Cracked Pearl Barley – Barley is a type of grain and, like all grains, it can be processed in different ways. Cracked pearl barley has been processed to remove the outer hull as well as the bran – these are the fibrous parts of the grain. Because these parts have been removed, this ingredient provides only moderate nutritional value for your dog, largely in the form of calories for energy and some dietary fiber.
Other Notable Ingredients
Aside from the top five ingredients, there are several other notable ingredients found in Diamond Naturals Chicken Soup for the Soul Dry Dog Food. Some of these ingredients include: whole grain brown rice, oatmeal, white rice, chicken fat, tomato pomace, ocean fish meal, flaxseed, duck, salmon, egg product, dried fermentation products and chelated minerals. Whole grain brown rice and oatmeal may be more valuable sources of carbohydrate than cracked pearl barley which is listed before them on the ingredients list. Brown rice is a gluten-free complex carbohydrate that, as long as it is cooked, is easy for your dog’s body to digest. White rice is a less nutritious form of rice because the nutritious outer layer has been removed. Oatmeal is another whole grain, made from coarsely ground whole oats, and it is rich in dietary fiber and B-vitamins.
Though chicken fat may not sound like an appetizing ingredient to you, it is very good for your dog. Animal fats are much more biologically valuable to your dog than plant-based fats like canola oil and chicken fat in particular is rich in omega-6 fatty acids like linoleic acid. Tomato pomace, the next ingredient on the list, is the subject of some debate. This ingredient is the byproduct of the process through which tomatoes are turned into juice and ketchup. Tomato pomace may be high in fiber but it provides only moderate nutritional value – some even believe that it is nothing more than an inexpensive filler ingredient.
Ocean fish meal, flaxseed, duck, and salmon are all valuable additions to this Diamond Naturals Chicken Soup for the Soul Dry Dog Food formula. Ocean fish meal is like turkey meal and chicken meal – it has already been cooked down to a moisture level around 10% so it is a concentrated source of animal protein. Fresh duck and salmon are also rich in protein, though because they are fresh their volumes will be much smaller after cooking than the original. Egg product is another source of protein but this ingredient is one that some deem questionable because the eggs may come from low-quality sources like commercial hatcheries.
Ground flaxseed is one of the highest plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids and, because it is typically ground into a powder, it is a good source of dietary fiber as well. One thing to be wary of with this ingredient is that it contains up to 19% protein – some dog food manufacturers use high-protein plant ingredients to boost the protein content of their products without adding more meat. Because this Diamond Naturals Chicken Soup for the Soul Dry Dog Food formula contains so many meat ingredients, however, this ingredient is not a problem. The final ingredients – dried fermentation products and chelated minerals – are typically found in high-quality dog foods. Dried fermentation products help to support healthy digestion and chelated minerals are those that have been chemically bound to protein molecules which makes them easier for your dog’s body to absorb.
Conclusion
Overall, this Diamond Naturals Chicken Soup for the Soul Dry Dog Food formula is an above-average source of nutrition for your pet. When compared to the typical dry dog food, this formula is much higher in protein and it contains four high-quality animal-based protein sources within the top 5 ingredients on the list. Also included are several digestible carbohydrates, an animal-based fat, and supplementary ingredients like dried fermentation products and chelated minerals. Though there are a few ingredients which some might consider questionable, this Diamond Naturals Chicken Soup for the Soul Dry Dog Food is much more nutritious and well-balanced than the typical dry dog food.
Paw Rating
This Diamond Naturals Chicken Soup for the Soul Dry Dog Food formula receives a paw rating of 4.5 out of 5. Not only does this formula contain four high-quality animal-based protein sources within the first 5 ingredients, but it is loaded with other nutritious ingredients as well. If you are looking for a high-quality dry dog food, this is a great option to consider.
